Not at Dartmouth Anymore

“If you stare at '2 + 2 = a duck' and you say ‘oh I get it,’ that’s a problem for you.”

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A new study shows the stark lack of ideological diversity in elite universities. Lawmakers call to rethink relations with the Saudis after OPEC’s decision to cut oil production. John Fetterman’s NBC interview raises difficult questions. Sarah, David, Jonah, and Declan wrestle with these topics before providing an urgent manatee update.

–American elite students study

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Comments (63)
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  1. Avatar photo
    Djhorv

    Gen. McChrystal is on the board of a Non-Profit that supports a "year of service" gap year. https://serviceyear.org/. Declan said McCain (who also may have pushed for it) but I think he meant McChrystal.

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  2. Bella Borbonus

    Found it interesting that Jonah chose to respond to the question of ideological diversity by equating protesting to complaining and accusing LGBTQ students of just “being confused.” I appreciate Sarah’s, David’s, and Declan’s data-driven and intentionally self-critical takes every episode, yet am consistently disappointed by Jonah’s insistence on finding the culture war to be fought and feeding into the liberal caricature. It’s the Jonahs of the world, liberals and conservatives alike, who drive us further apart.

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    Pterseus

    The sorry state of our political discourse and rise of populism has a lot to do with the politicization of the liberal arts and humanities, which tends to exclude all but a narrow set of ideological commitments hostile to the western tradition. As Yeats wrote, “A man in his own secret meditation/ Is lost amid the labyrinth that he has made/In art or politics.” The ability to engage in a public meditation with those who have different views is precluded when so many points of view have been excluded from the educational space.

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    Synchronize Your Dogmas (Bill B)

    "Liberal arts colleges are the least politically diverse. Many have almost no conservatives, and thus very low viewpoint diversity. But they have high sexual diversity, at nearly 40 percent LGBT."

    I'm with Jonah. Forty percent?! That's absurd. I simply don't believe it. If it's actually true then it's like Tulip Mania and will burn itself out.

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      MattA

      Yeah, to get to 40% it at least has to include not only the full LGBTQIA+** but also everyone who thinks “I Kissed a Girl and I Liked It” is a catchy song.

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  5. Phillyex1

    David’s answer to the question about Saudi policy should have been simple - drill baby drill. Unleash the power of American natural resources and we can treat Saudi Arabia like any other second rate dictatorship.

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  6. Aaronhfrank

    At an NYU XC meet this weekend I had a different point of view about the Organic professor from my favorite one of my two favorite Violets.

    This has been brewing for years with this professor. None of his students ever pass even while students in other classes do and at some point the University had to make a change. Like a baseball team, you cannot fire all the players so you fire the manager.

    This is from a kid who is not now and never has been a slacker.

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    Marc Frischhertz

    David is 100% correct that the Iranian problem is linked to the Saudi problem. However, he leaves off the fact that Obama saw this and tried to do something about it that did not involve putting American troops in the desert again, and what happened? The republicans attacked him as weak. They never came up with a different or better plan, just attacked Obama for not being tough enough. Trump than withdrawals from the deal. And now we are back at zero.

    It then hurt Obama, and democrats, so they are not likely to spend political capital again. The problem of our current tribal politics has far and wide implications that aren’t being talked about

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    1. Aaronhfrank

      Hmmmm,,,, What did Obama try to do about Iran? The JCPOA? The treaty that wasn't a treaty?

      The Iranian never abided by the agreement. It did nothing to slow them down. And it did nothing to calm the concerns of the Saudis. The Iranians have been working steadily working towards enough enriched uranium for a bomb at least since the mid-90s and nothing Obama slowed that. If anything lifting sanctions and dropping off pallets of billions of dollars made it easier.

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        Marc Frischhertz

        That is such the Fox News talking points of what actually happened. But anyway, my point, which was apparently lost on you, was not about the substance of the plan. Instead, it was the fact that the current state of politics prevents any actual progress.

        Still crickets on a counter plan other than “America good”. “Iran bad”. “America doesn’t negotiate with terrorist countries”. Oh, “Hi Saudi prince”. “We love you”.

        Please try to get beyond the political talking points. Of course, your comment was helpful in one way, it absolutely proved the point I was making.

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        1. Kroneborge

          Any agreement should have required

          1. No time limit. No nuclear Iran EVER
          2. Inspectors allowed anywhere and everywhere at any time.

          Without those there should not have been an agreement. Thus don't give Iran billions. And I would support military action if needed to stop Iran from getting a nuclear bomb

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  8. Wwoods6

    Sarah Isgur: "I just pronounce it 'tex-ee-air-ah'."
    Says the woman who dinged David French for pronouncing Bexar as 'bex-ar' instead of bay-har'!

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  9. Robert.Glenn.Simpson

    How is Steve Hayes doing? Is he still with aThe Dispatch?

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  10. Avatar photo
    Ben Connelly

    For the record, Jonah - who reps Yuval Levin’s A Time to Build all the time - says that we should tear the entire higher education system down.

    I rest my case! I liked Yuval’s book, but felt that, if taken literally, it might result in status quo bias. I’m supposedly some atomized, deracinated, arch-individualist, but I actually agree with Yuval’s thesis and STILL think we need serious institutional reform and dynamism/creative destruction.

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