[Dean's World] Aziz P: The Folly of the Israeli Academic Boycott Hotlist

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Posted by Aziz P:
The Folly of the Israeli Academic Boycott Hotlist
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1180734091.shtml


   A [1]terrific diary at DailyKos.

     First of all, the very term "academic boycott" ought to be an
     oxymoron. The purpose of academia is to learn, to teach, to
     research, to debate, to find new ideas. If the UCU wants to shun
     one group of voices, not based on academic reasons but because they
     disagree with them, then they're not doing their job. Academic
     research should not be politicized like this, not in a free
     society.

     Second of all, I think [2]the Financial Times said it best:

     Israeli academics have, on the whole, an honourable record of
     opposing the occupation. It is from the universities that army
     conscripts have campaigned against serving in the occupied
     territories.

     Only yesterday leading academics demanded the government allow
     students from Gaza to travel to study in West Bank universities.

     This "boycott" doesn't do anything to help with the peace process,
     and it's not going to influence the government one way or another.
     Rather, it discriminates against those on the Left...and if you
     want a peaceful solution to the conflict, these are the people you
     need to support in Israel.

   Pardon me for going meta for a moment, but in any community with
   critical mass, there is going to be a mainstream mob voice, but there
   also will be great diamonds in the rough. DK is routinely described in
   DW comment threads as some kind of braying pit of nonsense, but anyone
   can go nutpicking. However, there are far more voices than those that
   get the love of the Recommenders' cabals.

   My advice is to stay off the Rec List and read DK with an open mind.
   You will find that there's a lot more depth - and a lot more
   sophistication - to the internal dialouge within the Liberal
   Progressive Left than you've ever given us moonbats credit for.

References

   1. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/6/1/11814/91562
   2. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/cad5a3d0-0f12-11dc-b444-000b5df10621.html