Posts
since Wed, 26 Dec 2007 20:04:17.
I have no real way to gauge how critical my anti-Summers campaign was to driving Summers out of the Harvard presidency, but here is an opinion from within Harvard University. If I helped create an environment at Harvard that forced Summers to resign, I accomplished something useful.
http://motls.blogspot.com/2006/01/joachim-martillos-e-mails.html
http://motls.blogspot.com/2006/01/joachim-martillos-e-mails.html
Tuesday, January 31, 2006 ...
Joachim Martillo whose e-mail is ThorsProvoni@aol.com has been one of the major external sources of tension during the so-called Summers controversy in 2005. The subtlety is that Martillo promotes anti-semitic opinions. For example, today, many people received his e-mail "Summers' latest outrage". What is the outrage? It is the largest
that is planned for February 10 and will become the largest Shabbat dinner that ever took place at Harvard. Why is Mr. Martillo so offended by the dinner? It is because he believes that the Hillel Society is a racist organization that moreover promotes zionism - namely the idea that the state of Israel
Mr. Martillo also claims that some distinguished professors at Harvard add an anti-Slavic racist aspect to the activities of Hillel. As a Slavic person, I declare that the contacts we had with the people whom Mr. Martillo accuses of racism have shown no evidence supporting it. In other words, as a member of a hypothetically discriminated group, I must say that according to all evidence I have, Mr. Martillo is not saying the truth to us.
Mr. Martillo also claims that some distinguished professors at Harvard add an anti-Slavic racist aspect to the activities of Hillel. As a Slavic person, I declare that the contacts we had with the people whom Mr. Martillo accuses of racism have shown no evidence supporting it. In other words, as a member of a hypothetically discriminated group, I must say that according to all evidence I have, Mr. Martillo is not saying the truth to us.
Posted by Lumo at 8:56 PM
[It is hard to determine from the webpage description but Shabbat 1000 is a Lubovitcher event. Anyone that has spent much time around the Lubovitchers at their main headquarters in Crown Heights quickly realizes that they are quite racist. Harvard should not be giving a Lubovitcher event an official Harvard imprimatur. If Summers wanted to have some sort of Jewish-exclusionary get together, he should have arranged to do it unofficially and off-campus possibly with the Bostoner Rebbe.]
Wednesday, March 08, 2006 ...
At yesterday's FAS faculty meeting, some academics have decided to launch a coordinated and distasteful attack against Prof. Ruth Wisse, a brave and decent woman whom I deeply respect. Prof. Wisse has simply hinted in the media that the anti-Summers attack also had an anti-Semitic dimension.
Yesterday, Prof. Wisse had no efficient way to defend herself against the attacks of the "majority" and Prof. Laurel Ulrich even proudly said there are occassions when meetings have to be in camera, which reminds me of the Central European history of the 1940s when many things took place in camera.
I, for one, have absolutely no doubts that Prof. Wisse is right. It may be that some people only criticize her because they don't know the actual reality which is why I decided to post this comment. What do I mean by the anti-Semitic dimension? It is not just about the clearly high correlation between being anti-Israel on one side and the attitudes directed against Harvard's first Jewish president on the other side: most anti-Summers professors had also decided to support the anti-Semitic divestment campaign several years ago. More importantly, there have been quite many e-mails influencing the controversy whose character is explicitly anti-Semitic.
Let me repost excerpts of one of these e-mails that the people known to be involved in the controversy received on March 16, 2005, one day after the no-confidence vote. In my opinion, the e-mail is as anti-Semitic as it can be. Moreover, this class of e-mails was apparently determining the character of the future strategies to attack Summers. As you can see, the e-mail below mentioned Prof. Shleifer almost a year before he became a part of the algorithms of the anti-Summers warriors.
When we received these e-mails 1 year ago, most of us were already ready for everything but nevertheless, I was scared even more and thought that al-Qaeda had joined the anti-Summers league. I did not have the courage to speak about these things for half a year.
Disclaimer: the pen name as well as the real name of the author of the anti-Semitic e-mail below is known to The Reference Frame
...
Summers has been much to cozy with Professor Shleifer and his wife even though this couple may have exposed the university to millions (maybe at worst hundreds of millions of dollars of financial liability).
...
Summers has a double standard that amounts to racism.
...
Apparently, ethnic Ashkenazim on the faculty may make outrageous and extremist statements in the support of Zionism and the State ofIsrael
Summers' commitment to racist ethnic Ashkenazi tribalism takes precedent over his commitment to free academic discourse.
