Norman Finkelstein

[faceless]

I'd say talking good clear sense is as extreme as pushing dark ignorance these days - it seems the middle ground of murk is where we should be in order to not upset the people who will complaining about someone like Finkelstein. In fact, I'd say he's more likely to upset those pro-Israelis with an agenda as he clearly isn't ignorant and can't be dismissed as easily as Griffin.

[Salim201]

the way that university's are set up as institutions in the UK, means that they ALL are subject to government review which affects their funding status and professor contracts etc. Also universities aren't democratic, they're not subject to students, faculty or technicians, they're subject to trustees and highly influential boards. There's a really good article in the guardian about why there so few dissident academics in Britain. For example why don't we have a chomsky or a finkelstein? its a good questions, any thoughts?? ''

[luke]

don't suppose you have that article bookmarked salim?

i've often wondered where our versions of chomsky and finkelstein are, we're got a few people - but no one up there at their level

[Salim201]

managed to dig it up!! well worth reading, thought it was the guardian but it was the independant..


https://news.independent.co.uk/education/higher/article2954259.ece

[luke]

thanks salim, interesting read - sad though, i can't really see that there'll be any change either - the current setup suits power, why would they allow change? like the article says 'Of course a troublesome Chomsky in Britain would be discouraged' - troublesome to power i think they mean, and discouraged meaning prevented

back to finkelstein, the dershowitz letters have been released!

[Mandy]

Thanks Luke & Selim

[Salim201]

actually the most serious academic dissident we have in britain is Terry Eagleton, he's the only credible renowned professor who came out publicly against the aggression against Iraq and US/UK policies abroad. He's a marxist theorist and quite well known in the field of literary theory. I only learned of him when studying literary criticisms because he's the authority on that topic, he doesn't get much promotion in any mainstream media but is seriously worth checking out.

Its an appalling statistic that only one serious British academic came out against the war!!!

[nekokate]

[Salim201]

or christopher hitchens!!! yay

[Mandy]

Does Robert Fisk count ?

I know he lives now in Lebanon .. but he is English.

[luke]

[nekokate]

[Salim201]

Fisk, Pilger et al aren't academics, they're journalists..?

Actual professors lend great weight to what they say and have to be taken seriously, which is why its important to have some serious academic dissidents. Hopefully things will change!!

[nekokate]

(dead link)

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I don't suppose he's saying anything new here, but I'll post it anyway

[luke]

thanks neko