Archive for conflict
Nobility
From Clarissa:
For centuries, nothing was more meaningful or more defining than whether one was born to a noble family. One’s entire existence was influenced in every single aspect by the accident of birth into a certain social class.
After WWI, the titles of European nobility started to lose their value. Save for a couple of Windsors or Borbons, the rest of the “nobles” accepted that their titles’ place was on the trash heap of history. I’m sure it wasn’t pleasant for the antiquated aristocrats to see how “nobodies” were stripping them of importance but that’s the march of history for you.
Today the same is happening with citizenship. And people are just as unhappy that the accident of birth that used to give them so much good stuff is becoming meaningless. Like the nobles of 100 years ago, they can’t believe that the lottery win they thought they had gained just by being born in the right place is losing its value.
Of course, their loss is somebody else’s gain. Just like 100 years ago.
All of Clarissa’s posts on Liquid Capital and the end of the nation-state are compelling.
Come to Canada
In a tart post this morning Atrios notes that he would be
shocked if foreign enrollment in [American] colleges and universities wasn’t down 10%+ next year (I completely made up that figure, of course, but you get the idea) even if they started handing out green cards to anyone who asked for one. And those institutions really rely on full paying foreign students these days, for better or for worse (certainly for worse in some ways, but just ripping away that revenue source isn’t going to help).
Prediction: If the travel bans and if the “extreme vetting” stay in place, Canadian universities like Kwantlen will see a surge in applications. And what a tremendous thing that would be for my country and for my colleagues in postsecondary institutions across Canada. But at such a cost.
cross-posted from nocontest.ca
My university’s president, Dr. Alan Davis …
… issued a statement about the past two days that I want to share here:
Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) proudly and unabashedly embraces diversity, and remains steadfastly committed to the values of inclusion and belonging.
For this reason, I am deeply disturbed by events of the last few days. On Sunday, six people were killed and many more were injured during an attack on Muslim worshipers at a Quebec mosque. On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order restricting travel to the United States for 90 days on individuals from seven predominantly Muslim countries.
KPU stands with Universities Canada in expressing our opposition to the executive action taken by the Trump government. …
It was only three months ago that KPU was proud to join with SFU and the City of Surrey to become Canada’s first international City of Refuge, and to work together to offer temporary sanctuary—respite from danger and fear—to writers and artists who are persecuted in their home countries for their creative work. …
Among KPU’s international student population are students from countries affected by the travel ban, and we are currently reaching out to those students directly. Students from other countries who come to KPU to study enrich the university’s global learning environment by furthering cross-cultural engagement. To these students, I offer the university’s abiding encouragement and support, and a pledge that we will do our utmost to ensure their academic experiences are minimally impacted by the order. Further, we remain committed to supporting the international academic pursuits of all our students and faculty members, and that includes maintaining our relationships with universities around the world. …
In terms of any pending or current education leaves, professional development or scholarly activities, KPU strongly advises those who might be subject to these travel restrictions to carefully consider whether their travel plans should be amended in light of the current situation.
Further, we understand that these restrictions may impact the ability of scholars to freely travel across borders. In some instances, some of those scholars may have been scheduled to speak at KPU. We will review on a case-by-case basis any instances where these travel restrictions will impact plans to have visiting scholars speak at KPU and what might be done to still ensure their voices are heard. …
Driving people nuts
I have owned cars and have loved driving; that was back in the day. I still drive but only rarely, and with no joy; I haven’t owned a car in 25 years. Vancouver’s trains and buses (and bus-drivers) are fine by me, truly.
If I had a car, I would have to find a place to park it; in my neighbourhood, and with my lack of patience, that would be a frequent and painful irritation, to say the least.
One of my favourite bloggers, Atrios, writes about the parking wars [a favourite topic], in a post called “Always Read the Comments.”
I [read them], anyway. They’re the most fun! Though often the most enraging, too. This is a fun comments section, with people discussing whether or not it’s rude to park in front of someone else’s house on a public street. At least here in the urban hellhole [Philadelphia], people are usually reasonably happy as long as they can get a spot on their own block (except for the whole “snow savesies” thing…).
Definitely read the comments and see the boiling blood. And then go for a good bike ride.
Exception that proves the rule:
This one might be fun.
Satire and Critique
From the very smart libertarian blog “Hit and Run,” presented without comment, except to note that all’s well that ends well (if it does end well):
Last Thursday an Ohio jury acquitted Anthony Novak, a 27-year-old man whom Parma police arrested last spring for making fun of them. After hearing one day of testimony, the jurors unanimously concluded that Novak did not “disrupt public services,” a felony punishable by up to 18 months in prison, when he created a parody of the Parma Police Department’s Facebook page.
Novak’s fake Facebook page, which changed the department’s slogan from “We know crime” to “We no crime,” included a job notice saying that anyone who passed a “15 question multiple choice definition test followed by a hearing test” would be “be accepted as an officer” but that the department “is strongly encouraging minorities to not apply.” …
When they arrested Novak in March, Parma police complained that his jokes were “derogatory” and “inflammatory.” …
Novak plans to sue the police department and the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office for violating his First Amendment rights. … Elizabeth Bonham, staff attorney with the ACLU of Ohio, thinks Novak has a strong case. She told The Plain Dealer Novak’s actions were “so clearly protected by the First Amendment that the criminal proceedings shouldn’t have even come this far.”
Good answer
“Why are you asking that?” This, I’ve found, is always a good answer to an unfriendly question. – Rebecca Solnit, in The Mother of All Questions
h/t KC
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