There's a luxury belief if I ever heard one. Nothing to see here. Move along. Just college students. LOL. Get out of here. The college protests aren't organic. They're staged by nihilists. I've experienced the same nihilists here in Seattle. They go by the name of "Mutual Aid" in their quest to protect drug addiction and homelessness as an illustration for their point. They're anti-capitalist, anti-western society, and antisemitic. They use the homeless here as human shields to make their point. Same thing on campus. They're using the students as human shields to push their agenda. They're not anti-war. They're anti-American. I think if these students were in majors that actually require study, we'd have less of a problem.
This piece is so great. A few days ago, I made a deliberate decision and reframed my perspective on all these campus protests, pretty much for the reasons laid out here. But I would add one important point - we should all remember that, for instance, there are 8800 undergrads at Columbia, and maybe 200 protestors on the lawn. Where are the other 8600 undergrads? Living their lives, I assume. Not only is the media pouring an intense focus on the college students, but those college students are a very small minority of all college students. It's important to keep in mind. I get it - the media loves conflict, drama, etc. Anyway, I love this essay.
Loved the wit, especially "Their batter is sticking to the toothpick." The laughs were muted, however. I'd just seen where College Democrats have endorsed these pro HAMAS activities and called for a Palestinian state within the "two state solution", ignoring that it would take two parties to agree on it and that the whole point of October 7 was to destroy any prospects for that dream for at least a generation.
The students' fantasies that they are having any effect on the parties to the war could be dismissed; but what irritates the piss out of me is hearing this morning what I have been expecting, the complaints that the death threats and assaults on other students and the property damage might actually result in some adverse action from the schools. Why, a black mark on their transcripts might prejudice their job propects with the investment houses or their applications to law school! After all, they are 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘥 to act out this way because, what, they're white? Oppressed? How much money they paid for this semester's tuition, room, and board? Who their father is?
Actually, what really worries me is that this is the sort of nonsense that gave us Nixon in 1968.
College students are adults, not children, and infantilizing them is both patronizing and counterproductive- an excuse that allows them to get away with any amount of misbehavior (not that we would allow such misbehavior from children of other ages without disciplining them)
What we are seeing once again is that the gap between "town and gown" has grown into a chasm. The protests against the Viet Nam war on college campuses, if my memory serves me, had the support of a sizable portion of the American public. What is the level of off campus support for the pro-Palestinian protesters?
Funny. But all adults are accountable for their actions. Few people of any age spot when they are being exploited. These are grown people first and foremost. Students second. They want to be important and powerful. They have more of this in them than most previous generations. For every ounce of influence exerted on them, they are giving an ounce back.
I like the sanity of this piece - reflected in full measure by that of the author's son. And I agree with the criticism of journalists lusting after inflammatory content (and of advocates on both sides imagining it for them where it may not actually exist). But despite enjoying the clever humour with which it is expressed, I don't share the author's dismissal of College students as a class. Indeed I have seen far worse examples of mindless groupthink and hateful stupidity coming from people of all ages, and have never seen any evidence that a mind still growing is less effective than one that has stopped.
Delightfully and insightfully written. Your naming of Constant News Negativity and the Frenzy of Outright Exaggeration is right on target.
With respect to the capacities of youth, I would suggest that there are historic times and places in which, due to the unfolding of political events, the young generation is in a position to arrive to important insights not grasped by the society’s establishment. But the current generation of college students is not among them.
Hilarious article that gets a lot of the truth right. It should be remembered though, that massive student protests here and in countries around the world have had profound impact on government policy (I think of the anti-War protests of the 70s here, and the French student uprisings in '68). So sometimes these half-baked brains get it right. Today's protests though, aren't massive, despite the media attempts to escalate, and maybe also a little less than half baked.
I am not sure that taking extreme, unrealistic position on political matters is completely due to chronologic immaturity.
I believe the ratio crazed Republicans in the House to the total number of Republicans Representatives is much higher than that for disruptively demonstrating students to the total number of students at an institution.
