Unfortunately — He’s Back, or You Can’t Keep a Good Van Down
But what Jones has been known for is, in fact, the very opposite of a “nuanced understanding” of the issues. Indeed, it is precisely the opposite. In the 1920s, the late Italian Communist scholar and leader Antonio Gramsci developed his theory of “hegemony.” As Gramsci saw things, the leading front of revolutionary struggle was the culture. Revolutionary social and political change, he argued, could never be obtained without a prior cultural struggle for hegemony in the existing institutions, in which revolutionaries had to work to make the culture at large ready for social revolution.
So while most people saw political change taking place via elections and the ballot, the Gramscian Marxists believed that the proletariat would never reach the necessary stage of fomenting a revolution until intellectuals worked first to create an intellectual and moral leadership that would transform the culture at large. The result would be creation of what he called a “historic bloc” that could successfully challenge the control of social relations by the bourgeoisie and lead to the moment when revolution could become a reality.
To Gramsci, it was the role of the intellectuals to mold the thought of those influenced by them, and to help create a group of “organic intellectuals” tied to the forces of social change and representing their true – i.e., revolutionary — interests. Little, I suspect, did Gramsci imagine that this role would be taken up within the major Ivy League institutions of higher education in the United States. But it has, and Princeton’s appointment of Jones reveals precisely this development.
The Gramscians believed that no revolutionary change could take place until civil society was first transformed by the intellectuals, after they had changed the culture. It was in the culture that the modern battle for revolution in advanced capitalism takes place — not in the factories where a steadily declining blue collar working class led their lives, as in the 19th and early 20th Centuries.
So in moving to the academy, Van Jones is only carrying out what he said in a now famous East Bay Express 2005 interview: that while his goal was still revolution, he was going to work for it within the system, or as he put it, “ I’m willing to forgo the cheap satisfaction of the radical pose for the deep satisfaction of radical ends.” Jones may have been forced to abandon his White House perch, but Princeton has given him a pretty good one. Gramsci might be smiling from his grave, but this isn’t something to celebrate if you are concerned about the state of America’s higher education.
The question I ask is what will happen first: the universities losing the good opinion of the public, or the public adapting the culture of the universities. I suspect that the first alternative is the more likely, look at what has happened to newspapers. But how things will change if a university education comes to be seen as a costly extravagance is hard to say. Perhaps engineering and the sciences will continue to prosper, but even they are going to lose some of their luster after the global warming hysteria of the last decade and climategate.
Any hope for “America’s higher education” pretty much screwed the pooch as soon as ‘Affirmative Action’ was forced into place by the Lefty Loonies (yeah, those same folks who thought ‘Ebonics’ was a good idea).
Van Jones is right where he belongs, firmly re-planted in the hive-mind ‘centre’ of the Leftist whackoids. Don’t give Beck too much cred for the inevitable after the ‘global warming/green movement’ has been proven a big sham.
The most dangerous men in America are those associated with George Soros and his various tentacles. NO doubt about it.
It is not an understatement to suggest that Jones is where he is today-front and center stage-because he is black, militant and a highly committed leftist progressive.
It is not for nothing that the people ruling Washington and academia come from the most radical and militant backgrounds.Think about it this way-the more anti-American, the more anti-Israel one is, the HIGHER one climbs onto the elitist ladder. The fact that Ayers, Dohrn, Davis and other penitentiary worthy sorts are in such highly visible academic posts bespeaks to the power that radical progressives have over US institutions.
Therefore, it is NO surprise that a committed radical progressive socialist is now the POTUS-courtesy of Soros-and absolutely reveals where the country is headed if the people don’t stop these revolutionaries.
In relation to higher ed, particularly regarding the once hallowed halls of Ivy League’s perches-I am gratified that I encouraged my sons to eschew their admission to said cesspools, and instead to head to Caltech and MIT where real scholarship is valued and taught.
I am convinced that Caltech and MIT are the two remaining US institutions still worthy of being distinguished as campuses of authentic higher learning, where substance trumps style, and where true scholarship is the measure of ones educational success.
IF all the Ivies were to disappear tomorrow, taking with them the most radical of their lesser known peers, the US would be considerably better off.
