Comments on: Krugman on Cronon

By: Jeremy C. Young

Jeremy C. Young — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 22:08:52 +0000

Fair enough! I do tend to go about constructing my arguments by starting with someone I disagree with. Perhaps it’s an unfortunate tendency.

I continue to enjoy what I read over here at Historiann!

By: Historiann

Historiann — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 21:09:38 +0000

Jeremy–you can do whatever you want, man–it’s your blog! I wasn’t criticizing you, I was just surprised, that’s all.

By: Jeremy C. Young

Jeremy C. Young — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 17:40:41 +0000

I still disagree with Chris, don’t I? Sometimes I like to respond to views with which I disagree, but which made me think (cf. an earlier post on Mitch Daniels’s Social Security plan). I could just have agreed with all the posts that praised Cronon, and that was my original plan, but then I realized I was stimulated a lot more by the view I didn’t agree with (Chris’s) than by the ones I did.

Anyhow, carry on…

By: Nikki

Nikki — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 17:32:29 +0000

I agree, Historiann. To quote Jon Wiener, “And of course there’s a big difference between an individual using Freedom of Information legislation to expose government misconduct, and the party in power using it to harass and intimidate a critic of the government.”

By: The New Badger Partnership & the Impact of the 2011 WI Budget on Higher Education: A Chronological List of Articles, Reports & Relevant For | BadgerFutures

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:47:45 +0000

[...] ‘Krugman on Cronon,’ Historiann, 28 March. [...]

By: Historiann

Historiann — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 12:59:40 +0000

Thanks for the links, Profane. I think Jeremy takes Bray's silly and factually challenged analysis far too seriously. Meanwhile, Tenured Radical this morning offers a link to commentary by Jon Wiener at The Nation on l'affaire Cronon. I still think it's a ridiculously disproportionate response, and one that is aimed squarely at shutting up university faculty in Wisconsin (and perhaps everywhere.)

By: Profane

Profane — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 06:35:49 +0000

By: Profane

Profane — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 06:31:27 +0000

FYI – I was by no means endorsing – just making people aware of the range of opinions on this. (I would rapidly run out of offensive adjectives if I was to engage in commentary on the Wisconsin GOP).

By: HistoryMaven

HistoryMaven — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 22:16:33 +0000

Historiann, since it’s Monday I’m a bit glum and cynical I would answer your question by saying: just wait your turn to be attacked for what you write as free and unfettered scholarly inquiry. Cuz people just don’t understand what academic freedom is and thinking is dangerous.

Note also the recent case of Timothy Chandler, who was forced out of the provost’s position at Kennesaw State after the Marietta Daily Journal found Chandler had coauthored a paper that employed marxian analysis: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/03/18/provost_designee_withdraws_at_kennesaw_state_amid_controversy_over_journal_citation_of_marx

Better to read the newspaper’s op-ed: http://www.mdjonline.com/view/full_story/12173684/article-Around-Town–KSU-s-new-colors—black–gold—and-red-?

By: Historiann

Historiann — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 20:59:01 +0000

Profane–I think it’s fair enough that the GOP wants to dispute Cronon’s ideas, but the way to respond to a blog or blog post you don’t like is to comment or write another blog post in response. The appropriate way to respond to an editorial in the New York Times that you don’t like is to write a letter to the editor, or write an op-ed presenting your point of view for eithet the NYT or other newspapers.

The proper, proportional response is NOT to subpoena someone’s e-mail records! I thought Chris Bray’s commentary was especially silly, BTW. The comparisons to a journalist who joins the fight and then claims the protections of the press was fatuous, and his description of Cronon’s webpage were just incorrect.