Dear Fellow Pen-ler's,
Perhaps my comments were "off the wall" in particular as they
talked about actions that people took who are nominally in "our" camp -
note that we talk about other folks (i had just finished reading a lot of
stuff on Paul Krugman) and their behaviour in the classroom and elsewhere
and it doesn't become "scurrlious" and viscious "ad-hominem" attacks,
"low, low" , etc.
Those who have argued that we should probably stay away from
negative personal anecdotes about leftists as they cause too much bad
blood between us have a point. These for the most part should be
left to personal communications between us and not put on the general list.
In this case, however, I was relating a rather "public" incident,
it went before the graduate student council, which got me "reinstated",
(this should be additional support for my claim that i was not being
disruptive to the class - i was merely disagreeing - in fact as i was
being kicked out, or in one of the later classes, the teacher in
question stated explicitly "i want absolute hedgemony over this class") and was well
known to everyone that year (15 years ago!).
I was responding to an assertion about teachers (not exclusively their
ideas) or a query about programs which i assumed included a desire to
know something about teaching and i had also just finished looking at a
lot of stuff about "academic despots" and teaching etc. in connection
with Paul Krugman - as noted above.
I did add in my derogatory personal opinion of their ideas at the time -
but that is not "ad-hominem" or "scurrlious" - I hope! I was careful to
qualify my opinion (as has been noted) by saying that I have not kept up
with their ideas, implying (as has been noted) that these ideas may have
changed and that (i agree) the person in question may regard thsi whole
incident as an unfortunate mishap which he regrets (i hope!).
I agree that none of us are perfect - though this strayed far beyond
the bounds of "acceptable" imperfection in teaching to the point where some on this
list seem to have a hard time believing it (i guess i would too).
The source of my "off the wall" comment was a sense I guess of
obligation (and undoubtably - i won't deny it - though this really wasn't
primary in my thinking at the time - pointing to a connection between
ideas and behavior which i think is quite important in this case
especially - and i would guess still is relevant 15 years later - after
all we marxists should be particularly sensitive to this i would think)
about a class which I was required to take in spite of my efforts to
avoid it, which class turned into a hellish experience which i believe
i have a "public service" responsibility to warn perspective students
of.
This is not to deny that other people have had very different
experiences. Nobody has to accept my views. The experience however is a
fact.
I'm sorry this came up at the same time as the Pomo discussion
which probably contributed to its intermingling with this other thread
and greater notoriety than it deserves or is useful to spend on it.
Regards to all,
Ron Baiman
