The closing of the Durham university mind
The treatment of both Rod Liddle and Tim Luckhurst is an abuse of power
Truly, the disgraceful events at Durham university over the past week are a parable for our sinister times.
Last Friday, the journalist Rod Liddle gave an after-dinner speech at the university’s South College. Liddle is famously anti-woke and doesn’t mince his words.
True to form, Liddle started by making a joke about being disappointed not to see any sex workers there. He said the left were ignoring science over transgender issues, that colonialism wasn’t the main cause of Africa’s problems, and that the under-achievement of pupils of Caribbean descent had nothing to do with institutional racism. He finished with a message about the importance of listening to and doubting people’s opinions.
Oh dear. The reaction among these students, who know beyond any shadow of doubt what opinions must never be uttered let alone listened to or argued with, was in keeping with their level of open-mindedness. Several walked out. Then the campaign of demonisation and intimidation began. The Telegraph reports:
Students have written to Durham's Vice-Chancellor, claiming that Liddle made “transphobic, sexist, racist and classist remarks” during his speech. The open letter, signed by more than 1,000 students, complained that no advance warning was given about Liddle's guest appearance and said students felt “distressed” and “emotional”after hearing his speech.
“Distressed” and “emotional”? Over hearing opinions they disagreed with? Or over hearing accurate facts that they didn’t want to hear? Either way, the word “pathetic” rises irresistibly to mind.
Of course, students have always had a tradition of being rebellious or rude. Once upon a time, though, those in positions of authority on campus would have laid down appropriate markers of disapproval or sanctions to ensure that their university upheld its sacred duty to enable the free expression of ideas and tolerance of dissent.
No longer. Durham's branch of the University and College Union which represents lecturers said it was “appalled” at the events of South College— ie, at Liddle’s speech — and expressed its “solidarity” with the students. The Telegraph went on:
A Durham University spokesman said: “Durham University upholds freedom of speech within the law. As such we welcome diversity of opinions from our students, staff and visitors. Protection of the right to free speech extends to discussion of issues that are controversial, including the expression of views which may shock, disturb, or offend others.”
Except, it seems, for the principal of South College, Professor Tim Luckhurst (a former colleague of Liddle’s at the BBC). Understandably, although unwisely, he allowed his emotions to get the better of him in making known his own disapproval of the students’ behaviour. So when the students walked out, Luckhurst shouted that they were
pathetic.
As a result of which apt but professionally ill-judged epithet the students, by now drunk on their own power, called for Luckhurst to be fired.
And so now the university, which has said it is investigating reports that
the behaviours exhibited at the occasion fall short of those that we expect,
has decided nevertheless to discipline immediately not the students for their appalling misbehaviour but… Tim Luckhurst.
Although he quickly apologised for his intemperate outburst, the university — which said it “categorically” did not agree with the comments made by Liddle during his speech (Which ones? All of them? And why should anyone care what the university thinks about them?) — has suspended Luckhurst and launched an investigation into his conduct. The Mail reports:
It is understood he is not allowed to speak to anybody about the controversy, and was did not make a scheduled campus speech last night. He has also been barred from attending a university business trip in America.
The Guardian reports:
In a statement, Prof Antony Long, the acting vice-chancellor, said last Friday’s events had caused “distress and anger across much of our community”. Long thanked those who had written in, adding that the letters and emails “invariably convey carefully argued and respectful viewpoints”.
He said: “However, please let us be clear that no member of our university community should be subjected to transphobia, homophobia, racism, classism and sexism. We are committed to providing a safe place to live, work and study for all.”
But not, apparently to speak in any way to which anyone who self-defines as a “victim” of those or any other 'isms might choose to object. In which case, the university will help make it an extremely unsafe place for that speaker to work in. As Tim Luckhurst has now discovered.
Calling these students and others like them “snowflakes,” because they purport to become emotional wrecks when encountering views they don’t like, is wildly inappropriate. These are not meltingly fragile egos. What they’re up to is simply an abuse of power. They are playground bullies, and they are being allowed to get away with it and even encouraged by weaselly signals — from those who should know better — that their victim had it coming to him.
Those who play the identity politics/victim culture game believe the Marxist propaganda — pumped into them by the avatars of our culture over the past several decades — that the world is divided into the powerful and the powerless. White western men are deemed powerful and are therefore incapable of becoming victims; ethnic and other minorities (other than Jews — another story) are deemed powerless and are therefore incapable of becoming victimisers.
This is, of course, pernicious and ignorant rubbish. Power can be, and is, abused by anyone in a position to intimidate or attack other people. The fact that so many of our most educated young people think in this distorted way — and use it to justify their abuse of others — demonstrates the shocking extent to which education itself has become its own antithesis.
Untold numbers who have gained qualifications and degrees that tell them they are highly educated are simply graduating in propaganda and mind control. Rather than being able to think critically and intelligently, to be open to fresh ideas and to have the humility to accept they may ever be wrong, these students (and some of their lecturers) are showing that their minds are hermetically sealed against knowledge, reason and decency.
Why should any rational, decent society continue to subsidise an institution and an education system like this?
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