The East Bay Express is the latest mainstream paper to take a nervous glimpse at the Berkeley Blogs. I can imagine the feeling... trolling us for new angles or missed stories most of the time, running short on real news, and deciding 'Eh, I'll do an easy, patronizing one on these guys.' I'll quote in entirety for easier deconstruction.

And now, the Berkeley blogosphere -- that collection of undergraduate insta-pundits who maintain Web logs where they gossip about university politics -- has put forth yet another candidate for bête noire in the marketplace of ideas.

Russell Wardlow, a Cal undergrad who runs the blog known as "Mean Mister Mustard," recently attended the introductory session of "Marxism and Fascism in the Far East," a course taught by political science professor James Gregor. Wardlow was surprised and amused to read Gregor's own syllabus. "The course will not be conducted in a politically correct manner," the professor cautioned, "which means that some students may find the treatment offensive. If you are among those who cannot tolerate alternative opinion, who feel that any departure from the prevailing folk-wisdom of Ethnic Studies or left-wing posturing is objectionable -- do not take this course."

In fact, Gregor suggested several types who might be too fragile to hear about the sins of Marxism: "If you are a Marxist enthusiast and believe that all the evil in the world is the product of a 'vast right-wing conspiracy' -- do not take this course," he wrote. "If you require medication to remain civil -- do not take this course."

Entertaining, yes. But Wardlow and the other Berkeley bloggers couldn't help but notice the similarity to Shingavi's controversial caveat. Is there a double standard at Cal when it comes to pouncing on intellectual intimidation? Does Gregor's syllabus qualify as Shingavi-esque? The blogosphere is predictably divided. "Your prof is saying that people with the above-quoted viewpoint shouldn't enroll," one poster argued, "just as Snehal said that people with a conservative viewpoint shouldn't enroll." Wardlow countered that Gregor's quote was aimed at ideologues -- like Shingavi, for instance -- who are unwilling to confront ideas with which they disagree.

Mr. Mustard never noticed any similarity to Snehal's class in his original post. He never even mentioned Snehal. It was Greenthinkthat picked the comparison up-- and posted about it on his own blog. The anonymous comment above is his as well.. if there's any controversy, it was almost purely Jeff's doing in catching the reference.Gregor says he's perfectly happy to have lefty students attend his course, but tiresome true believers are a waste of his time. "There are thirty courses about Marxism on campus; there's no exclusion here," he says. "I'm just telling them that if they don't want to talk about different ideas, this is not the course to take. It's honesty in advertising."

How many Marxism classes are there? I'm thinking the answer is 1 or 2, tops. (Excluding DeCals). Marxism is passe in classrooms. If he wanted to rail about Colonization theory, NeoSocialism, and so on, good show, but nobody teaches straight up Marxism anymore except as a historical departure point.

Still, the debate over Gregor's syllabus underscores just how surreal the university climate has become. We've now witnessed the emergence of the thought-police police, who scrutinize every faculty course description for evidence of intolerance. Somebody please wake us when the world gets back on its meds. -- Chris Thompson

Is this supposed to mean the Berkeley Blogs and associated commentators? Oh yes, I know McCarthy cackles in Hell whenever I put on my Thought Police Police badge and pick up a course catalog. Heck, to start a Berkeley Blog you have to sit on Sproul for 5 hours and circle the biases in the Socialist Worker.

I know it's a slow week for gossip, but I see little point in demonizing the Berkeley Blogs so as to come up with such a witty concept as 'Thought Police Police.' Darn, I thought about the concept for two seconds, now it's stupider. Policing the Thought Police is what the ACLU does.

Also, Mr. Thompson didn't mention Calstuff.





Email This Post!