The Columbia University anti-war teach-in that has been making headlines over the past few days was the brainchild of political science professor Jean Cohen. Cohen is beside herself at the outrageous comments assistant professor of anthropology Nicholas De Genova made at the teach-in--among them that he wishes for "a million Mogadishus" and that the only true patriots are those who help defeat the U.S. military. She did not hold back when she spoke to a reporter for the Columbia Spectator, and the results appear in today's issue:

"He and the press have hijacked this teach-in, and I'm very, very angry about it," said Jean Cohen, Professor of Political Science, who first had the idea for the event. "It was an utterly irresponsible thing to do. And it's not innocent. ... This was a planned undermining of this teach-in."

Cohen emphasized that De Genova had not originally been invited to speak. He was replacing Kimberle Crenshaw, a law professor who dropped out because of a medical emergency.

"At the last minute someone couldn't speak, and he just kind of appeared," Cohen said. "... He ended up on that platform by accident, almost by manipulation."

Cohen said that as soon as it was clear that there was an opening in the program, De Genova was "right there, all ready with his speech--which makes me suspicious."

"It's bad luck that there was an opening, but he was all too ready," she said.

Elsewhere in the same issue, De Genova argues that the media furor surrounding him is the result of the Spectator's irresponsible reporting. Apparently, his statement about a million Mogadishus was taken out of context, and apparently, to De Genova's thinking, there is a context in which such a statement is reasonable, hopeful, and even patriotic. Here it is, in his own words:

I also affirmed that Iraqi liberation can only be effected by the Iraqi people themselves, both by resisting and defeating the U.S. invasion as well as overthrowing a regime whose brutality was long sustained by none other than the U.S. Such an anti-colonial struggle for self-determination might involve a million Mogadishus now but would ultimately have to become something more like another Vietnam. Vietnam was a stunning defeat for U.S. imperialism; as such, it was also a victory for the cause of human self-determination.

Is this a tirade against "anything and everything American"? Far from it. First, I hasten to remind you that "American" refers to all of the Americas, not merely to the United States, as U.S. imperial chauvinism would have it. More importantly, my rejection of U.S. nationalism is an appeal to liberate our own political imaginations such that we might usher in a radically different world in which we will not remain the prisoners of U.S. global domination.

Let me direct the editors to a resource they seem not to have previously encountered--the dictionary. Mine defines "teach-in" as follows: "An extended meeting usually held on a college campus for lectures, debates, and discussions to raise awareness of or express a position on a social and political issue." Spectator's complaint makes no sense, since the combination of education and advocacy is the essence of a teach-in.

The editorial acknowledges that speakers disagreed with one another, then says there was "an atmosphere of intellectual conformity." I suppose this means that we did not present pro-war talks. I can hardly believe that the editors think that students have no access to the government's arguments. Those who feel so deprived can simply turn on any television newscast.

"...a victory for the cause of human self-determination."Heh.

"The media/government is already telling the other side of the story," seems to be the academic excuse du jour for indoctrinating students. As Erin pointed out, it's the poorest excuse imaginable. Once you've declared that the other side controls the media, how can you possibly claim to offer anything but partisan rhetoric?

It's the most frustratingly slippery argument that lefty professors have in their arsenal, but it's no less offensive for that. The idea is that since you can find conservative views anywhere, there's no need to present them to students. It's a transparently self-serving line of reasoning that doesn't even conform to the facts. Even if it were true, it's not an argument for the exclusion of a point of view, or for shielding their own predjudices from criticism. There's a hint of elitism in it as well: Only here in the hallowed halls of the academy, it seems to say, can one find real, informed, nuanced thought and opinion, and it will naturally be uniformly leftist. How repellent.

Large swaths of the academy have actually reached the point of dementia. It is painfully apparent that none of the professors object to the substance of De Genova's comments, merely the effect.

It seems to me, though, that the profs haven't faced a public light in so long that those among the younger ranks can't conceive of what's coming. The politicians and pop stars are having to learn quickly that their two-faced game can no longer be played with immunity. The professors are going to put up a fight.

Fortunately, from my point of view, it seems safe to suggest that, when one side resorts immediately to wild accusations of conspiracies about the other, the outcome is already decided: for those who can formulate a coherent view of reality.

Y'know how much has been made of military pre-orders for body bags before military actions? Well, I'd say the universities, particularly the Ivies, ought to begin stocking up on straightjackets. After all, there's nowhere else in society to move such people, from their padded careers, than to padded cells.

It's easy and enjoyable to make fun of these people, and it's important to understand how their limited little minds work--but as Karl Marx (I think) said, "Philosophers have explained the world in many ways; the problem is how to change it."

We all need to begin thinking about the practicalities of "changing it." How can we get the message about what is *really going on* out to the vast majority of people, who may think that professors are a little strange but don't understand the true horror of the situation? How can we break the hold of university-issued credentials on the corporate hiring process, in order to reduce the stranglehold that universities have over peoples' livelihoods?

These are among the most vital issues of the day.

I also love the way these academics act as if conservative values are ubiquitous in society, and therefore it's not necessary to teach them. Leaving aside the fact that in order to counter something (as these people obviously want to do) you first have to understand that thing -- their attitude is as if they had said: "Letters of the alphabet are all over the place! So there's no need to teach anyone to read!"

