I need to shut up and tend to my spiders


One of my responsibilities is academic advising — I help students complete their degree and give them career advice. It’s feeling a bit awkward nowadays.

But that’s OK, I can just focus on the science instead.

Unfortunately, it’s become clear that my job is extremely political.

Comments

  1. raven says

    Unfortunately, it’s become clear that my job is extremely political.

    Sure, yes.
    Orwell knew that long ago.

    George Orwell

    ‘In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.’

    That is where we are now.

    Medicine and medical research are also extremely political.

    The only reason Tony Fauci is still free is because Biden pardoned him from any future prosecution.
    His crime was effectively fighting the novel pandemic, caused by the Covid-19 virus, and saving at least hundreds of thousands or millions of lives.

  2. Kagehi says

    Everything is both religion and politics. Why? Because if its not inconveniencing some joker’s rise to power or wealth its causing some other nut to either become morally offended, and/or question their faith. I have concluded that the first shot fired in this war was everyone, on both sides, saying, “Don’t discuss religion or politics in X situation.”. After all, if no one talks to each other already, then when either of those things twist into intractable positions, in which everyone on both sides (with possibly one of those sides being absolutely correct), thinking that the other side is out to get them, or doing nothing but lying, we where already primed to walk away from the table, avoid our neighbors, and stop talking about the subject to each other. And, the real enemy knows that, when presented with the facts, most people tend to “not” be in favor of insane crap – they just don’t have the information any more, since that would have to come from people who didn’t fall for it, to realize it is insane crap, and, well, not only do they no longer discuss religion or politics (other than repeating them like sermons), they sure has heck don’t talk, at all, about anything, with “those people”.

    And, we have seen this as an argument all over – “They are unreachable.”, “We shouldn’t bother.”, “It might actually be dangerous to talk to them.” Well, yeah, if you won’t engage with them at all, then it sure the bloody heck is all of those things, especially the last one, because, whether you talk to them or not, the mere fact that you won’t talk to them makes you the f-ing outsider and enemy, since you obviously don’t believe their “truths”. How would they know otherwise?

  3. magistramarla says

    I read yesterday that one Harvard professor is already encouraging students to apply to programs in Europe.

  4. Pierce R. Butler says

    birgerjohansson @ # 1: … a Republican party leader … one of the states is a flat-Earther.

    I tried to look that up, and found examples from three states (Alabama, Georgia, & Minnesota).

    Apparently the Republican leaders from Florida and Texas spend their time pursuing money and power to such a degree they neglect to contemplate the state of the world.

  5. birgerjohansson says

    Pirece R. Butler @ 5

    I was thinking of Brett Bussman, a gentleman that also is concerned about “satanic chemtrails”. To which I reply “but what about the secular ones?”

  6. microraptor says

    raven @2: The Rethugulans don’t respect the rule of law. When they decide to go after Fauci, they’re going to do so, pardon or not. They’re just distracted with wrecking the economy and destroying trans rights for the moment. They’ll get to him eventually if he doesn’t flee the country.

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