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Texas A&M suspended professor accused of criticizing Lt. Gov. Patrick in lecture

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Re: Texas A&M suspended professor accused of criticizing Lt. Gov. Patrick in lecture

#81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't forget California, where faculty is effectively required to engage in progressive political speech! https://archive.is/VDNPj

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"Anti-racist rhetoric" is a very recent ideological phenomenon that is not yet proven to be effective solution for past and present racial injustice. It is possible for it to be flawed, prone to be implemented badly, or self-defeating and thus worthy of critique without being fired from academia (as in parent comment's example of California, or in Bret Weinstein's case).

It is also commonly defended and advanced by progressives. So it seems appropriate to categorize it as progressive.

Naming is not the be-all-end-all. If you think about the nomenclature of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is opposition to that country equivalent to "telling on yourself" as being against Democracy, Republics, Korea, or popular rule?

Re: Texas A&M suspended professor accused of criticizing Lt. Gov. Patrick in lecture

#82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> In the last 3 years we had government officials directing, in very strong language, various tech companies on what was and was not allowed on their platforms. And, as is their First Amendment right, those tech companies frequently responded with "no". This is very clear from the Twitter Files information, even if the journalists involved glossed over that point. For example: https://thehill.com/policy/technology/38…

Case history and law are very clear about how the first amendment can be violated by even subtle pressure from the government. I recommend reading judge Doughty's decision [1]. It's a long read, but well worth your time. [1] https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.lawd.18...

I've read the injunction. It's not very good.

It's since been stayed; https://www.politico.com/news/2023/07/14/social-media-injunc....

Re: Texas A&M suspended professor accused of criticizing Lt. Gov. Patrick in lecture

#83
post #64
post #52

> And Sharp was communicating directly with the lieutenant governor’s office about the incident, promising swift action. In Texas, what entities have oversight over potential abuses of power by the Lt. Governor's office, the Texas A&M system Chancellor, and the Texas Land Commissioner? Are they credible? I'm not going to jump to conclusions, but am wondering whether this credible-looking journalism will prompt govern…

Texas's attorney general has had been both state, and federally indicted for fraud for the past 8 years, and has successfully stalled the case, on the basis[1] that as long as he's a Republican politician, he can't get a fair trial. He's only been impeached for it this year . There is no oversight to be had in that kind of single-party state. If you're wondering about what the end game of that sort of thing looks lik…

How do tech workers in Texas cities like Austin feel about being under that?

Re: Texas A&M suspended professor accused of criticizing Lt. Gov. Patrick in lecture

#84
post #26

Crackdowns on free speech are increasing worldwide. Afghanistan, Russia, China, Hong Kong, Florida, Texas... Israel just reached the using fire hoses on protestors level.[1] [1] https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/25/world/middleeast/israel-j...

Israel just removed their judicial branches ability to review government actions.

The hose just got a lot bigger.

Re: Texas A&M suspended professor accused of criticizing Lt. Gov. Patrick in lecture

#85
post #26

Crackdowns on free speech are increasing worldwide. Afghanistan, Russia, China, Hong Kong, Florida, Texas... Israel just reached the using fire hoses on protestors level.[1] [1] https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/25/world/middleeast/israel-j...

Oh come on, stop with the hyperbole. Two of those things are nothing even close to the others.

I don’t think he’s saying the countries are equal.

Re: Texas A&M suspended professor accused of criticizing Lt. Gov. Patrick in lecture

#86

How weirdly fragile and vindictive do you have to be to initiate a formal complaint against a guest lecturer for making an observation about public policy you think is off-base? How lame do you have to be to even know how to do that, and to do it so fast that the lecturer heard about it when she got home?

The first year medical school student who started things is the daughter of a GOP state official, she didn't fall far from the tree despite wanting to be a doctor.

Hypocrisy Oath

Re: Texas A&M suspended professor accused of criticizing Lt. Gov. Patrick in lecture

#87
post #83
post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Texas's attorney general has had been both state, and federally indicted for fraud for the past 8 years, and has successfully stalled the case, on the basis[1] that as long as he's a Republican politician, he can't get a fair trial. He's only been impeached for it this year . There is no oversight to be had in that kind of single-party state. If you're wondering about what the end game of that sort of thing looks lik…

How do tech workers in Texas cities like Austin feel about being under that?

It's easy to close your eyes to politics when you have the capital to cushion you from them.

Re: Texas A&M suspended professor accused of criticizing Lt. Gov. Patrick in lecture

#88

How weirdly fragile and vindictive do you have to be to initiate a formal complaint against a guest lecturer for making an observation about public policy you think is off-base? How lame do you have to be to even know how to do that, and to do it so fast that the lecturer heard about it when she got home?

That's A&M for ya, tho.

Re: Texas A&M suspended professor accused of criticizing Lt. Gov. Patrick in lecture

#89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In which state is that law?

All of them. State employees have very broad 1st Amendment protections.

"you can't fire a state employee for criticizing an elected official" isn't entirely true, though. If the Governor's press secretary gets up to the podium and says "my boss is a corrupt fuckwit", they'll get fired, because of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garcetti_v._Ceballos.

Re: Texas A&M suspended professor accused of criticizing Lt. Gov. Patrick in lecture

#90

It's worth knowing more details than the headline here: 1. Professor Joy Alonzo, who's an expert in Opiod harm-reduction gave a talk where according to all accounts, she mildly critiqued the Lt. Governor and state's preferences for punitive approaches for drug control and that they are considered Federal non-reporters on Opioid stats since they don't collect the data required. 2. Dawn Buckingham, the TX Land Commissi…

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