Tag Archives: conflict

Scholar Strike Canada

Posted on September 9, 2020 by Robert Basil

Here’s the schedule of events to be broadcast live and then video-archived. And here are some very illuminating resources. My university’s president and my dean both support the scholar strike, as do my teaching colleagues, of course. Scholar Strike originated … Continue reading →

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Enders

Posted on September 20, 2019 by Robert Basil

There are two claims your antagonist will typically corroborate right away: “You’re being defensive!” “You always need to have the last word!” A friend in network news told me that the proper response to the first claim is “You’re changing … Continue reading →

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“We Agree …”

Posted on August 30, 2018 by Robert Basil

“We agree much more than you think.” This was Niels Bohr‘s kind way of indicating profound disagreement with a colleague’s point of view.  The genial physicist knew that the literal truth of that statement – after all, all scientists would … Continue reading →

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Saudi Students and “Veblen Goods”

Posted on August 7, 2018 by Robert Basil

I’ve had a number of superb students at Kwantlen Polytechnic University from that country. This is awful news. From Inside Higher Ed this morning: Saudi Arabian students in Canada are caught in diplomatic crossfire. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Education is … Continue reading →

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Readiness

Posted on February 18, 2018 by Robert Basil

“Talent alone won’t make you a success,” noted Johnny Carson. “Neither will being in the right place at the right time, unless you are ready. The most important question is, ‘Are you ready?’” This quote came to mind while watching … Continue reading →

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The Bad Mess at Evergreen

Posted on June 3, 2017 by Robert Basil

The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington has earned its renown as an experimental – indeed avant-garde – institution; its ‘progressive’ bona-fides have been warranted as well. Back in the day, I explored the possibility of taking a faculty position in … Continue reading →

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A succinct explanation of “hate speech”

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Robert Basil

NYU Journalism Professor has been alarmed by USA President Donald Trump – which is unlikely to surprise readers of this blog. Professor Rosen is hardly more sanguine about the journalists who “cover” him. This is from a recent twitter thread you … Continue reading →

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The Hobo Ethical Code

Posted on November 18, 2016 by Robert Basil

This is beautiful. From Open Culture: 1. Decide your own life; don’t let another person run or rule you. 2. When in town, always respect the local law and officials, and try to be a gentleman at all times. 3. Don’t take … Continue reading →

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Hence, teaching manners matters

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Robert Basil

In a blog post this morning called “A Raging Snowflake,” my good friend Clarissa writes: Remember the Oppressed Tiffany, a very special snowflake whose “narrative was erased by the entire field of academia” when a hapless prof asked her to … Continue reading →

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Battle

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Robert Basil

In the New York Times obituary section recently I came upon one for Jacob Neusner, a scholar (and polemicist) who published more than 900 books in his lifetime. I calculated – on the back of a napkin, as it were – … Continue reading →

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