Zine Beats College
Traditionally, when professors get tenure that’s intended to free
them to use their position as a bully pulpit. It’s not just giving them
the option. They’re supposed to press forward. They’re supposed to
wage intellectual war freely. No holds barred.
Instead today I wouldn’t be surprised if the profession isn’t more
like a union shop. (Hey, aren’t profs unionized on lots of campuses?)
Maybe they’d rather all be uplifted together, as a profession, in their
power, in their salaries.
How many use that bully pulpit anymore?
I overheard a young professor at a party the other day. He has tenure.
A bullish character, in his prime. What’s his goal?, he was asked, the pursuit
of truth? This being asked by another fiesty person. Was his answer:
“Mow em down, take no prisoners, I’m doing it for the kids, I gotta help
figure what’s really going on in the universe from my perspective, add it to
the pile of what’s lifting us all up.” ??? —Uh, no. Real answer: “I give the
people who publish articles the kind of articles they want to publish.
And I get to travel. It’s a great job.” —This said cheerfully. The man is
an optimist, a cheerful character, so is the lady he was talking with.
Neither felt the slightest hint that you couldn’t get any more depraved
or cynical than that. It was far worse than ‘publish or perish’. It was
“I am a robot for self gain.” –Even though he’s been given protection to
do so much more, to risk it. In fact, he’s been given the DUTY to go for it,
on his culture’s behalf. Professoring ain’t no damn job. It’s a privilege. So
is his attitude common or uncommon in academia? I suspect it’s near universal.
(I recall that book critical of the ivory tower a few years back saying the
same thing.)
So my conclusion is that maybe the only EFFECTIVE POTENTIAL
bully pulpit left is ZINING.
I suppose this is only because there’s no money in it. Money ruins
everything in our culture.
