Barney in Canada on Academics & Academia

Submitted by Renee Bouvier (United States), Jan 24, 2009 at 20:00

As the saying goes, "You pay to play." Since most institutions of higher learning have been totally privatized here in the States, because no one wants to support their country's infrastructure, thereby determining the professors and curricula, don't complain. The system is the way it is, because Americans did not want "to pay to play." In other words, whoever pays the bills and financially supports various departments at the university determines how the curricula is skewed whether against Israel or in favor of Israel. Jews like Mayor Bloomberg unfortunately contribute to medical schools and schools of public health -- not to departments of political science, sociology, Near Eastern Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, and economics. There are lots of billionaire Jews, but for some reason, they don't want to foot the bill.

So until you are willing to foot the bill like the Saudis, don't complain. Meanwhile, most American Jewish children here in the States are barely able to affford an undergraduate university education here in the States, never mind a graduate education. You get what you pay for, as the saying goes. You don't want to support the universities as a taxpayer (and the education of your Jewish children), don't complain. In the upper middle class to wealthy neighborhoods, where the parents support the public schools through very high property taxes, they determine the curriculum of their public schools. Our education system is horrific here in the States as a whole, because Americans don't want to fund it. Perhaps Americans hate each other? In the meantime, don't complain. As a graduate student, studying Arabic and Near Eastern Studies, the Saudi Arabian government financed four scholarships on my behalf. "You pay to play."

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".