Are the Koch Brothers Teaching You?

I recently watched a documentary entitled Koch Brothers Exposed which is funded by the progressive MoveOn.Org. Of course the film had a leftist bent but, it was interesting and a worthwhile watch. Of particular interest is the university funding that is being provided by the Koch Brothers. The film claimed that there is an ongoing assault on academic freedom that is being levied by organizations funded by Koch Industries. The premise of this argument is that funds are coming into particular departments in exchange for hires that reflect the free-market values of the Koch Brothers. In the grand scheme of things, we're not talking about tons of money. If I can recall, I believe the film stated that it was somewhere around $14 million dollars spread over 150 or so universities. However, what is troubling is that universities are allowing this to happen. We should expect this sort of behavior from corporate powers; after all, isn't it their job to maximize profits and indoctrinate free-market fundamentalism where possible? But, what about the university? Of course, there is an ongoing dialogue about academic freedom being under assault; perhaps the question we should be asking is about the corporatization of the university and where responsibly for academic freedom ultimately lie.

For more information on this topic, please see:
Rolling Stone- Koch Brothers Exposed
Are The Koch Brothers Teaching You?
Jennifer Washburn's University Inc.- The Corporate Corruption of the American University

Capitalism and Climate Change

This interview with Naomi Klein is extremely good. It touches on a range of issues that have been discussed in recent months on the list and is pertinent to current events, including the US election and Hurricane Sandy. 

http://billmoyers.com/segment/naomi-klein-on-capitalism-and-climate-change/

It's Power--Not Gender--That Can Predict Infidelity

In light of the recent news with General Petraeus, I was wondering what is it about all of these men who cheat. It turns out that it has little to do with their gender, according to research by Psychology Today and more to do with power. We might expect infidelity from powerful people in the entertainment industry-- think athletes, musicians, actors--it is almost a part of their persona. But, when it comes to politicians and military leaders, we seem to have a different expectation . . . a higher threshold for acceptable behavior. But, I'm not sure why we're still surprised when we see these men embarrassing themselves and their families. Petraeus is just the most recent in a long line of men who get caught . . . Schwarzenegger, Clinton, Woods, Weiner, Edwards and the Waffle House CEO (didn't see that one coming, did you?) to name a few. It turns out, that powerful women are just as likely to be unfaithful to their partners but, as the Psychology Today piece points out, they are more infrequently discovered because they are more infrequently in powerful positions. Or maybe, they're just better at hiding it?