Sometimes starting from scratch is better than propping up what has become nothing more than a frightful monster, capable of capturing the minds of future generations.
To be sure, the radical progressives understand this salient truth -that in order to indoctrinate the youth one must take control of ALL cultural institutions,with the educational system being their ultimate conquest for the hearts and minds of generations to come.
#5 Adina.
Our universities are just as bad, if not worse. Ben Gurion is chock full of left-wing cranks, wackos, anti-Semites, just like America & sad to say, most Western institutions of supposed ”higher education” – the West is sick, infected with this left-wing mental disease.
Van Jones is a pathetically ill educated man. I have serious doubts that he could even begin to read a serious book. Jones candidly admits that he opted to attend Yale because of it lackadaisical intellectual requirements. He doesn’t even bother to hide it. The Ivy League schools are intellectual whorehouses. Only their hard science departments are normally worthy of respect. The softer disciplines have often become a total joke. Can anyone imagine somebody as ignorant as Jones teaching a course at Princeton in 1960? People would have laughed in your face if you even suggested the possibility.
The affirmative action policies instituted in the mid to late 1960s inevitably lead to inflated grades. The schools were also severely damaged by the 1971 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Griggs vs. Duke Power. On a practical level, it forced countless individuals to attend college in order to obtain a good paying job. The fact that they could not handle the academic demands pressured the professors to give them unearned grades. Even Harvey Mansfield of Harvard gave up the fight a few years ago. It was just getting too ridiculous. Many conservative parents lied to themselves—and went along with the scam. The lefty professor essentially bribed them. Their children usually graduated with “top honors.” They loved every bit of it.
What’s really “funny” about this is that parents have to pay roughly $50,000 to $60,000 a year to have their kids hear a jerk like Van Jones at a place like Princeton. Van Jones and Princeton are big advertisements for NOT sending your kids to a place like that, unless you want to see them wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt and have them spouting off socialist slogans. It is pathetic that a supposedly “prestigious” place like Princeton would hire a guy like this, although I’m not surprised. Places like Princeton have always been a breeding ground for the next generation’s group of liberal socialists and communists. Pity the kids who go there don’t seem to get the connection that it was their parents’ success at capitalism that enabled them to send their children to an expensive school like Princeton in the first place! Please, send your kids to a state school or a community college. They’ll get the same education for A LOT less money.
…that the comment section in Princeton’s student newspaper regarding the news of Jones’ appointment reflected student disgust and shock. Most thought it was a complete joke and were embarrassed for their school. Late in the thread, some name calling liberals showed up with knee jerk defensiveness and accusations but the majority of students seemed to have a good grasp of the administration’s folly.
Princeton is particularly excited about their appointment
So was Valerie Jarrett, giddy & giggling with Van Jones glee when she got him a gig in the Obama administration where he could, in his own words…
“Community organize within the federal family.”
(now he can do that stuff within the “Princeton family”)
…Jones explained how he has no idea how his name got on that “truther” petition, because of course, he does not hold such nutty ideas.
Well, sweet pea, you…signed it. I guess Nuttiness R U.
Dissembling, lying & attempting to disown inconvenient truths, are second nature with this crowd.
…“for close to two decades, (Jones) has been addressing the complex issues of environment, poverty, race and politics. His tenure at Princeton will bring to the Center for African American Studies and its students a nuanced understanding of these issues.”
This newly acquired Princeton intellecktewal informed a Bat area audience that republicans were a-holes.
That was pretty complex and “nuanced” of ole Van.
I’m glad Princeton has seen fit to hire on a Communist rocket scientist. He should fit right in with Eric Holder’s hiring of 9 Guantanamo detainee friendly lawyers.
Subversion seems to be the word of the day.
I recently read Orwell’s 1984 again. We have many people among us who would give their very lives to building the society depicted in 1984. Van Jones is one of those people. Just remember two things about that douche (pound it into your heads):
1. He cares nothing about the “environment”. It’s just his tool to help build a communist society. Think the spotted owl in relation to saving Oregon’s old growth forest. No one ever cared about the spotted owl….that was just the excuse not to cut down trees.
