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May 22, 2006

Comments

1.

Looks like the url needs index.htm appended or their webserver needs to be set up to have default pages... maybe the default is index.html on their server?

2.

If anyone can stand a moment of serious criticism, I'd like to point out the childishly rude reception John McCain recently got at this New School.

What kind of useful "games for change" can come out of such a terribly imbalanced mindset that condones heckling someone you disagree with?

I support looking for ways that games can be used to help improve understanding of issues and seek solutions to problems. But doing so in a fellow-travelers environment that permits expression of only one (political) side of all issues seems guaranteed to lead to artifacts of limited utility.

I don't expect this observation to change that, but there's still a little hope in me that the TN editors who are interested in this kind of thing are serious, honorable academics who support the expression of perspectives other than their own, and will consider this point in future conferences of this type.

--Bart

3.

I'm guessing that the conference organizers don't have much to do with the students' behavior--hoping so anyway. That was pretty poor, and I thought was the worst of what liberalism can offer: I disagree with you and I don't want to listen to you anymore, either, you bad person. Such intolerance is what makes "PC" a slur in many quarters and why Democrats have little shot at the red states these days. (Disclaimer: I'm independent)

I'm personally fascinated with McCain, and I just read a Slate column that I think explains why:
http://www.slate.com/id/2141974/

4.

What, are we supposed to not announce any event at School X because their students are boors? C'mon we can't do that. I mean, we could, but it would open us up to even more criticism.

Sometimes people do get the reputations they deserve. New School has its reputation. It's not a reputation I would want, of course. In fact, given their reputation, if I gave a talk there and got heckled, I'd be proud of myself. "Yay! Boors hate me! I am in good shape."

5.

"That was pretty poor, and I thought was the worst of what liberalism can offer: I disagree with you and I don't want to listen to you anymore, either, you bad person. Such intolerance is what makes "PC" a slur in many quarters and why Democrats have little shot at the red states these days."

Having attended a Commencement address this past Sunday at Western Connecticut State University by Catherine Crier and observing the boorish attempts to shout her down and boo her off the stage during her spirited defence of the US Constitution and her its sabotage by the current President, I would point out that neither "liberalism" nor "conservatism" explain people's intolerance for dissenting opinions nowdays. People become outraged far too easily by views other than their own - we need to teach students to listen and learn from those they disagree with . . . something this conference may help achieve.

6.


Shane>
People become outraged far too easily by views other than their own -

A good tie-in to a Lexington editorial from The Economist: the rebirth of outrage.

7.

It would be better not to shut out any schools from participating in get-togethers like this one, but how else do you communicate the point that they're not open enough to other ideas than by hosting the conference somewhere else? Anything else is just words, which can be ignored.

That said, my preference is still for more participation in something like this by all kinds of people, not less. It's just disheartening to think that a worthy subject will get less of a well-rounded hearing than it deserves.

Even in disagreement, by the way, I appreciate the courtesy of the responses to my comments. I sort of expected to get hammered (and still may) for coming from a place that's gotten a bit out of the mainstream here at TN, so it's really gratifying to see that there's at least one place out on the web where people with differing views can talk with each other like civilized adults.

Thanks!

--Bart

8.

Bart said: "It would be better not to shut out any schools from participating in get-togethers like this one, but how else do you communicate the point that they're not open enough to other ideas than by hosting the conference somewhere else? Anything else is just words, which can be ignored."

Edward said: "Sometimes people do get the reputations they deserve. New School has its reputation. It's not a reputation I would want, of course. In fact, given their reputation, if I gave a talk there and got heckled, I'd be proud of myself. "Yay! Boors hate me! I am in good shape."

So wait, the fact that John McCain got heckled by graduating students at a commencement speech implies that the student body is composed of 'boors' and should be banished from hosting conferences? You guys need a logic check. =P


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