[iDC] (no subject)

[Brian Holmes]

i find this thread pretty interesting, also the "no subject" subject line

camnitzer points out the total uselessness of trying to reform the 
university system. indeed, one's very belief in its reformability means 
one's availability for the infinite labor of reforming it. oh the 
wonderful committee work! the results seem pretty clear: not only does 
it continually get worse (hard to deny, no?) but also, no real culture 
is produced in america anymore. people just submit and recline, 
compromise forever, explain that it can't be any other way.

on this list about a year ago, somebody explained that their students 
had to get a job, so therefore, they had to teach them whatever is 
required to survive in the system. nice justification for the status 
quo, eichmann couldn't do any better either. oh boy i don't envy you 
people very much with your university jobs. you are subject to almost 
infinite mind control in the name of high ideals.

the interesting thing in camnitzer's post is of course the idea of a 
state within a state, a secret agenda, a fifth column, the informal 
solution: secretly send the students to the subversive teachers and hope 
that a few of them will come out human. problem is, the live ones 
(teachers i mean) leave the system. the rest are slowly drained, 
vampiric bloodletting, debilitation, they become robots. get a raise, 
enjoy prestige, advance in the system. oh you'll reform it someday! who 
believes that? all those who stay. what do they do? not much as far as i 
can see.

it's a paradox. if everybody with any ethics or desire jumps ship, the 
whole thing is bound to remain in the hands of the most unprincipled. if 
nobody jumps ship, everyone is caught inside and zombified to the point 
where they can't produce any culture or human spirit. so you think you 
know what side you should stand on? great, stand there, i respect your 
choice. you think you know which side is the best side, which side 
everyone should stand on? well, i suspect you're wrong. all those of you 
in the university, i personally think you made a big mistake, for 
exactly the reasons that camnitzer gives, and then a few more. but the 
truth is for you to tell.

best, brian