Elite schools often receive complaints from the elite themselves

Hedge fund ‌billionaire Bill Ackman has​ weighed ⁤in on the issue of campus antisemitism, responding⁢ to some shockingly ⁤inadequate congressional⁣ testimonies. ‍ When questioned by Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., University of ‍Pennsylvania President Liz Magill, Harvard President Claudine​ Gay, and⁣ MIT President Sally Kornbluth​ refused to unequivocally ‍state that calls for Jewish ⁤genocide go against their ‌rules on bullying and harassment. Instead, they argued that it‍ depends on the “context.”

Later that⁢ night, ‌Ackman took to Twitter and tweeted, “If a⁤ CEO of one of our companies ‌gave a similar answer, he or she would be toast within the hour. Why ⁤has antisemitism exploded on campus and around the world? Because⁣ of leaders like Presidents Gay, Magill, ​and Kornbluth⁢ who believe‍ genocide depends on the context.”

“To think,” he added, “that these​ are the leaders of Ivy League institutions ⁣that are charged with the‌ responsibility to educate our best and brightest.”

Indeed.

My colleague Saagar Enjeti from ⁢”Breaking Points” responded, “Ackman and those most ⁣upset over ‍this‍ core ​objection is that they are not included as marginalized within the ⁣DEI regime. This is wrong.⁤ The correct objection is that the DEI regime itself is illegitimate​ and ⁤unamerican.”

After Gay released‌ a statement vaguely stating that Harvard‌ would hold accountable anyone who calls ⁢for violence​ against ‍Jewish students, Enjeti added,‌ “Ackman and others leading the campaign do ⁢not care ‍one iota about‌ actually destroying DEI, ​defunding universities, ⁤destroying ⁤elite centers of power, or protecting speech. They only want those institutions’ ideology to ​respond to their grievances in the same way they do for BLM.”

This raises an important question: Will Ackman and other ​powerful Democratic donors now invest their significant resources in ⁣dismantling the vast ideological infrastructure that has led us to a point ⁢where university presidents evade questions about genocide with confusing legal jargon? What about the​ establishment ‌Republicans who have ‌expressed ⁢their outrage? Will Mitch McConnell take a bold stance against the nonsense ‌in academia?

Unlike other issues like Black Lives Matter or LGBT causes, Israel is one ​of the few topics where elite opinion is genuinely divided. This ‌explains the revolts among White House interns and The New ⁤York Times union, as well⁤ as the revolts‌ of John⁢ Fetterman and ⁢Bill Ackman. (It also sheds light on peculiar​ patterns in corporate media coverage.)

Enjeti’s skepticism ⁣is‌ justified because​ addressing the conditions that have brought us here ⁤requires confronting the consensus view on ‍Western civilization taught in schools, popular culture, and now‌ much of the business sector. Ultimately, it demands a reckoning‍ with moral ‌relativism.

For some radical individuals on ⁤campuses, antisemitism stems from ‍a ⁤deep-seated hatred of Jews. Magill, Gay, and Kornbluth are driven by a relativist stance on the West, which posits ​that ⁤Western values are inherently tainted by whiteness, racism, ​sexism, homophobia,⁣ and‍ more. According to cultural relativism, this⁤ undermines our moral ⁣authority, but the moral credibility of allegedly oppressed populations in the ‌Middle East, for example, remains intact⁤ as their actions ⁢are seen as rational ⁤responses to ‍imperialism.

This central argument now dominates K-12 education, academia, popular culture, ⁣and often the media and business world. Does it make sense? Not at all. In his book “Dominion,” Tom Holland convincingly argues that we are like ‌fish swimming in‌ the waters of Christian ⁣ethics without even realizing it. Ayaan Hirsi Ali recently announced ⁤her conversion from ‌atheism to Christianity, citing Holland’s work as a contributing factor.

While Ackman expressed astonishment that ⁤these are the leaders of Ivy⁤ League institutions responsible for educating the best and brightest,‍ it’s important ‍to note that these same individuals‌ have‌ been leading ‍our institutions for years. The students who have been taught to embrace this worldview are now entering the adult world, and their impact⁤ has been​ significant for quite⁢ some​ time.

This is the “double standard” that Jonathan Haidt Read More From Original Article Here: The Problem With Elite Complaints About Elite Schools