Before we delve into part two, I’d like to take you on a side quest. Readers who have followed my work for a while will be familiar with my three-part series about the Evergreen State College. For those of you new to my work, I consider this an essential accompaniment to The Reformers, and though I strongly recommend viewing
Hey Magda, I saw your email and want to apologise for not writing back. I'm tangled up in a lot of promotional work. Can I get back to you when things slow down? A translation would be great. Thanks for the offer.
The polish people I know in London all seem to know about Evergreen much more than I was expecting. Maybe they recognise the mentality from their recent history while living under Communism/Marxism.
2/3 of the way through, and I have a question. Were There (Are There Today) any actual Adults on campus? I ask because these "Students" remind me of a 6 yea old who wants Fruit Loops and can't get any.
They're either ideologically deranged, frozen with white guilt, or too frightened to push back. A of them had been reading/listening to Robin DiAngelo who locks white people in an identity Kafka trap - they just "shut up and listen."
This is the 4th-5th time I've watched what happened at Evergreen. It still REALLY Pisses Me Off! IMO (freely given and worth ALMOST that much) the only people who taught or attended Evergreen wee the type who would Not push back.
I'd place a small wager that a number of these "Student Activists" are now ANTIFA members or Supporters.
A very good friend of mine who had lived near Evergreen for over 20 years and had planned to retire there was attacked by one of the roving student gangs while walking his dogs near campus. He said they threatened him and his dogs and chased him off the trails into the woods and then hunted him. Like Brett, he said he'd never been so scared and he literally put his house up for sale the next day and moved away from the area before the end of 2017.
The logic and vocabulary and tone of these students today is exactly those attributes of students of my generation in 1965 - 1970 who are now the emeritus faculty and retired executives and elder politicians of today but absent the Viet Nam/ Draft issue: racism, the rejection of traditional gender roles and revolutionary definitions of violence and righteousness. In other situations, when consumers dislike the product, they go elsewhere. The students aren’t there to be taught, they demand to teach. The institution now led by the students of yesterday capitulates to retain the tuition and fees much of which is now underwritten by the government. It’s a long con playing out before our eyes.
For some random reason, I was telling my step mom about these incidents at ESG just yesterday (to her astonishment) and today I open Substack and you've dropped this perfect dose for her easier consumption! Bless you!! I followed this story in real time as it unfolded (along with the reveal of the Grievance Hoax), I find myself once again dumbfounded and astonished watching how the sausage was made.
The issue of moral relativism is merely the single most important issue of our age, for no society in all of human history has ever survived without rejecting the philosophy that I am about to refute. There has never been a society of relativists. Therefore, our society will do one of three things: either disprove one of the most universally established laws of all history; or repent of its relativism and survive; or persist in its relativism and perish.
How important is the issue? C.S. Lewis says, in The Poison of Subjectivism, that relativism "will certainly end our species and damn our souls." Please remember that Oxonians are not given to exaggeration. Why does he say "damn our souls?" Because Lewis is a Christian, and he does not disagree with the fundamental teaching of his master, Christ, and all the prophets in the Jewish tradition, that salvation presupposes repentance, and repentance presupposes an objectively real moral law. Moral relativism eliminates that law, thus trivializes repentance, thus imperils salvation.
Sobering & dare I say, not a lot a has changed in WA since this incident. If anything, the infection from Evergreen has spread to every single state agency. We are now mandated as state employees to participate in this state religion as part of our employment & it is on our annual evaluation, part of promotion & hiring. There is no escape or off ramp & no freedom of speech or you run the risk of being placed under investigation for wrong speech. I have one question & I will have to watch this again. @ the end Brett seems to be saying that ideas cannot/should not be shared if they are "bad" ideas. Isn't that contrary to the concept of what a "liberal" & free society is & what Evergreen is now not ? We should be able to debate ideas & concepts - the good, the bad, mediocre & everything in between & it is the exposure of the lies, errors and deceit in those bad ideas where the growth occurs. Maybe I misheard, misunderstood what he was trying to say. I understand bad ideas are not equal to good ones, but surely he is not suggesting it is a good idea to shut bad ideas down wholesale? If so, he might as well come back to WA...he'd fit back in just fine.
Great to see what you have been putting together and thanks for posting that clip from Benjamin. That video was the first sign of kindred spirits existing out there. Keep up the great work!!!
I don't know when this was recorded, but when the professor states that this will spread beyond academia I'm reminded of the first headline I read this morning. "The U.S. State Department is offering therapy for staff triggered by being addressed by the wrong pronouns in an email mishap."
OMFG...watching angry mob mentality consume already delusional minds is terrifying...The language they use is Orwellian and their relativist, de-constructivist philosophy is built on 'sand', your work is the beginning of the wind, rain and floods that will wash their house away...
😵💫 The Evergreen staff's behaviour is sub-Jonestown but massively CRINGE.
Good work tho Mike 👍
I've seen videos of the riots several times and it never gets less blood boiling.
The entitled students stealing cake from a senior accomplished alumi, sums up the whole affair in one terrifying picture.
"Civilization will come apart." Ever consider That is The Goal?
This part is as good as it is scary.
Will you let me translate it into Polish, please? We're dealing with similar problems there.
Hey Magda, I saw your email and want to apologise for not writing back. I'm tangled up in a lot of promotional work. Can I get back to you when things slow down? A translation would be great. Thanks for the offer.
The polish people I know in London all seem to know about Evergreen much more than I was expecting. Maybe they recognise the mentality from their recent history while living under Communism/Marxism.
