69 million page views

Expand Campus Watch's reach

Reader comment on item: [Campus Watch and] Saving Mideast Studies

Submitted by John R. Fantry III (United States), Sep 19, 2003 at 15:11

Your article, "Saving Mideast Studies," brought back memories of my own campus experiences in the early '70's, when the academic specialists were employing similar intellectual spin on behalf of those fine fellows from North Vietnam, whose only wish was to liberate their fellow citizens and save them from the corruption of the West, delivering democracy and prosperity in the process. Yeah! Same game, different day! They were wrong then, they're wrong now. What do you suppose it is that compels these otherwise intelligent people, seemingly without fail, to misread and misinterpret all political, cultural, religious and social issues against American interests at every turn? We can't always be wrong, can we?

One of the foremost strengths of American thinking is our preference for deductive, as opposed to inductive, reasoning. For the most part, we let the facts speak for themselves, drawing our conclusions from the evidence, the Joe Friday, "just the facts, ma'am" approach. We want to know, what do the tea leaves say?

The academic specialists of whom you speak, not the majority or mainstream practitioners of their important craft, would seem to be inductive reasoners, by and large. They start with a conclusion; then they gather facts, quickly discarding anything that does not support their position, and elevate otherwise unimportant, mundane and even peripheral findings to undeserved and unjustifiable status if that is what it takes to reinforce their original bias. In this way, pretty much, anyone can make a supportable argument on behalf of anything, no matter how wrong they might be. The current beneficiaries of these spin doctors are radical Islam and Arab nationalism. Clearly they do not understand what is actually happening on the ground, yet are eager and swift to insinuate their own mistaken ideas into the debate. And they hold positions of authority with regular, direct access to youthful minds easily manipulated against their own best interest, which is really a scary thought, but nothing new. My bet is, based upon my own experience as a double major political science/history honors grad studying both US and USSR history and political systems at Stony Brook, that thirty years out, the same people who now nod in approval of the professor teaching them that US perspective and action relative to the Middle East (among other things) is all wrong, will be asking themselves, "what was I thinking?"

My suggestion: expand the reach of Campus Watch by recruiting post-academic people immune from manipulation by either university systems or individual professors, to audit classes and publish factual reports of the curriculum and the instructors. Let the parents (and taxpayers in the case of public institutions) know, through regular news forums to be established with local publishers, exactly what is being taught, without editorial input or personal bias; just the facts. Let the public be the judge.

I confess, I am totally unfamiliar with your body of work. Since I left Manhattan 25 years ago, I have rarely purchased the NY Post. Why yesterday, who knows? But I'm glad I did buy this particular edition. I was moved by your column...

Regards, John R. Fantry III
Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Submit a comment on this item

