Ethics Observations on “the Rest of the Story” Regarding “At Princeton, Students Feel ‘Unsafe’ in the Company of a Conservative Professor

Commenter Dr. Emilio Lizardo revealed this morning in the comments to “At Princeton, Students Feel “Unsafe” in the Company of a Conservative Professor” that the policy at issue had already been reversed by the time I wrote about it:

“By April 2, the policy was reversed after an intervention from the club’s Graduate Board. In the seven days in between, debate over the policy rose from the club’s private GroupMe to the headlines of national right-wing publications. Club leadership maintains that the reversal was not due to national media scrutiny.”

So Ethics Alarms can’t claim even a smidgen of credit for the reversal. Nonetheless, the lesson here, as we have already seen elsewhere, is that when organizations and institutions install discriminatory and self-evidently unethical procedures and policies in the name of wokeness, political correctness, aspiring fascism of the far left, DEI or other perversions of core American principles and are quickly exposed, assailed and embarrassed, they usually back down. (Usually.)

A further lesson is that the organizations and institutions know that what they are doing is indefensible except from the “by any means necessary” perspective driving the Left in its crusade to re-make America. They know it, but they try anyway, hoping that any single instance will fly under the metaphorical radar long enough to become institutionalized. When they get caught, their reaction is, “OK, too soon. We’ll hold off on this one for now.

Their assumption, and it is, frighteningly, probably correct, that the current DEI, Black Lives Matter, open borders, climate change hysteria, anti-free speech…freedom of association…equal treatment under the law and due process wack-a-mole contest it has forced our society into playing will inevitably result in a slow, steady ratcheting-up of anti-democratic practices that become accepted as norms. This is how the public education system became an indoctrination process. It is how the initially admirable goals of affirmative action became the racist practice of “diversity, equity and inclusion.” It is how journalism in the US. became partisan propaganda.

The fact that only conservative publications and news sources treated the Princeton story as “fit to print” and necessary illumination to stop democracy from “dying in darkness” is also significant. This doesn’t mean that the story wasn’t important or objectively worth reporting on. The conduct of the mainstream media in ignoring it proves that its purpose is not to keep the public informed, but to assist the Far Left in laying waste to America’s traditional interpretation of democracy. The Princeton story is important, and the fact that only conservative sources publicized it (only Fox News among the news networks picked it up) doesn’t prove their bias. It proves the sinister, deliberate complicity of the mainstream media as it attempts to keep Americans from realizing what is going on right under their noses until it is too late.

The Princetonian wrote that a debate over the policy arose only after “headlines of national right-wing publications” exposed it. If the story sparked a debate, it means it was a story worth reporting. The MSM didn’t report on the story because the Far Left doesn’t want any debate. In an honest debate they lose, just as they lose on abortion, illegal immigration, and so many other issues. If they felt they could win on the merits, then they would want debate. Instead, their media tries to bury the facts. This isn’t a conservative “conspiracy theory.” It is reality.

Finally, the club’s claim that “the reversal was not due to national media scrutiny” is another damning piece of evidence. Gaslighting, denial, “Jumbo”-ism and “It isn’t what it is” (Yoo’s Rationalization,” #64) mania have become such reflex tools of the Left that comparisons with “1984” are unavoidable. The border is secure. Bidenomics is a success. Inflation isn’t a problem. The President didn’t extol the “Transgender Day of Visibility” on Easter. He’s as sharp as a tack. The Trump prosecutions aren’t political. January 6 was an insurrection. Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia.

The Princeton student club episode is an important one for American to understand. They can only understand it if they know about it.

Boy I wish I knew how to get the readership here back on the rising curve it seemed to be on in 2016...

3 thoughts on “Ethics Observations on “the Rest of the Story” Regarding “At Princeton, Students Feel ‘Unsafe’ in the Company of a Conservative Professor

  1. Jack: hope you’re doing well. I don’t have anything substantive to add but this discussion of “cancel culture” brought to mind a great recent film which you may enjoy. It’s called “Dream Scenario” and stars Nicolas Cage. Refreshingly, it’s not doctrinaire in any way but it puts a clever spin on the double-edged sword of viral fame and cancel culture. The writer / director, Kristoffer Borgli, is shaping up to be the heir apparent of Charlie Kaufman (“Being John Malkovich, Adaptation). If you like it, I also recommend his first film “Sick of Myself”, a Norwegian film about narcissism and the insane lengths people will go to for attention.

    Dream Scenario trailer: https://youtu.be/q3x9iUL-74w?si=yC1oxqg00huqOSj_

    Sick of Myself trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqvzGSyf3Bg

    All the best,

    James

  2. Jack wrote, “Boy I wish I knew how to get the readership here back on the rising curve it seemed to be on in 2016…”

    If by chance Donald Trump get’s reelected as President I bet the readership will rise once again.

  3. Jack wrote, “A further lesson is that the organizations and institutions know that what they are doing is indefensible except from the “by any means necessary” perspective driving the Left in its crusade to re-make America. They know it, but they try anyway, hoping that any single instance will fly under the metaphorical radar long enough to become institutionalized.”

    I have a little bit different perspective on that.

    It’s been my observation that the political left and all the bureaucracies and businesses that willfully and wholly support it will do whatever the heck they want to do now regardless of it getting overturned or declared unconstitutional as long as it persecutes those they oppose and instills fear in them to not do it again. The left knows full well that the Pravda-USA press will not give the subsequent overturning the same kind of publicity as the initial persecution thus leaving the remnant fear intact with most of the population.

    Take into account that there have been many “woke” things over the years that have gotten overturned but the wheels of justice seem to be intentionally lagging in these cases, for years sometimes, and the damage has already been done to the individuals or groups and the population has already been brainwashed into actively thinking about retaliation from the political left. It’s pure intimidation and persecution and they want everyone to know about it and kowtow to it.

    This is 100% tactical and it has been quite effective since it moved up the political left’s tactics chart to #1 in 2008 with their open race baiting surrounding everything President Obama did or said.

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