That is amazing! Thank you so much! I am glad my e-mail did not get lost!
I'll patiently wait for your reply, at the same time waiting for next part of The Reformers!
Thank you once more!
(and sorry for the exclamation marks :D )
Really enjoyed your 3 part series.
It was a microcosm of what some large liberal run cities look like now.
The Crazies are running the asylum.
Subscribed.
Excellent work.
A perfect case study.
Come to the Twin Cities/Mn. A Progressive Paradise.
2/3 of the way through, and I have a question. Were There (Are There Today) any actual Adults on campus? I ask because these "Students" remind me of a 6 yea old who wants Fruit Loops and can't get any.
They're either ideologically deranged, frozen with white guilt, or too frightened to push back. A of them had been reading/listening to Robin DiAngelo who locks white people in an identity Kafka trap - they just "shut up and listen."
This is the 4th-5th time I've watched what happened at Evergreen. It still REALLY Pisses Me Off! IMO (freely given and worth ALMOST that much) the only people who taught or attended Evergreen wee the type who would Not push back.
I'd place a small wager that a number of these "Student Activists" are now ANTIFA members or Supporters.
"We invite Conversation."
Translation: Tell us why you are a bad terrible evil wicked person.
Shades of The Red Guard, is what I said when I 1st saw this.
A very good friend of mine who had lived near Evergreen for over 20 years and had planned to retire there was attacked by one of the roving student gangs while walking his dogs near campus. He said they threatened him and his dogs and chased him off the trails into the woods and then hunted him. Like Brett, he said he'd never been so scared and he literally put his house up for sale the next day and moved away from the area before the end of 2017.
Something is rotten in the state of Washington.
The logic and vocabulary and tone of these students today is exactly those attributes of students of my generation in 1965 - 1970 who are now the emeritus faculty and retired executives and elder politicians of today but absent the Viet Nam/ Draft issue: racism, the rejection of traditional gender roles and revolutionary definitions of violence and righteousness. In other situations, when consumers dislike the product, they go elsewhere. The students aren’t there to be taught, they demand to teach. The institution now led by the students of yesterday capitulates to retain the tuition and fees much of which is now underwritten by the government. It’s a long con playing out before our eyes.
For some random reason, I was telling my step mom about these incidents at ESG just yesterday (to her astonishment) and today I open Substack and you've dropped this perfect dose for her easier consumption! Bless you!! I followed this story in real time as it unfolded (along with the reveal of the Grievance Hoax), I find myself once again dumbfounded and astonished watching how the sausage was made.
Very cool. I'd be interested to hear what your step mum thinks of it.
The issue of moral relativism is merely the single most important issue of our age, for no society in all of human history has ever survived without rejecting the philosophy that I am about to refute. There has never been a society of relativists. Therefore, our society will do one of three things: either disprove one of the most universally established laws of all history; or repent of its relativism and survive; or persist in its relativism and perish.
How important is the issue? C.S. Lewis says, in The Poison of Subjectivism, that relativism "will certainly end our species and damn our souls." Please remember that Oxonians are not given to exaggeration. Why does he say "damn our souls?" Because Lewis is a Christian, and he does not disagree with the fundamental teaching of his master, Christ, and all the prophets in the Jewish tradition, that salvation presupposes repentance, and repentance presupposes an objectively real moral law. Moral relativism eliminates that law, thus trivializes repentance, thus imperils salvation.
- Peter Kreeft, https://www.peterkreeft.com/audio/05_relativism/relativism_transcription.htm
I agree in part.
Though I would add a loving tone in the form of:
"We are all just walking each-other home."
I believe that men of worth change themselves first, the world comes next if that is in fact needed after taking care of the first thing.
"The issue of moral relativism is merely the single most important issue of our age"
I am reminded of something Frank Turek sad when some kid said "There is No Absolute Truth" His answer "is That True?"
The problem with Progressive Ideology (Religion) is while being a mile wide it is (at best) 1 inch deep
Sobering & dare I say, not a lot a has changed in WA since this incident. If anything, the infection from Evergreen has spread to every single state agency. We are now mandated as state employees to participate in this state religion as part of our employment & it is on our annual evaluation, part of promotion & hiring. There is no escape or off ramp & no freedom of speech or you run the risk of being placed under investigation for wrong speech. I have one question & I will have to watch this again. @ the end Brett seems to be saying that ideas cannot/should not be shared if they are "bad" ideas. Isn't that contrary to the concept of what a "liberal" & free society is & what Evergreen is now not ? We should be able to debate ideas & concepts - the good, the bad, mediocre & everything in between & it is the exposure of the lies, errors and deceit in those bad ideas where the growth occurs. Maybe I misheard, misunderstood what he was trying to say. I understand bad ideas are not equal to good ones, but surely he is not suggesting it is a good idea to shut bad ideas down wholesale? If so, he might as well come back to WA...he'd fit back in just fine.
Great to see what you have been putting together and thanks for posting that clip from Benjamin. That video was the first sign of kindred spirits existing out there. Keep up the great work!!!
Benjamin's channel has become a quality hub over the years. Thanks, BTW.
I don't know when this was recorded, but when the professor states that this will spread beyond academia I'm reminded of the first headline I read this morning. "The U.S. State Department is offering therapy for staff triggered by being addressed by the wrong pronouns in an email mishap."
What a bunch of loons the evergreen staff look like now.
OMFG...watching angry mob mentality consume already delusional minds is terrifying...The language they use is Orwellian and their relativist, de-constructivist philosophy is built on 'sand', your work is the beginning of the wind, rain and floods that will wash their house away...