Comment by cosmicgadget | Hacker News Reader

Comment by cosmicgadget | Hacker News Reader

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> just declare so as fact is an excellent example of the exact kind of hostility that keeps non-progressives from being at home in higher education.

My friend, I simply stated a conclusion that is very commonly accepted, including by conservatives (hints: populism, religion, gender roles). You're welcome to dispute it but instead you declare it 'hostile'. If conservatives think this is offensive then I'll add that to the list of reasons they seem to avoid scenarios where their viewpoints are challenged (because that's how academia works).

> Is it really surprising that people who disagree with someone's politics would let that bleed over into their assessment of that person's professional abilities?

It certainly can. That's a long way from a coordinated conspiracy. And there are layers of insulation like wanting talent regardless of personality and avoiding legal issues.

> Conservative professors are a rare breed in academia because non-conservatives in academia make it a very hostile workplace environment.

Like stealing their lunch or lighting them up in a reply-all or what are we talking about here? Note I'm not freaking out that you "just declared something as a fact".

> My friend, I simply stated a conclusion that is very commonly accepted, including by conservatives (hints: populism, religion, gender roles).

People commonly accept that God exists, too, all across the political spectrum. That doesn't mean he actually does exist, though. "Commonly accepted" does not mean "is true".

> It certainly can. That's a long way from a coordinated conspiracy. And there are layers of insulation like wanting talent regardless of personality and avoiding legal issues.

No one in this thread is claiming a "coordinated conspiracy", just years and years of ever increasing political bias amongst faculty at universities in the U.S.

C'mon, implicit bias training is supposed to teach you about how the negative impacts of persistent, low-grade bias accumulate over time, right?

> Like stealing their lunch or lighting them up in a reply-all or what are we talking about here? Note I'm not freaking out that you "just declared something as a fact".

Like not inviting them to conferences, social gatherings, networking opportunities, etc.

Again, decades of small bias add up. I mean, isn't that the entire thesis of things like "systemic racism"? Why would that not also be true in other areas?

Don't get me wrong, I believe theories like systemic racism have merit and are largely true. I just acknowledge that, if it's true that being black in America is an inherent disadvantage due to years of accumulated bias, it's probably also true that being conservative in academia is also an inherent disadvantage, due to the same mechanism.

All that being said, way to double down on the elitism!

> "Commonly accepted" does not mean "is true".

Correct. And if you asserted the existence of a god based on this common notion I wouldn't scream that it's religous hostility.

Of course, dieties are not a great example here since they're based purely on people's superstitions.

> No one in this thread is claiming a "coordinated conspiracy"

From above: "Conservatives have been basically purged from academia over the last 30 years"

Most political purges I'm familiar with aren't "oops, implicit bias!"

At the start of this I said: "I think the surprise is that someone believes its indicative of a giant conspiracy to exile conservative professors." If you agree with this could have saved yourself a lot of trouble.

> Like not inviting them to conferences, social gatherings, networking opportunities, etc.

We're talking about adults, right? In any event, it would be interesting to see some stats or hear some anecdotes on the matter.

> Again, decades of small bias add up.

Does it? Seems far more likely to settle on some sort of median. It's just that the median is considered 'leftist' because it embraces the scientific method while most conservative platforms need to deny evolution, climate change, etc.

> it's probably also true that being conservative in academia is also an inherent disadvantage, due to the same mechanism.

There are far, far more dissimilarities.

> At the start of this I said: "I think the surprise is that someone believes its indicative of a giant conspiracy to exile conservative professors." If you agree with this could have saved yourself a lot of trouble.

You were clearly implying that the person you were responding to was saying it was some kind of conspiracy. I'm not buying this sudden retcon.

> We're talking about adults, right? In any event, it would be interesting to see some stats or hear some anecdotes on the matter.

Thats... literally what you were replying to in the aforementioned post! Here's the link again, in case you forgot: https://www.aei.org/articles/partisan-professors/ It's literally a lack of diversity, just like there used to be an equally stark lack of diversity in tech, etc.

I'm almost positive you're just trolling at this point.

> I'm not buying this sudden retcon.

I mean it's right there in black and white. Yes, we've gone on a few tangents since then.

> literally what you were replying to in the aforementioned post!

No it's the AEI complaining that there aren't enough conservatives in higher education. There aren't any stats on summer barbecues MAGA adjunct professors weren't invited to. There aren't any anecdotes about an infowarrior instructor missing out on networking events. Just look at the quoted words above my request to see what they are in reference to.

> From above: "Conservatives have been basically purged from academia over the last 30 years"

Yet, when you are handed evidence that this is objectively true, you move the goalposts.

You're clearly not arguing in good faith. As such, I'm done with this conversation

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