2. Princeton is a cess-pool. If you ever have the chance, do not send your kid there.
To appreciate just how Obama misrepresented who he really is as opposed to the candidate he ran as, contrast Van Jones with a similar Clinton era academic ‘star’ – Lani Guinier.
Van was an appointee – one of the higher profile ‘Czars.’ Clinton abandoned Guinier – whose lifes work was largely devoted to racial gerimanding until the Supreme Court kicked her movement (an overt attempt to transform our government into a more european like parliment – explicitly to boost minority representation) to the dust bin of history – WHEN HE COULDN’T GET HER PAST SENATE CONFIRMATION. In retrospect Guinier as a leftist also represented a rare attempt by Clinton as far as his appointments – most others being relatively moderate.
In contrast Obama has been rife with such radicals – including his inner circle. Other than Van Jones’ ‘truther’ affiliation, how does Rahm, or Jarrett, or Pluffe…ect… political or world view differ?
In this regard the ‘two-fer’ payoff Radosh observes is an effective trade off by way of insuring less damage done – let the bloated salaries bestowed by University life lie as far as sleeping dogs.
John Bolton in his recent CPAC speech described Obama as the first ‘Post-American’ President. When he said this he was being neither facious nor ironic. He was recognizing just what Ron Radosh has here; the pervasive influence spread through the culture of the American Academic Industrial Complex.
And how the mores and values of said institutions, as dominated by the Baby Boomer left since the post-Vietnam/Watergate era, formulated who Obama is, as well as explaining who he choses to surround himself with as well as his goals as President, domestic and foreign.
However, I do challenge Ron on a basic assertion here. Namely that these institutions have ‘taken over’ if you will. In fact I believe that conservatives have been slowly making gains reclaiming them – not only through such Christian affiliated universities like Regents – but by revitalizing the very State Schools LibertyShip46 recommends.
I also think the once vast doweries that these Ivy Giants used as a basis to throw outsized weight around have been diminished by the financial meltdown.
Also we conservatives have grown vital insitutions like Heritage & Cato and others to combat the Wilson/Kennedy School’s domination.
And as far as grade inflation and tuition price gouging – and David Howorwitz effective campaign over the years – parents all over America have woken up – voting not only by steering their children clear of these cloistered bastions of onsided liberal brainwashing when it comes to buying their children the best education possible but in other more subtle ways as well.
For instance – the rise of these institutions as the wealthiest and most prestigious in the post-WWII proliferation of the American University was a process underwritten by American generosity – the lionshare building on the generosity from private doners – itself an extention of the estabilshed tradtion from the Robber Barrons after the civil war. It was only deep into the fifties when tax dollars (mostly for the state schools) came into play.
It’s instructive to follow the money now as well. In this regard I’m optimistic. It’s getting harder and harder for congress to steal tax dollars without the public knowing it – and harder and harder to justify giving those dollars to leftist only professoriat.
You know the fail safe way to know when public scrutiny is having an effect? When Hofstadter and the ‘Paranoid style in American Politics’ gets mentioned by way of explaining the ressurgences of anti-intellectualism on the part of ‘regular Americans.’
Translation; commen sense is alive and well and in good working order in fly over country.
Peter Singer and Van Jones I’m sure will get together for some great talks. Peter to talk about killing unwanted one month old babies, [ gives you time to decide], animal rights and sex, Van to discuss the Stalinist State, mumbles and all, a subject dear to liberal [?] hearts, as is becoming increasingly clear.
Princeton=Animal House !
But can Van Jones read his way through a comic book?
To Adina (#5): While MIT may be excellent in connection with the physical sciences and math, when I lived north of Boston in 1997, I phoned the MIT arts hotline just out of curiosity. Their “artistic” focus in January was on pornography, and the first week of January was going to feature homosexual pornography. They were going to show a homosexual porno film and students could ask questions of the filmmaker. The filmmaker even gave out his phone number if students had further questions.
If you’re of the opinion that homosexuality is healthy, go to the US Centers for Disease Control and look up MSM (men who have sex with men) for statistics on various diseases.
“The Naked Communist,” by Cleon Skousen explains how promotion of homosexuality is related to the radicalism of Van Jones. They want to destroy our culture first before they impose their unattainable utopian vision:
17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers’ associations. Put the party line in textbooks.
