Diversity of Everything but Thought

...and doesn't the fact that most Americans don't recognize liberal bias as a problem make the argument that it isn't a widespread and systematic problem?

Well that's an interesting take on it. Could I see your data that brought you to the conclusion that most Americans don't recognize liberal bias as a problem?

But, in the absence of evidence showing that they do not care, is it safe to assume that they in fact do care? And why would we make such a silly assumption?

Let's say that I were a proponent of the belief that most Americans do not recognize liberal bias as a problem. I infer you would foist upon me the burden of proving that in fact they do not. But would you be so quick to state that in the absence of evidence showing that Americans do not care, we must make the assumption that they do care? After all, there is no reason to believe that people don't care about something, unless they specifically state that they do not ....

Ticomaya wrote:

But, in the absence of evidence showing that they do not care, is it safe to assume that they in fact do care? And why would we make such a silly assumption?

Let's say that I were a proponent of the belief that most Americans do not recognize liberal bias as a problem. I infer you would foist upon me the burden of proving that in fact they do not. But would you be so quick to state that in the absence of evidence showing that Americans do not care, we must make the assumption that they do care? After all, there is no reason to believe that people don't care about something, unless they specifically state that they do not ....

Freeduck writes

Quote:

...and doesn't the fact that most Americans don't recognize liberal bias as a problem make the argument that it isn't a widespread and systematic problem?

Well that's an interesting take on it. Could I see your data that brought you to the conclusion that most Americans don't recognize liberal bias as a problem?

I think if most Americans would recognize the problem and push for a remedy, we could within a very few years restore academic excellence to our public schools and regain our bragging rights. Right now, we are an academic embarassment.

And then a whole raft of studies pinpoint excessive liberalism in education as a possible or probable cause?

So what if most Americans do think the U.S. education system sucks these days, but aren't really sure how it got that way or how to fix the problem? And then a whole raft of studies pinpoint excessive liberalism in education as a possible or probable cause? Would you then say it merits some additional consideration at least? That it shouldn't just be dismissed out of hand because you personally don't see a problem?

But, in the absence of evidence showing that they do not care, is it safe to assume that they in fact do care? And why would we make such a silly assumption?

Let's say that I were a proponent of the belief that most Americans do not recognize liberal bias as a problem. I infer you would foist upon me the burden of proving that in fact they do not. But would you be so quick to state that in the absence of evidence showing that Americans do not care, we must make the assumption that they do care? After all, there is no reason to believe that people don't care about something, unless they specifically state that they do not ....

Actually there is some discussion on Capital Hill re this issue as we speak. Whether those with better resources than I have will determine a problem and decide that some sort of mandate is in order remains to be seen. It is understandable that liberal students would perceive no bias and see no problem in an excessively liberal climate that seems and feels normal and right to them. Conservative students no doubt feel the same sense of rightness on a conservative private university campus.

It was for Cyclop FreeDuck, I edited it as you see.
And as for the independent studies you mention, I think Zogby and some of the others certainly qualify. But I have already accepted that the liberals in this thread reject all that data and concede that it is certainly your right to do so.

It was for Cyclop FreeDuck, I edited it as you see.
And as for the independent studies you mention, I think Zogby and some of the others certainly qualify. But I have already accepted that the liberals in this thread reject all that data and concede that it is certainly your right to do so.

Foxfyre wrote:

I think if most Americans would recognize the problem and push for a remedy, we could within a very few years restore academic excellence to our public schools and regain our bragging rights. Right now, we are an academic embarassment.

What's all this nonsense about a "remedy?" Surely, Foxfyre, you're not suggesting the imposition of quotas? Or government mandates? Or the creation of a federal oversight bureaucracy? Really, your reticence to identify any particular remedy for this "problem" is, I think, intended to mask your support of a big-government solution. For shame!

But the remedy shouldn't require any government intervention at all. Conservatives always talk about the efficiency of market solutions, so why shouldn't the market provide the solution in this case? After all, colleges compete like any other businesses. And businesses that provide bad services or products should (all things being equal) be less successful than their competitors. So if a liberal bias among a college's professoriate is deemed by consumers (i.e. students) to be undesirable, they are free to go to a competitor. Students, in other words, should be tossing their Ivy League admissions letters into the wastebasket and going to Regent University or Grove City College or any of the top ten conservative colleges listed by the Young America's Foundation.

If enough students choose conservative colleges over their purportedly "liberal" rivals, then the former will prosper and the latter will either suffer, dwindle, and die or else adapt their product to be more competitive. The remedy for liberal colleges, therefore, is simple: better conservative colleges.