There's a luxury belief if I ever heard one. Nothing to see here. Move along. Just college students. LOL. Get out of here. The college protests aren't organic. They're staged by nihilists. I've experienced the same nihilists here in Seattle. They go by the name of "Mutual Aid" in their quest to protect drug addiction and homelessness as an illustration for their point. They're anti-capitalist, anti-western society, and antisemitic. They use the homeless here as human shields to make their point. Same thing on campus. They're using the students as human shields to push their agenda. They're not anti-war. They're anti-American. I think if these students were in majors that actually require study, we'd have less of a problem.
Maybe if all the coeds got back to looking for husbands and the guys stayed on the "finance bro" track, we'd get this mess cleaned up quickly.
This piece is so great. A few days ago, I made a deliberate decision and reframed my perspective on all these campus protests, pretty much for the reasons laid out here. But I would add one important point - we should all remember that, for instance, there are 8800 undergrads at Columbia, and maybe 200 protestors on the lawn. Where are the other 8600 undergrads? Living their lives, I assume. Not only is the media pouring an intense focus on the college students, but those college students are a very small minority of all college students. It's important to keep in mind. I get it - the media loves conflict, drama, etc. Anyway, I love this essay.
Thank you for this. It is the sanest thing I have read in weeks.
Loved the wit, especially "Their batter is sticking to the toothpick." The laughs were muted, however. I'd just seen where College Democrats have endorsed these pro HAMAS activities and called for a Palestinian state within the "two state solution", ignoring that it would take two parties to agree on it and that the whole point of October 7 was to destroy any prospects for that dream for at least a generation.
The students' fantasies that they are having any effect on the parties to the war could be dismissed; but what irritates the piss out of me is hearing this morning what I have been expecting, the complaints that the death threats and assaults on other students and the property damage might actually result in some adverse action from the schools. Why, a black mark on their transcripts might prejudice their job propects with the investment houses or their applications to law school! After all, they are 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘥 to act out this way because, what, they're white? Oppressed? How much money they paid for this semester's tuition, room, and board? Who their father is?
Actually, what really worries me is that this is the sort of nonsense that gave us Nixon in 1968.
College students are adults, not children, and infantilizing them is both patronizing and counterproductive- an excuse that allows them to get away with any amount of misbehavior (not that we would allow such misbehavior from children of other ages without disciplining them)
The best laugh of the day. Thank you.
What we are seeing once again is that the gap between "town and gown" has grown into a chasm. The protests against the Viet Nam war on college campuses, if my memory serves me, had the support of a sizable portion of the American public. What is the level of off campus support for the pro-Palestinian protesters?
Very limited I hope. But we DO know the Squad supports them.
Funny. But all adults are accountable for their actions. Few people of any age spot when they are being exploited. These are grown people first and foremost. Students second. They want to be important and powerful. They have more of this in them than most previous generations. For every ounce of influence exerted on them, they are giving an ounce back.
I like the sanity of this piece - reflected in full measure by that of the author's son. And I agree with the criticism of journalists lusting after inflammatory content (and of advocates on both sides imagining it for them where it may not actually exist). But despite enjoying the clever humour with which it is expressed, I don't share the author's dismissal of College students as a class. Indeed I have seen far worse examples of mindless groupthink and hateful stupidity coming from people of all ages, and have never seen any evidence that a mind still growing is less effective than one that has stopped.
Delightfully and insightfully written. Your naming of Constant News Negativity and the Frenzy of Outright Exaggeration is right on target.
With respect to the capacities of youth, I would suggest that there are historic times and places in which, due to the unfolding of political events, the young generation is in a position to arrive to important insights not grasped by the society’s establishment. But the current generation of college students is not among them.
https://charlesmckelvey.substack.com/
Hilarious article that gets a lot of the truth right. It should be remembered though, that massive student protests here and in countries around the world have had profound impact on government policy (I think of the anti-War protests of the 70s here, and the French student uprisings in '68). So sometimes these half-baked brains get it right. Today's protests though, aren't massive, despite the media attempts to escalate, and maybe also a little less than half baked.
OMG you are my hero. And your son too. DoorDashing hahahahahajahahahaha
I definitely needed the laughs, and the perspective. Thank you.
Ditto
I am not sure that taking extreme, unrealistic position on political matters is completely due to chronologic immaturity.
I believe the ratio crazed Republicans in the House to the total number of Republicans Representatives is much higher than that for disruptively demonstrating students to the total number of students at an institution.