<< Previous Comment      Next Comment >>

Reader comments (57) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Battle for the minds of our youth [144 words]Bob N. JustusSep 7, 2004 16:4316740
You're Wrong [99 words]Carrick RogersOct 4, 2003 11:2111682
Universities Funded by Mideast Sources [69 words]Mike RamirezSep 29, 2003 17:2011562
Mideast Studies [111 words]Kim EggerSep 24, 2003 23:1611489
Islamic history courses [36 words]N.KSep 23, 2003 15:1311426
2Good work! [87 words]John W. GastSep 23, 2003 02:1411410
comment [75 words]Pat ForrestalSep 22, 2003 23:5911404
New courses at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign [87 words]Diane GottheilSep 22, 2003 21:1811403
Campus Visit [21 words]Wayne HeplerSep 22, 2003 16:1411402
Scholarship? [133 words]Richard RheinerSep 22, 2003 12:2611400
A National Treasure [151 words]Arlinda DeAngelisSep 20, 2003 09:2311369
Great job, Dr. Pipes [71 words]Allen PangburnSep 20, 2003 03:4511363
It`s about time [102 words]George HardySep 20, 2003 02:4011361
I have taught and am frustrated [72 words]TownncountrySep 20, 2003 02:0811360
Support for your endeavers [169 words]Jerrold GoldmanSep 20, 2003 01:1611359
Outstanding, Job well done. [72 words]ELOY M. TEAGUESep 20, 2003 01:0411358
1Keep up your good work [29 words]Sander PoritzkySep 19, 2003 21:2111356
Thank You [126 words]Ruth AubreySep 19, 2003 21:0011355
Congratulations [34 words]Rick ZumaSep 19, 2003 20:5511354
Excellent article [26 words]IgorSep 19, 2003 18:3111350
Outstanding! [8 words]George LandsverkSep 19, 2003 18:3111349
The lack of common courtesy [246 words]James HackerSep 19, 2003 17:4911348
Amazing! [58 words]Peggy WhitcombSep 19, 2003 17:2511347
1Excellent work! [45 words]Paul RinderleSep 19, 2003 16:5111346
Refreshing breath of air [87 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Robert FinkSep 19, 2003 15:3711343
Expand Campus Watch's reach [517 words]John R. Fantry IIISep 19, 2003 15:1111342
Middle East studies - Intellectual Enron [139 words]Barry RabSep 19, 2003 14:2811340
Calling faults for what they are [81 words]S. Silverstein MDSep 19, 2003 14:0611339
Educators should stop helping to destroy America [334 words]A very concerned veteran and a parent of future leaders!Sep 19, 2003 13:0011336
Keep the pressure up! [27 words]mikeSep 19, 2003 11:3911334
Excellent article! [144 words]George ThomasSep 19, 2003 11:1311333
Deja Vu [286 words]Peter J. HerzSep 19, 2003 10:0211332
Why stop at middle east studies? [119 words]Brian AndersonSep 19, 2003 01:3211330
Thanks for All Your Hard Work! [111 words]Paul CoblentzSep 19, 2003 01:1311329
Exposed [50 words]Dennis DeTienneSep 19, 2003 00:5311328
Making a Difference [100 words]Vivian E. WolfeSep 19, 2003 00:3611327
1Campus Watch in Canada? [171 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Yehuda Ben DavidSep 19, 2003 00:3111325
Campus Watch [67 words]Dennis PreiserSep 18, 2003 21:5711323
Mideast studies. [317 words]KurtSep 18, 2003 20:5911322
I commend you, Daniel Pipes and Campus Watch! [205 words]Bernard RossSep 18, 2003 20:2111321
good work [47 words]Dr. Albert de VidasSep 18, 2003 20:0811320
MES comments by Daniel Pipes [170 words]Joe FitzgeraldSep 18, 2003 19:3111319
Congratulations [29 words]Jean MyersSep 18, 2003 18:0811318
Non-Muslim Faculty in Middle East Studies Programs [142 words]Milton WeissSep 18, 2003 17:4411316
In praise of campus watch. [23 words]Ellen TannenbaumSep 18, 2003 17:3411313
It's About Time [148 words]MikeSep 18, 2003 17:1411310
good for you [16 words]benjamin glaserSep 18, 2003 16:4811309
Campus Review [22 words]Paul GoodrichSep 18, 2003 16:4011308
Islamic anti-semitism [58 words]Raj VenguntaSep 18, 2003 15:3811305
recondite? back to Webster's... [54 words]Virginia ThogersenSep 18, 2003 15:3611304
Bravo for Campus Watch [75 words]Terrall PutnamSep 18, 2003 15:2811302
Fooled No More [77 words]Steven HessSep 18, 2003 14:4511300
Kudos for Campus Watch [14 words]R AbramsSep 18, 2003 13:5211297
THANKS MR Pipes [23 words]ernest ringgoldSep 18, 2003 13:3811296
Happy Birthday! [23 words]Jeff PyattSep 18, 2003 13:0111295
Great Job!! [13 words]Jeff KaminskySep 18, 2003 13:0011294
Thanks for standing for the truth [16 words]Bob SpinksSep 18, 2003 12:2811293

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)