The Fight over Critical Race Theory in Education: A Fight for Our National Survival

Aug 18, 2021 · · Comments Off on The Fight over Critical Race Theory in Education: A Fight for Our National Survival

Editor’s note: The following article was originally published at Legal Insurrection on August 8, 2021. On July 29, 2021, I gave a presentation on “Fighting Smart Against Critical Race Theory In Education” to over 100 state legislators at the American Legislative Exchange Council annual meeting in Salt Lake City. The invitation to speak grew out of the publicity generated … Continue reading “The Fight over Critical Race Theory in Education: A Fight for Our National Survival”

We Need to Teach About the Socialist Alternative…and Its Failure

Jun 16, 2021 · · Comments Off on We Need to Teach About the Socialist Alternative…and Its Failure

Karl Marx is a common fixture on college course syllabi. From English to sociology to philosophy, the German socialist’s writings are explained, analyzed, and dissected. I find myself, a teacher of modern social theory, often explaining the nuances of Marxist concepts like “commodity fetishism” and “species being” to students. But there is one thing you … Continue reading “We Need to Teach About the Socialist Alternative…and Its Failure”

Dear Humanists: You Have Done That Yourself

Dec 9, 2020 · · Comments Off on Dear Humanists: You Have Done That Yourself

Every time I read an op-ed piece from some English professor (and isn’t it always an English professor?) whining about the demise of the humanities, in The Chronicle of Higher Education or elsewhere, I’m reminded of that great scene from Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.    You know the one. As Anakin Skywalker and his erstwhile friend and … Continue reading “Dear Humanists: You Have Done That Yourself”

A Scholar’s Lament

Mar 27, 2020 · · Comments Off on A Scholar’s Lament

Professor John Ellis has served on college faculties since 1963 and is now an emeritus professor at the University of California-Santa Cruz. He has witnessed enormous changes in higher education over his years and he finds those changes to be deplorable. In his new book The Breakdown of Higher Education, Ellis explains how our system … Continue reading “A Scholar’s Lament”

Students Tear Down Anti-Socialism Display at UNC Charlotte

Nov 11, 2019 · · Comments Off on Students Tear Down Anti-Socialism Display at UNC Charlotte

Universities may not target unpopular speech on campus often, but when they fail to protect it, the results are similar to officially silencing speech. A recent example of this lack of effort to protect comes from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where an anti-socialism display was destroyed on campus within a day after … Continue reading “Students Tear Down Anti-Socialism Display at UNC Charlotte”

Time to Break the Mold for UNC Presidents

Nov 19, 2018 · · Comments Off on Time to Break the Mold for UNC Presidents

The sudden departure of Margaret Spellings from the presidency of the University of North Carolina system presents a unique opportunity to address academia’s most serious problem. The problem is intellectual, not operational or economic. Recent UNC presidents have focused on issues such as access, efficiency, and economic development, as did Spellings. All of these require … Continue reading “Time to Break the Mold for UNC Presidents”

Do Millennials Really Love Socialism?

May 11, 2018 · · Comments Off on Do Millennials Really Love Socialism?

The millennial generation is taking a lot of heat lately, with even some of its members a bit shame-faced about their values, habits, and much else. Most troubling to the economically literate are surveys revealing millennials’ high level of comfort with socialism: at least one poll suggests a majority might prefer to live in a socialist or communist society. Since many in … Continue reading “Do Millennials Really Love Socialism?”

Millennials and the Anti-Capitalistic Mindset

Aug 18, 2017 · · Comments Off on Millennials and the Anti-Capitalistic Mindset

The great intellectual debate of the 20th Century was between capitalism and socialism, wrote Robert Heilbroner in a 1989 New Yorker article. Seeing the collapse of Soviet Communism (socialism with totalitarian power), he proclaimed “the triumph of capitalism.” A socialist most of his career, Heilbroner explained: “Less than 75 years after it officially began, the contest between capitalism … Continue reading “Millennials and the Anti-Capitalistic Mindset”