Braindroppings

Well, here's a coincidence. I just read about this same thing at Niki's blog "Another Irani Online". I think your friend is right, McCarthy must be spinning gleefully in his grave! :) Seriously, I hope that the student body at UCLA is incensed enough to march on the administration and demand some action on this!

What would the information be used for?

David: I am not sure the student body or the administration can do anything. The school admin has issued a notice, saying that the group is not affiliated with the university, but I am not sure if they can do more.

Amir: I am not sure about what they actually "use" the information for, other than what it says in the their website. However, like another list a few years ago that came out doing the same thing, what it actually ends up doing is to intimidate the professors in the class and force them to censure themselves. Some of the people from the History dept. for example (James Gelvin and G. Piterberg) are the "usual suspects" in these lists, their major crimes being their critique of Israel. However, some other name are just absurd, such as Prof. DuBoise who is included because she is a feminist!!!

Censoring oneself is awful but should not be blamed on pressures from outside. As academic professors, they all surely would ideally be committed to use their own understanding without and despite any help or pressure from anyone else. If they do get intmidated, then they share in the blame with these sorts of pressure-groups. I haven't heard anything about this sort of thing here, but whenever I criticize someone or something, I am willing to stick with it even with all sorts of pressure. I think that's the trick here. No one should lose their cool and they should not let themselves be intimidated... after all, they are professors, they shouldn't be intimidated by students...
I personally am willing to repeat what I tell my students in front of a court of law as well.
Best,
Amir

Khodadad, I've written my own contrarian take on the scandal on my blog. But, I'll summarize for you: I think the controversy is good, if silly. First, I hope certain professors who didn't make the list step up their leftist rhetoric in order to attract more attention. Can you believe Perry Anderson didn't make the list? I'm shocked and appalled. Next, it gives leftist students their own specialized faculty directory, and hopefully some students will be encouraged to take these politically-engaged classes. After all, isn't it better that students are complaining about a professor's outspoken-ness and not how hard the midterm is? And lastly, I think the offer of a reward will have the website's founder slogging through hundreds of phony emails purporting to contain evidence of professors' political rants in exchange for $100. Do TA's count, Khodadad, because I might just turn you in.