Universities deplore ‘McCarthyism’ as MP demands list of tutors lecturing on Brexit - Polidicks

[t]https://i.imgur.com/XSYLdse.jpg[/t] [url]https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/oct/24/universities-mccarthyism-mp-demands-list-brexit-chris-heaton-harris[/url] [quote]Academics are accusing a Tory MP and government whip of “McCarthyite” behaviour, after he wrote to all universities asking them to declare what they are teaching their students about Brexit and to provide a list of teachers’ names. Chris Heaton-Harris, Conservative MP for Daventry and a staunch Eurosceptic, wrote to vice-chancellors at the start of this month asking for the names of any professors involved in teaching European affairs “with particular reference to Brexit”. Neatly ignoring the long tradition of academic freedom that universities consider crucial to their success, his letter asks for a copy of each university’s syllabus and any online lectures on Brexit. Prof David Green, vice-chancellor of Worcester University, felt a chill down his spine when he read the “sinister” request: “This letter just asking for information appears so innocent but is really so, so dangerous,” he says. “Here is the first step to the thought police, the political censor and newspeak, naturally justified as ‘the will of the British people’, a phrase to be found on Mr Heaton-Harris’s website.” Green will be replying to the MP but not be providing the information requested.[/quote]

Maybe he's just so uninformed he feels the need to search for a private tutor to teach him about Brexit.

So government is pulling this and people are still somehow convinced leaving is a good idea?

What do they actually [i]do[/i] with this information? There is literally nothing they can to do pull down academics who oppose Government position without actually abolishing the courts, because they would rip them to shreds (again) So basically it's a wholly transparent intimidation tactic. Which has failed hilariously.

Your average tory voter is convinced that higher education is a leftist brainwashing machine so they'll be right on board with this.

Quite a polite letter but MPs have no place in our education system. Keep the fuck away. Maybe if brexit is being taught as if it'll have negative economic impact that's because experts are going off the facts and figures and it suggests that? Facts aren't politicised damnit.

[QUOTE=Mr Kotov;52815483]So government is pulling this and people are still somehow convinced leaving is a good idea?[/QUOTE] Let me emulate the thought process of the average brexit supporter a moment. [I]"Anyone who speaks out against brexit is a traitor and deserves to be hung! We're free from the tyannical EU who never gave us nuthin and demanded straight bananas!"[/I]

[QUOTE=Occlusion;52816711]Facts aren't politicised damnit.[/QUOTE] Oh, you sweet summer child.

[QUOTE=Occlusion;52816711]Facts aren't politicised damnit.[/QUOTE] But availability of facts can be politicised.

[QUOTE=thisguy123;52819512]Let me emulate the thought process of the average brexit supporter a moment. [I]"Anyone who speaks out against brexit is a traitor and deserves to be hung! We're free from the tyannical EU who never gave us nuthin and demanded straight bananas!"[/I][/QUOTE] Pretending there aren't problems won't make them go away on their own

[QUOTE=James xX;52820664]Pretending there aren't problems won't make them go away on their own[/QUOTE] Whatever problems there are sure as shit weren't the main thrust of the Leave campaign. The problems were also far outweighed by the positives, and we can't exactly resolve said problems from the outside. So it's a lose-lose for us.

[QUOTE=James xX;52820664]Pretending there aren't problems won't make them go away on their own[/QUOTE] And obviously the best thing to do when presented with a problem isn't to try and deal with it but to just get up and leave. The problem doesn't go away but you forfeit any ability you had to change or fix it.

The Daily Mail has received its marching orders [t]https://i.imgur.com/NAp6swc.jpg[/t] [media]https://twitter.com/GoodwinMJ/status/923463036328992768[/media]

holy shit that twitter picture is horrible how are you supposed to react to this? coz honestly I've got a bit of fear and more than a bit of anger

[QUOTE=mdeceiver79;52823109]holy shit that twitter picture is horrible how are you supposed to react to this? coz honestly I've got a bit of fear and more than a bit of anger[/QUOTE] I think mostly humour. Reduce their drivel to a punchline. Could someone start a photoshop contest thread and see how far the piss can be taken out of this?

I reacted by sending them an email to that address linking to the dictionary definition of bias. And then a few links to some of their articles underneath :)

[QUOTE=ReligiousNutjob;52819958]But availability of facts can be politicised.[/QUOTE] The obvious play here was that they "just wanted to know", but that they'd release the name list and let their rabid, fact-denying brexit brigade amongst the general public go on a smear and intimidation campaign through social media etc. Hell, the list didn't even get released and the Mail is stepping up to the plate, surprising no one.

How long till someone is killed for being pro remain [sp]too late, jo cox[/sp]

I feel like forming a list of names for everyone who reads the daily mail.

[t]http://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/scalefit_630_noupscale/59f19a32150000b544747806.jpeg[/t] Yeah, this is what a fucking witch hunt looks like, no ifs or buts. Disgusting.

It's "these three judges are traitors for being anti-Brexit!!!" all over again.

[QUOTE=Zukriuchen;52827504][t]http://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/scalefit_630_noupscale/59f19a32150000b544747806.jpeg[/t] Yeah, this is what a fucking witch hunt looks like, no ifs or buts. Disgusting.[/QUOTE] so jo cox died for nothing eh? as if it wasn't shit like this which is what exactly lead to her murder

Why is every oxbridge head a lefty? [I]They're educated. [/I]

Worth mentioning that the piss-poor excuse they came up with this is he's working on a book. Not counting that standard behavior when doing that the first thing you write in your letter is "I'm working on a book and..."