Congratulations and Thank You

Submitted by M Bond (United States), Sep 30, 2002 at 23:17

Sound idea, great site, congrats and thank you for your dedication. The folks on the left who are already and predictably whining about censorship, McCarthyism and the like are, at least to some rather notable degree, a bit pathetic - that is the nicest thing that can be said about them. They perhaps also are revealing their insecurities and fears and highly reactionary, undemocratic, knee-jerk political impulses that they barely think twice about before unleashing.

If the government or the universities in question were sponsoring this site, perhaps they would have a point. However, Pipes is offering dialogue, a forum for open debate, an opening up of discussion and information where all parties from all sides of the difficult and multifaceted issues have an opportunity to share, forward arguments and counter-arguments, defend - and offend. It's called the public square, it's called the social/political arena and it's also called democracy and freedom - what a concept!

In attempting to stigmatize Pipes' new site as censorious or McCarthyite, the clerics of the various Middle East studies programs are revealing how little they care for open discussion and critique - the very hallmark of the idea of the university and of classical liberalism, though certainly not the hallmark of pseudo, ideological "liberalism". Seemingly they would prefer their narrow occidentalism to continue to be the unalloyed, uncritiqued dogma, fad and faith it has been to this point; one more aspect of the secular faith all need to either actively adhere to or, minimally, passively accede and accept as fait accompli.

Ed Said, his ideological kingdom come, his will be done. Believe or ...

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