22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression…
24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them “censorship” and a violation of free speech and free press.
25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.
26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as “normal, natural, healthy.”
These people focus on destroying cultures. That’s what they do, and that’s where their skills lie. It’s no wonder they never accomplish anything truly productive or uplifting.
Most convicts go back to their old ways when they get out of prison, thatis robbing banks etc. Jones was smarter he got political, took up all the fashionable causes. Soon he was in government and academia where the real money is and the chances of going back to jail are slim.
How about the black people in Oakland that Van Jones used. Can anyone point to one brick or a windmill in Oakland that Van jones built. How about those toxic sights, did he address anything in Oakland.
Princeton: “We’re looking forward,” Princeton said, “to a year of intense engagement with Van. We hope to model the give-and-take that is a hallmark of a genuine learning environment.”
“…give-and-take…” is it? Like most of the Lefty blogs wherein contrary comments are blocked or removed? Or like the librul students who try to prevent conservatives from speaking at so-called universities? And “intense engagement”? Do they mean cage fighting?
Professor Eddie Glaude: “…for close to two decades, he[Jones] has been addressing the complex issues of environment, poverty, race and politics. His tenure at Princeton will bring to the Center for African American Studies and its students a nuanced understanding of these issues.”
Note the word “addressing” in this overly optimistic statement. Though it pretends to describe actually doing something, this commonly used euphemism simply means “talking about” or merely “paying attention to”. It is one of the most used but least robust["robust" another self-important word in the tricksters' lexicon] terms in the jargon of the politically correct policepersons.
A minority marxist who has been abused by the right. I can’t believe dude’s not a full professor already.
I believe the old, medieval idea of “a university” is going to change radically over this century. The only reason for such a place to exist is to provide research, experiments, and internships in science and technology. Everything else could be (and in many cases has been) transformed by our networked technology into an online experience. That would spell doom for lock-step Marxists, because they can’t control the ideas that filter through. Add to that the burgeoning numbers of institutes and community colleges that actually teach practical skills to job-seeking students, and you have a recipe for turning universities into what they once were and should have been all along: small islands for congregations of theorists, historians, and philosophers.
I’m at Princeton often…but I know I won’t run into him at Hobey Baker Rink.
Am I a racist bitter hockey stick clinging teabagger?
Mr. Radosh:
“So in moving to the academy, Van Jones is only carrying out what he said in a now famous East Bay Express 2005 interview: that while his goal was still revolution, he was going to work for it within the system, or as he put it, “ I’m willing to forgo the cheap satisfaction of the radical pose for the deep satisfaction of radical ends.” Jones may have been forced to abandon his White House perch, but Princeton has given him a pretty good one. Gramsci might be smiling from his grave, but this isn’t something to celebrate if you are concerned about the state of America’s higher education.”
And isn’t he just walking a time-honored and well-worn path?
John Phillip Service did essentially the same thing…white-washed by State Department several times, then thrown out the door by the Civil Service Loyalty Board, crawls back in through the window by beuing reinstated by the Supreme Court because State’ Personnel Administration forgot to dot an “i” or cross a “t”, and then upon his retirement, worming his way in to an academic position at UC Berkely,(where maybe he influenced your running partner Horowitz into his own New Left shenanigans).
So now Van Jones gets to spread to a new generation of dullards the latter-day evolution of the Party Line, all the while burnishing his credentials as a “victim” of Glenn Beck, who will undoubtedly be painted as an updated Joe McCarthy.
Not that such a beast ever can be written, but the definitive history of communist influence in American culture and politics AFTER the McCarthy Era really needs to be written.
It’s not like the rats who didn’t get pinched in ’50s just “went away”…they stuck around, and we are still dealing with their poison to this day.
Van Jones….a real Cornell West in the embryo stage. Are abortions
legal?
Get Van Jones a Van made by Toyota, and hope for the best!
Starve a feeding Marxist. Take Dennis Prager’s advice; send your college-bound child to the cheapest college you can afford.
In my personal experience, a California community college provides better instruction that one finds in the transfer-credit-equivalent courses at University of California schools.
Hey, I just forwarded this to some friends, loving it!
Thanks