Academic Freedom and the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy

I won't deny universities and professors lean toward the liberal side of American mainstream politics on average--though there are plenty of exceptions. However most higher ups in the corporate world (or church leadership) lean towards more conservative views (either fiscally or socially or both). Sometimes it is because those environments attact people with such tendencies perhaps other times those environments push people to view things from a perspective--I would think there is less pushing (pressure) to conform to either liberal or conservative views in universities that just about any other institution. I would also hazard to guess a very conservative academic finds fewer professional repercussions about spouting off about what not than the typical Exxon executive spouting off about risks to global warming and favoring higher milage requirments, or a Priest spouting off that condoms should be more actively promoted to youth and susceptible populations to reduce disease and unwanted pregnancy.

I guess I just find it kind of amusing that many conservatives are surprised to find out how many liberal leaning people there are in universities. I think it is surprising to them because they are not aware (seems normal to them) that most of the rest of the professional/white collar culture in the US is stilted toward conservative views.

 

The dictionary definitions of "liberal" and "conservative" are not socially useful definitions in this case. These definitions are changing daily and involve a lot more complexity than the original meanings of the terms. Maybe liberals see themselves as "progressive", as in "dissatisfied with the status quo - thinking we can improve" - but it's hard to find any conservatives who don't want to change anything. It just depends on what kind of progress you want to make. (Assuming, of course, that "progress" is always good... that you can't make things worse... though we all know some types of "progress" we are better off without.)

It does seem like those in academia give their lives to their job... I had thought it was simply a cool job where you got to use your knowledge, run things your own way, and have long vacations. And maybe, after you've been there a few years, it will be. In the meantime, I am so busy that it's pretty much sucked up my life and taken an arm, a leg, and (a testicle, if I had one).

 

The Right is just one big cohesive movement? I never have nor will I ever buy that argument.

I'd venture to say that the right has just as diverse a group of people as the left.

Do these people really share more in common than the group you just mentioned?

The Christian Right, Militias, Tax Abolishers, Big Business, War Hawks, NRA, and White Racial Nationalist.

Have you posted this before? I know for sure that I read a similar post last year.

By the way, "big government" is so 1970's. Both sides want big government, they just want it in different ways. The left believes in taxing people so that money can be used on the less fortunate, social security, etc. The Right believes in deficit spending to build a bigger military, invest in corporations(corporate welfare), etc.

 

Christian Right+ Corporate America++, NRA+ War Hawks+ Militias+ Tax Abolitionist= Charleton Heston