He condemned the Divestment movement at Harvard for being anti-Semitic in effect if not in intent. Yet he did not give a clue to the Harvard community how to express criticism ofIsrael Israel
Summers panders wealthy racist ethnic Ashkenazim.
[Name removed] is an extreme racist ethnic Ashkenazi, who believes in the superiority of Jews over Arabs because he asserts that the historical, ethnic or national rights of Jews to Palestine are superior to the human rights (including residence rights and property rights) of the native population and because he assumes that the Jewish settler population should be privileged over the native population.
... [Attacks against Prof. Wisse removed.]
Summers effectively prevented Sheikh Zayed from contributing to the University because of right-wing racist ethnic Ashkenazi Zionist complaints that a Larouchite had given a talk at a think tank (apparently one of many) funded by Sheikh Zayed.
Larouchites have occasionally given talks at the Pentagon apparently by invitation of ethnic Ashkenazi Neoconservative advisors to the President.
...
In summary, I believe that all people who have said bad things about Prof. Wisse because they were unaware that she is completely right and she has been a target of nasty anti-Semitic threats should immediately apologize to her. Although she is a brave woman, she definitely needs a protection instead of scary attacks "in camera" and anonymous threats.
Yesterday, Prof. Wisse had no efficient way to defend herself against the attacks of the "majority" and Prof. Laurel Ulrich even proudly said there are occassions when meetings have to be in camera, which reminds me of the Central European history of the 1940s when many things took place in camera.
I, for one, have absolutely no doubts that Prof. Wisse is right. It may be that some people only criticize her because they don't know the actual reality which is why I decided to post this comment. What do I mean by the anti-Semitic dimension? It is not just about the clearly high correlation between being anti-Israel on one side and the attitudes directed against Harvard's first Jewish president on the other side: most anti-Summers professors had also decided to support the anti-Semitic divestment campaign several years ago. More importantly, there have been quite many e-mails influencing the controversy whose character is explicitly anti-Semitic.
Let me repost excerpts of one of these e-mails that the people known to be involved in the controversy received on March 16, 2005, one day after the no-confidence vote. In my opinion, the e-mail is as anti-Semitic as it can be. Moreover, this class of e-mails was apparently determining the character of the future strategies to attack Summers. As you can see, the e-mail below mentioned Prof. Shleifer almost a year before he became a part of the algorithms of the anti-Summers warriors.
When we received these e-mails 1 year ago, most of us were already ready for everything but nevertheless, I was scared even more and thought that al-Qaeda had joined the anti-Summers league. I did not have the courage to speak about these things for half a year.
Disclaimer: the pen name as well as the real name of the author of the anti-Semitic e-mail below is known to The Reference Frame
...
Summers has been much to cozy with Professor Shleifer and his wife even though this couple may have exposed the university to millions (maybe at worst hundreds of millions of dollars of financial liability).
...
Summers has a double standard that amounts to racism.
...
Apparently, ethnic Ashkenazim on the faculty may make outrageous and extremist statements in the support of Zionism and the State of
Summers' commitment to racist ethnic Ashkenazi tribalism takes precedent over his commitment to free academic discourse.
He condemned the Divestment movement at Harvard for being anti-Semitic in effect if not in intent. Yet he did not give a clue to the Harvard community how to express criticism of
Summers panders wealthy racist ethnic Ashkenazim.
[Name removed] is an extreme racist ethnic Ashkenazi, who believes in the superiority of Jews over Arabs because he asserts that the historical, ethnic or national rights of Jews to Palestine are superior to the human rights (including residence rights and property rights) of the native population and because he assumes that the Jewish settler population should be privileged over the native population.
... [Attacks against Prof. Wisse removed.]
Summers effectively prevented Sheikh Zayed from contributing to the University because of right-wing racist ethnic Ashkenazi Zionist complaints that a Larouchite had given a talk at a think tank (apparently one of many) funded by Sheikh Zayed.
Larouchites have occasionally given talks at the Pentagon apparently by invitation of ethnic Ashkenazi Neoconservative advisors to the President.
...
In summary, I believe that all people who have said bad things about Prof. Wisse because they were unaware that she is completely right and she has been a target of nasty anti-Semitic threats should immediately apologize to her. Although she is a brave woman, she definitely needs a protection instead of scary attacks "in camera" and anonymous threats.