Wouldn't it be nice if college students were assumed to be adults. Professors could focus on teaching their subject matter (for which the students are paying) rather than feeling responsible for shaping the students' political opinions and explaining to them what they are supposed to think and feel about current events.

On Cohen, she of course never said the right put this professor up to his stupid comment, but that his comment was so destructive to the anti-war position that it was as if he was put up by the right. No conspiracy argument

On Foner, of course he is making the point that a teach-in is not a debate forum, but a place for a group to develop their position. Of course he is not against arguing with pro-war people in other venues. I'd like erin to direct us to the many places the anti-war position has been allowed to be presented in the mainstream media.

"I'd like erin to direct us to the many places the anti-war position has been allowed to be presented in the mainstream media."

Try the NY Times editorial page.

And the LA Times, CNN, ABC (especially Peter Jennings), CBS, the Today Show, MSNBC and let's not forget NPR.

Eric Foner called De Genova’s comments “idiotic.” He is referring specifically, I suspect, to the bit about the “Million Mogadishus” and very little else De Genova had to say during the teach-in. Foner would never stoop to grandstanding like De Genova, at least not with such crude invective. That said, the substance of these two men’s views on the history and politics of the United States are probably identical.

According to Spectator, “[Foner] also noted that the University's academic free speech policy should assure that his controversial statements do not professionally affect De Genova.” This is disingenuous. Foner would not cite Columbia’s free speech policy if the University dismissed a professor who loudly denied the Holocaust or advocated white supremacy. Foner would quietly look the other way.

Adam, that is a very interesting comment, and it applies to Dailey of Kanses as well.

Academic freedom (for state schools) seems to require that taxpayers tolerate everything. Would they be asked to tolerate a professor who expresses white supremacist views in the classroom and at university functions with the press present? I wonder.

Nicholas De Genova Is calling for the mass murder of American soldiers. Have we forgotten that freedom isn't free and that were it not for the brave there would be no home of the free....

Do we really want this human filth teaching our kids? I've included contact information for Mr. Nicholas De Genova and his boss...The only way we can let Columbia University know our feelings is to demand his immediate dimissal.

Mr. De Genova's comments...

Wishing for 'a Million Mogadishus'
A professor at Columbia University in New York is publicly calling for the massacre of American troops in Iraq and praising as heroes those who kill them, reports Newsday.
In a six-hour "teach-in" at the college, Nicholas De Genova, an assistant professor of anthropology, said he would like to see "a million Mogadishus" -- a reference to the city in Somalia where 18 American soldiers were ambushed and killed in 1993.
"The only true heroes are those who find ways that help defeat the U.S. military," De Genova told the audience of about 3,000. "I personally would like to see a million Mogadishus."
The crowd was pretty much silent in response to the remark, but cheered loudly when he later said, "If we really believe that this war is criminal ... then we have to believe in the victory of the Iraqi people and the defeat of the U.S. war machine."
Here is the scumbags contact information.

Name: NICHOLAS PAUL DE GENOVA
Title: ASST PROF
Dept: ANTHROPOLOGY
Mail Addr: DEPT OF ANTHROPOLOGY
416 HAMILTON
mail code 2880
Phone: MS 4-0199
+1 212-854-0199
Fax: +1 212-854-0500
UNI: npd18
EMail: npd18@columbia.edu

And his boss.....

Name: LEE C BOLLINGER
Title: PRESIDENT PROFESSOR
Dept: OFFICE OF PRESIDENT SCHOOL OF LAW
Mail Addr: 202 LOW LIBRARY
mail code 4309
Phone: MS 4-9970
+1 212-854-9970
UNI: lcb50
EMail: bollinger@columbia.edu

Jonathan Cole (Provost)
email: jrcs@columbia.edu
phone: 212-854-2404

Nicholas Dirks (Anthropology Dept Head)
email: nbd7@columbia.edu phone:
212-854-4552

Columbia Public Affairs Dept
phone: 212-854-5573

Lee Bollinger is doing what every liberal does when you call his hand. He and his "professor" are hiding behind free speech to cover their asses.

You do not understand what an university means. You do not know anything about social theory. You have no idea anout freedom of speech.
You have no idea about what you are talking about.
You do not know what is going on the world.
For you an American soldier worth a thousand dead Iraqis, Somalians may be you can reduce the number to 500 English.
Worst of all, you enjoy war, you cheer to American tanks, American soldiers...
So what I am afraid is that this will be our doom altogether. You mindless efforts, comes back to us as terrorism, global anti-American hatred. And what you will put forward is your valuable army and the mass destruction weapons. And it will be our doom.
Hail to the success of US military and you will be happy ever after. Heroes of yours are children of age 20, 21, 23... They had children, lifes and you make them go to the military, you make them go to places where they even do not know where. You make them die in the field and believe me they did not think they were heroes, they thought that they were dying...
Do you have any idea what Iraq looks like. Do y9ou have any idea of the hunger that is still a fact in Somalia... Do you know that some of your kind feeds people just if they convert themselves to Christianity. Do you know that you buy people's loyalty, discriminate between nations.
Just I am fed up with you... You are so stupid that ou are still talking about beating or even killing Dr. De Genova... Without him and his kind American nation would be history.
Fundementalists are very easy to find, dont worry your reign would not end.
But if America will last another 50 years this will be beacuse the likes of De Genova works for the world-good.