COUNTERCOLUMN: All Your Bias Are Belong to Us

Here's an interesting one from Jimmy [last name withheld], a "motivated registered Democrat."

Not all democrats are against 401ks. Some of us think they are a good idea, while company sponsored plans are not such a good idea.

Interesting distinction, Jimmy.

Here's another one from a college professor:

I guess an advantage of being an untenured academic is that my position in a liberal-enough-to-kill-the-career-of-any-too-outspoken-conservative university does impose a certain circumspection on me, if only because I have a wife and daughters to support and a career that I genuinely believe is a calling, but it is going to be very hard to think that any democrat should ever be trusted anywhere near the levers of real power in this country again. I am beginning to question the patriotism of more and more Democrats who speak openly of our possible failure in Iraq (as if we could really afford to let the Jihadniks win) or who advocate “getting tough” on N. Korea by engaging in the kind of bilateral talks that got them nukes in the first place. And I don’t simply question the patriotism of anyone who would compare this country to Nazis – they are engaged in treasonous speech. What would the dems have to say to make them legitimate targets as a party for being unpatriotic? It might not be a good criticism to make because it could backfire politically, but it is getting harder and harder to believe that it is an unjust criticism.

Yep. There are a few conservatives in the college trenches. But they're afraid to speak out. The academic left has such a stranglehold on our nation's higher education system that expressions of conservatism - expressions of dissent - are stifled a priori. Before they are even uttered out loud.

Think about that next time some leftie who claims to be a civil libertarian frets about a "chilling effect" on speech or the free exchange of ideas.

Here's the rest of his letter:

With the comment you posted by Libby Sosume, Durbin’s tirade, Rangel’s STILL UNFUCKING REPORTED comparison between US policy in Iraq and the holocaust (sorry, but that one drives this student of East European history to absolute distraction) and Amnesty’s Gulag, it is getting very hard to even want to maintain civility. God knows I’ve tried to see it from the other side, ‘cause I do believe there are people who are opposed to the war have worked themselves into a lather and are genuinely afraid, and people do and say stupid things when they are afraid (and there are one or two insightful critics among them, though if you were to press me for names right now I’m drawing a blank – and besides there is the general principal that it is important to listen to your enemies because every once in a while they will not only throw you insults but tell you things that you don’t want, but might need to hear…). Still, granted their fear and their potential utility as critics, many opponents of the war seem to have forgotten that this is a war, and there should be some limits to the kind of rhetoric employed by any loyal opposition – but I’ve not seen anything like a recognition of that by the Democrats.

He's not the only academic who's written in with ideas but who's worried about losing his livelihood to the left-wing star-chambers on the tenure boards. I hope this guy gets tenure soon.

Here's another letter I got from another academic who's working on a book:

Sounds like you mostly had parachute journos. That's part of the
problem with MSM coverage, IMHO. Parachute journos come into a scene
with preconceptions, and--wouldntcha just know it?--leave with their
preconceptions intact.

Different story with embeds, because they're around long enough to
actually understand the complexities of the situation they're reporting
on.

(Oy--don't even get me started on those jokers who used to rely on
Baghdad Bob's statements about how things were going.)

Oh, please. Let's get him started. Let's name names and links! Let's sick Nexis Lexis on their ass and light a firecracker under it!

Oh, and finally, one Dan Hoover writes in and corrects me on a pop-culture fact:

The girl who covered "I Think We're Alone Now" in the 1980s was Tiffany, not Brandi, and barbs: "Editors, how many 80s mall bunnies are in your newsroom?"

In my case, none! But feel free to set me up!

Splash, out

Jason