Posted by Lumo at 3:23 PM
Some Comments
... just like in the suburbs of France these last months. My theory is that it is a non-local back-reaction field effect, antisemitism reinvented by islamists is on the rise again, while antimuslim sentiment is rising as well. I suggest all the teachers in Harvard and all the Frenchies should become buddhist.Why did faculty members have to vote no confidence in Summers?
1. There have been far too many hints of financial impropriety.
Harvard Fund managers have been overcompensated.
Summers has been much to cozy with Professor Shleifer and his wife even though this couple may have exposed the university to millions (maybe at worst hundreds of millions of dollars of financial liability).
Is Summers getting kickbacks? In view of some of the malfeasance that has occurred in recent years at BU, it is not an unreasonable question. He either is or is not. The numbers of dollars involved are so large that one might have to consider Summers stupid if he is not getting a payoff of some sort. In any case, the questions about fiduciary propriety since Summers became Harvard President have to make all potential contributors concerned that their largess might end up in somebody's pocket instead of benefiting Harvard.
2. Summers has a double standard that amounts to racism.
He had a problem with some of the nonacademic activities of Cornel West but had no similar problem with comparable activities by virulent anti-Arab anti-Muslim activists like Ruth Wisse and Alan Dershowitz. Apparently, ethnic Ashkenazim on the faculty may make outrageous and extremist statements in the support of Zionism and the State of Israel, but an African American like Cornel West may not engage in relatively ordinary political activism.
3. Summers' commitment to racist ethnic Ashkenazi tribalism takes precedence over his commitment to free academic discourse.
He condemned the Divestment movement at Harvard for being anti-Semitic in effect if not in intent. Yet he did not give a clue to the Harvard community how to express criticism of Israel without being anti-Semitic in effect. Obviously, Summers is unwilling to tolerate criticism of Israel or of Zionism.
4. Summers panders wealthy racist ethnic Ashkenazim.
Martin Peretz is an extreme racist ethnic Ashkenazi, who believes in the superiority of Jews over Arabs
- because he asserts that the historical, ethnic or national rights of Jews to Palestine are superior to the human rights (including residence rights and property rights) of the native population and
- because he assumes that the Jewish settler population should be privileged over the native population.
Ruth Wisse is a second rate Yiddish scholar, who litters her published works with anti-Arab and anti-Polish comments. She has accused one of the preeminent Yiddish scholars of the 20th century of thinking with his dick because he wanted to develop Yiddish studies in Poland.
Yet it was okay for Martin Peretz to fund a professorship for Ruth Wisse.
In contrast, Arabs may not contribute to fund a professorship in Islamic studies at the Harvard Divinity School. Summers effectively prevented Sheikh Zayed from contributing to the University because of right-wing racist ethnic Ashkenazi Zionist complaints that a Larouchite had given a talk at a think tank (apparently one of many) funded by Sheikh Zayed.
Larouchites have occasionally given talks at the Pentagon apparently by invitation of ethnic Ashkenazi Neoconservative advisors to the President. Larouchites may be looneys, but they are often well-informed looneys, and sometimes knowing what the lunatic fringe is saying is worthwhile.
In effect, Summers allows racist ethnic Ashkenazim to contribute to the University and therefore have an effect on University policy, but apparently wealthy Arabs may not.
Because contributing gives influence, we can expect that during the Summers administration, Harvard will become a preserve of wealthy racist ethnic Ashkenazim. The rest of the world (especially Blacks, Poles, Arabs or Muslims) need not apply.
5. Summers does not have a clue about scientific thinking.
Even though he is supposed to know something about statistics, mathematics, the social sciences and science in general, his beliefs about gender differences in the sciences seem based on irrational prejudice and bigotry.
Not only will Summers create a University environment explicitly hostile to women in the sciences, but Summers' complete lack of understanding of scientific reasoning underscores the ridiculousness of his attempt to reform Harvard education to increase the amount of science training that Harvard undergrads receive.
Harvard undergrads need to learn to think scientifically (something that Summers apparently never learned). Taking more science courses just means that Harvard undergrads will have a large body of knowledge that will be obsolete within a few years of graduation.
6. Summers can't manage Harvard.
Not only is the mere presence of Summers at Harvard exceptionally divisive, but the presidency of Summers also threatens the ability of Harvard to raise funds and to attract the best of students and scholars throughout the world. A vote of no confidence is the first step to end the Summers era of darkness and bigotry at Harvard University.
Summers is confused about the nature of the job. Because he wants to be the chief intellectual, he is ineffective as the chief manager. It is time for him to go.
