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'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts
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james_s:

--- Quote from: John B on July 07, 2020, 10:14:14 pm ---Wasn't Trump threatening to remove funding for US universities that didn't uphold constitutional ideals? If he made good on his threats, most of this academic censorship would be eliminated in short order.

--- End quote ---

I don't wanna get all political but that's half the problem I have with that guy, he's constantly waving his dick around and making empty threats and rarely follows through. Wish he'd learn to shut his mouth sometimes, and under-promise but I don't think he's ever going to figure that out.
Nominal Animal:

--- Quote from: SilverSolder on July 07, 2020, 09:20:05 pm ---By the end of his trial, Galileo was forced to recant his own scientific findings as "abjured, cursed and detested," a renunciation that caused him great personal anguish but which saved him from being burned at the stake and instead accept house arrest for eight years before his death in 1642 at the age of 77.

There is something to learn from this story, both for the Galileos and the Popes among us...

--- End quote ---
Ah, I think I might now understand.

Yes, it was not at all surprising that Hsu got "cancelled": that is the state of affairs right now.  I brought it up since many might not believe how widespread this stuff already is – and physics is my own field.  (He didn't get fired from his chair, though; only the VP position.  He's still a prof there, as far as I know.)

It is a completely different question whether he did it knowingly as a calculated risk, or if he did it by accident.  This aspect did not occur to me at all before.
If he did fumble it, then maybe he shouldn't be a VP in the first place, because that sort of admin positions do require social skills for one to be able to do the job properly.

I guess I did conflate the responsibilities of a VP and a prof; apologies.  As a professor, one should be allowed to ask such questions.  But as a VP, one should be aware of the social aspects and possible repercussions.

(And thanks for helping me understand your point!)
0culus:
Assistant and associate professors will have to watch out too since they don't have tenure yet and the traditional protections it implies.
james_s:
The whole cancel culture thing is deeply worrying, and I'm sure it will not be long before it is eating their own. People jump on board with it but sooner or later something will come up that affects them, almost nobody will have lived their whole life without ever uttering something objectionable, whether out of anger, ignorance, or simply words that someone else can interpret in a way other than what they meant. People like to bring up that the first amendment protects freedom of speech but not freedom from consequences, and that it only protects you from the government punishing you but that's rather disingenuous as free speech is useless if the mob will convict and sentence you. It's a very toxic environment when people are afraid to merely play devil's advocate, question a narrative, or even be seen as not fanatical enough in supporting a cause. Absolutely nobody has their mind changed by force, try to punish a person or group for holding an opinion and you might superficially silence them or even destroy that individual but at the same time you validate their stance and they and those like them will dig in their heals. With a more gentle approach one can create an ally, people do change their opinion on various matters as I have myself at times, it's called personal growth. If you manage to "cancel" them all you've created is a bitter unemployed person who is likely to ally with others who are even more extreme than they are. It's just a bad situation all around and I don't see it getting any better for a while.
SilverSolder:

--- Quote from: james_s on July 08, 2020, 01:46:02 am ---The whole cancel culture thing is deeply worrying, and I'm sure it will not be long before it is eating their own. People jump on board with it but sooner or later something will come up that affects them, almost nobody will have lived their whole life without ever uttering something objectionable, whether out of anger, ignorance, or simply words that someone else can interpret in a way other than what they meant. People like to bring up that the first amendment protects freedom of speech but not freedom from consequences, and that it only protects you from the government punishing you but that's rather disingenuous as free speech is useless if the mob will convict and sentence you. It's a very toxic environment when people are afraid to merely play devil's advocate, question a narrative, or even be seen as not fanatical enough in supporting a cause. Absolutely nobody has their mind changed by force, try to punish a person or group for holding an opinion and you might superficially silence them or even destroy that individual but at the same time you validate their stance and they and those like them will dig in their heals. With a more gentle approach one can create an ally, people do change their opinion on various matters as I have myself at times, it's called personal growth. If you manage to "cancel" them all you've created is a bitter unemployed person who is likely to ally with others who are even more extreme than they are. It's just a bad situation all around and I don't see it getting any better for a while.

--- End quote ---

It is always hard to speak against prevailing beliefs.  People like the simplicity of sticking to what they "know" to be true.
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