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[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

Ackman seems to be everywhere these days. You'd think a busy hedge fund manager would have less time on his hands.

Yeah, Goldie's did fire the folks who wore pins and he donates to Israeli military. And I think that's a basis for protestors to picket the place. But accusing him of genocide? Let's pump the brakes a bit.

Back to Ackman, there are three problems with what he's doing. First, it's naked cancel culture. Second, among the kunckledragging actual anti-semites out there (and we all know there's a healthy number of them), firing of the Penn President and possibly Gay will be seen as "Rich Jewish financiers controlling everyone." Third, isn't the whole idea of free speech and expression to allow people to say foolish shit so that: (a) The popularity of dumb thoughts will be known to all; (b) The identity of people who think dumb thoughts will be known to all; and, (c) The dumb thoughts can be publicly countered. Call me nuts, but I want to know not only who around me is a bigot, but who around me is nuts or just plain fucking stupid. Is is better to have that sort of thing fester underground?

Final thought: Academic Admin's problem is not only having dumb ideas, but being in perpetual CYA mode. Those Presidents looked like fools because they endlessly dissembled. All one had to answer Stefanik with was, "Yes, someone stating a desire to commit genocide on any group violates our code." Nothing more, nothing less. But they couldn't, because they were so used to searching their minds for something to say that wouldn't upset someone they missed the one thing they could say that would have shut up Stefanik.

However dumb some univ. admin's ideas may be, I can guarantee one thing: their donors can come up with something stupider.