Why not give Chancellor Linda P. B. Katehi the opportunity to “value” your comments too?
You can reach her here. Here’s what I wrote.
Like many thousands of others around the world today, I watched in horror as students of UC Davis were pepper-sprayed by police brought in to ‘facilitate their removal’ at the request of your university. That the police should behave this way hardly warrants any attempt at surprise from the viewer; we now have countless examples from across the US and the UK of such behaviour, which amounts to little more than mandated thuggery in order to maintain the interests of the powerful.
What certainly is a disgrace - both morally and intellectually - is that UC Davis ‘facilitated’ this violence against its students. What precisely did you think would happen? Well, you have taught those students the most truthful lesson they’ll ever receive: never argue, never campaign, never protest - and if you step out of line we’ll crush you. Some of us still want to believe education can be more than producing obedient tax-paying units, programmed to meekly accept ever-increasing fees and ever-diminishing rights. I hope the outrage many feel around the world today when watching the scenes at UC Davis bring shame upon you. That’s genuine shame, Chancellor Katehi, not merely the empty words of “regret” expressed in your curiously Orwellian statement.
Portents of winter and the toothless chatter of flag-draped traitors vies with a fog of lies spread by Koch Brother messenger boys, Reagan nostalgia hucksters, suck-ups in office, Murdoch empire servlings, Banker PR catamites, and Jesus terrorists to occupy the national mind-space with a narcotic Jell-O of half-formed wish fulfillment scams. The nation is hostage to a confederacy of racketeers. Banking. Big Pharma. The Higher Ed / Loan nexus. GMO agri-biz. Fast food. Mandatory motoring. You name it. What a disgrace we are, and the worst of us are the least to know that.
Fear of death replaces fear of God. But fear of God - an entirely sane early principle, given the hazard of life, and our vulnerability to thunderbolts of unknown origin - at least allowed for negotiation. We talked God down from being the Vengeful One and rebranded Him the Infinitely Merciful; we changed Him from Old to New, like the Testaments and the Labour Party. We levered up His graven image, put it on the runners, and dragged it to a place where the weather was sunnier. We can’t do the same with death. Death can’t be talked down, or parlayed into anything; it simply declines to come to the negotiating table. It doesn’t have to pretend to be Vengeful or Merciful, or even Infinitely Merciless. It is impervious to insult, complaint or condescension. ‘Death is not an artist’: no, and would never claim to be one. Artists are unreliable; whereas death never lets you down, remains on call seven days a week, and is happy to work three consecutive eight-hour shifts. You would buy shares in death, if they were available; you would bet on it, however poor the odds.
When Philip gets pissed off with death
He turns all prophetic and saith,
‘Fuck death, and fuck dying,
The Cosmos ain’t trying
- And Christ all this gin on my breath!’
Assessment
When completing a self-assessment questionnaire as part of a job application, how aware of the Dunning-Kruger effect are you when selecting the answer that you believe most accurately describes your level of ability?
- I am not aware of the Dunning-Kruger effect.
- I slightly aware of the Dunning-Kruger effect.
- I am acutely aware of the Dunning-Kruger effect because I am brilliant and will vastly outperform the other candidates who have applied for this job.
I am not a Labor Leader; I do not want you to follow me or anyone else; if you are looking for a Moses to lead you out of this capitalist wilderness, you will stay right where you are. I would not lead you into the promised land if I could, because if I led you in, some one else would lead you out. You must use your heads as well as your hands, and get yourself out of your present condition; as it is now the capitalists use your heads and your hands.
Kneel before Zod!
I finally reach the apoapsis of Tumblr popularity with this bizarre cultural reference tailored to a very particular demographic, namely those familiar with Superman II and the low-rent 1980s British game show Bullseye. In other words: me. Also, any Americans who follow the link are likely to be very confused, extremely alarmed and wholly disabused of any lingering misconception - if one still exists - that the average Brit bears any resemblance whatsoever to the Hugh ambassadors we send across the pond in order to ponce around in film and on your television screens.
Philip Larkin once made this pun at a boxing match. Little wonder he was catnip for the literary ladies.
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