Re: 10/23/01 - YDN: Replies to Van de Velde Guest Editorial
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Important Reminder
Posted at: 10/23/01 2:10:02 AM
Posted by: BT @ Billsville (as entered by poster)
Van de Velde's incisive commentary may prove an unhappy reminder to the Yale community. First, of the tragic loss of a bright and compassionate young woman, a talented student---Suzanne Jovin, '99; second, of the shameful treatment and consequent loss of a gifted teacher, an accomplished scholar, an expert in foreign affairs and national security---Jim Van de Velde '82.
Here's another tragedy: many of the rights and freedoms that Americans lately so loudly proclaim have been denied Dr. Van de Velde for almost three years. Accused erroneously by unnamed individuals, dismissed without cause, scapegoated by police and media, declared a suspect without any evidence implicating him, denied access to official records concerning the Jovin murder investigation, he nonetheless defends in his editorial the very systems, democratic and academic, that have failed him so miserably.
The September 11 tragedy has prompted Americans to recall and reassert some basic values, and to rediscover their great capacity for decency and community. Yale and New Haven should do the same. At minimum Van de Velde is owed an apology, official exoneration and a return to his teaching post. Current affairs and campus colloquy suggest that he's needed back at once.
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anti-Americanism at Yale
Posted at: 10/22/01 5:13:09 PM
Posted by: Nathan's Ghost (as entered by poster)
If anyone doubts the purport of what Mr. Van de Velde insinuates here---that many of the Yale faculty are committed to an agenda of legitimizing our enemies and undermining national resolve---he or she should pick up a copy of Paul Kennedy’s The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers from 1986. In it Professor Kennedy in the guise of historian attempts to play the prophet---and, indeed, one could have predicted much that has occurred these past fifteen years by simply placing minus signs in front of all the major assertions made in his text. Japan was supposed to rise, America to fall. Of course just the opposite happened. What a letdown this must have been for Mr. Kennedy and his crowd: all that wishful thinking come to naught. It is not surprising that they have abjectly seized on the atrocities of September the 11th as a means to reassert their basic anti-Americanism before a greater public. Unable to prognosticate that we were destined to fall, they are opting for the next best thing: ascribing moral authority to those who are ruthlessly committed to bringing about our total and final destruction. An America in ashes satisfies something deep inside these people. Would-be pundits and high priests such as Talbot and Kennedy resent societies such as ours which refuse to privilege their lofty thoughts and murky soothsaying. They resent being marginalized, resent it with an abiding anger which corresponds in significant ways with the diabolical fury felt by Bin Laden and his fellow cave-dwellers. It is very telling that academics of this ilk would so swiftly slither to the aid of activist intellectuals willing to risk an apocalyptic outcome in furtherance of a cause. Though they certainly won’t countenance the means----they were most unsightly!---our luminaries here at Yale give every indication of tacitly endorsing the common end: the demise of a political, economic order which has rendered their peculiar sort of sapience irrelevant for too many decades.
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National Tragedy Morphed into Personal Revenge
Posted at: 10/22/01 3:41:21 PM
Posted by: VDV = Tacky (as entered by poster)
Yale did lose a brilliant thinker with James. After all, how many suspects would use this national tragedy to post to the Yale community an article which simultaneously says "I'm innocent, leave me alone", "Yale fucked up in its choice of teachers and faculty", and "NOW you are going to pay for what you've done to me!" Yes, this man is innocent and victimized and wants to avenge himself and humiliate Yale so bad he can taste blood. Why can't innocent men like him leave the YDN editorial page alone.
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Mr. Van de Velde
Posted at: 10/22/01 12:55:20 PM
Posted by: Yalie (as entered by poster)
Mr. Van de Velde really did get screwed. There's no evidence that he had any involvement with the girl's death. I see no reason why he should have been kicked out of Yale. Maybe it's because his brilliant mode of thinking (which is more right-wing than left) didn't appeal to frothing-at-the-mouth Yale faculty and admin. The problem with today's faculty is that they're all children of the 60s. Once a hippie, always a hippie. They can't escape their anachronistic and detrimental way of thinking, and it seems that no matter how clearly us rational right-wing or moderate thinkers express opinions and facts, they can't break out of their shells. Left-wing students and faculty should recognize one fact, though: our great President G.W. Bush is doing a fantastic job, and even many democrats agree (e.g. Gore's former supporters) that they'd rather have Bush in office than Gore or Clinton. Bush has proved himself to be a competent, intelligent, and charismatic commander and chief and President of the United States, and leftists can froth all they want at the fact that Bush's approval rating is the highest in Gallup Poll history, but that still won't change the fact that Bush is in full command. Left-wingers are also not getting much of what they want any more these days, which aggravates their anger and frustration. (E.g. Just look at how angry Jacob Remes is.) For instance, democrats who wanted to cut defense spending are now forced to shut the hell up. In fact, they are now surrounded by fellow senators and congressmen who want to increase defense spending dramatically. Republicans got all of what they asked for in terms of money for missile defense research and implementation. Racial profiling in some instances is making sense and is logical. Peace activists are a minority; most people support military action and the war against terrorism. Bush and Putin have made steps towards scrapping nuclear disarmament treaty. I mean--things are really working out for the Republicans. Left wingers--your days are numbered, hopefully.
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Look on the bright side
Posted at: 10/22/01 11:38:46 AM
Posted by: Thankful alumnus (as entered by poster)
Hey ... look on the bright side ... wouldn't you rather have these step-on-my-face liberals cloistered in the halls of academia rather than being involved in actual decision making for our country?
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Rehire Van de Velde
Posted at: 10/22/01 5:07:37 AM
Posted by: Don't Want to get Beaten Up by Leftists (as entered by poster)
Ouch. This article is stinging revenge for the way Yale unfairly smeared Van de Velde (unfortunately only partial revenge for Yale's grossly unfair treatment of him). I'm glad that Van de Velde pointed out how monolithic and ideologically hidebound our professors are. People should email Richard Levin or whoever is in charge, and tell him to rehire Van de Velde. These leftists, like Kennedy and Talbott, people in our History and PoliSci Depts, and the Dwight Hall Social Justice Protesters are stuck in an ideological straitjacket and refuse to think seriously about this terrorism problem. Yale should rehire Van de Velde because he is a rare commodity . . . a serious thinker.
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Brilliant
Posted at: 10/22/01 2:22:35 AM
Posted by: anon (as entered by poster)
Thank you, Mr. Van de Velde, for such clear insight into the situation we face.
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LETTERS
Published Tuesday, October 23, 2001
Publishing Van de Velde inappropriate
To the Editor:
The Yale Daily News should be ashamed of itself for publishing Mr. Van de Velde's opinion article ("Yale faculty blind to U.S. security demands," 10/22). Mr. Van de Velde is entitled to express his views, but I think that anyone who read the article would agree that it was interesting not as the opinion of an expert in the field, but as a look at the author's psychology -- and I have no doubt that the editors chose to publish it with that attraction in mind.
Emlen Smith '03
October 21, 2001
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