Why I知 Boycotting The American Studies Association
The American Studies Association has voted to boycott Israeli academic institutions. As an American historian who worked closely with American studies colleagues in graduate school and then for two years while teaching at Harvard’s History and Literature program, I am not surprised by this “politically correct” assault on academic freedom, basic logic, and democratic decency. Nevertheless, I feel betrayed. I will now boycott the ASA. I will not sit on a panel, review a manuscript, or deal professionally with any ASA member — to broadcast my contempt for this decision and demonstrate the deleterious effect of academics boycotting one another: one bad boycott provokes others.
In graduate school, we historians joked that we ate red meat, while our fey, literary, American studies’ colleagues were the “quiche-eaters.” I remember at my first Hist and Lit meeting, being shocked at my new colleagues’ self-righteousness, superciliousness and plain silliness. Many — not all — were walking tweedy stereotypes, with overly-earnest airs, impenetrable academic prose laden with $10 words — even when trying to banter — and their prejudice against “DWM”s (Dead White Males”), an overly broad, intellectually sloppy category that assumes you can unite in any serious way Socrates, Ernest Hemingway, David Ben-Gurion, and Joe the Plumber.
So I know not to take seriously anything political the ASA members would endorse. Most are political outliers who probably would vote for the Communist Manifesto, too. Most are Blame America First fanatics, caricaturing the U.S. as only racist, sexist and (their word) “classist,” easily Blaming Israel First. These radicals erred so egregiously, starting in the 1960s, “not merely by criticizing particular government policies, but by attacking the symbols, and in extreme cases the very idea of America itself, by burning flags; [and] by blaming America for all that was wrong with the world,” as Barack Obama noted in July, 2008 warning “that there's nothing smart or sophisticated about a cynical disregard for America's traditions and institutions.” These people are so PC they could tolerate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s calls to exterminate America and Israel, but went ballistic when he denied there were gays in Iran.
http://www.thejewishweek.com/editorial-opinion/opinion/why-im-boycotting-american-studies-association
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Anecdotally it seems true . I have always had problems having time off on Yom Kippur but there's never a problem finding coverage Christmas or Easter.
I think the stereotype here in medicine is true ....same with Nobel Prizes.
AntiSemitic ? Pointing out we doctors , lawyers and Nobel prize winners ?
red faces when this victimization gimmick backfires on supporters of apartheid.
LOL
