Fact

Laksin also asserted that Media Matters "routinely attacks conservatives ... and misrepresents their ideas, treating differences of opinion as differences of fact."

Well, no. It's many conservative pundits who want to mask differences of fact as differences of opinion.

right

The irony there is, these so-called 'pundits' are the ones who routinely misrepresent their own ideas as 'fact', 'common knowledge', and the will of the people.

Fact 2

Repeating what conseratives say, does not misrepresent their ideas.

You forgot...

... that they always quote in context. ;)

The new rightwing talking point is that

EVERYTHING is an opinion. So when you crash reality headlong into their fantasies they just say well thats your opinion.

you nailed it

We see this ALL THE TIME, not only in the media, but on this VERY BOARD.

The "it's just my opinion" defense is second only to "it was just a joke" in the annals of Lame Excuses for False Statements.

It's my opinion that the moon is made of green cheese. It's my opinion! Who are you to challenge it?

What nonsense.

I thought they would have been smart enough..

..and just dropped this entire argument. Write a new book and then argue about that one. This case was lost a long time ago.

I smell ...

a small wave of attacks against the integrity of MMFA.

furthermore

MMFA, to my knowledge, has never attacked any conservatives.

It's been my experience that MMFA is a purely defensive weapon, a weapon against conservative attacks.

Professor Interaction

Several items strike me as I read about Horowitz. First, there must be several million interactions per day between students and faculty. His information is, therefore, anecdotal at best. Second, if we as faculty were actually good at spreading this supposed propaganda then Gore or Kerry would be in the White House, not Bush. Third, few students and some faculty have no interest in rational thinking. Rational thinking asks that you actually view the facts and ask real questions about where information and ideas have come from. Finally, real conversion through persuasion in very difficult to achieve.

Indeed ...

his information is both anecdotal and are otherwise just plain lies ([link to www.freeexchangeoncampus.org]

Horowitz is trying to do the same as he did for the media: create a hostily climate by suggesting there is 'liberal bias', whatever that may be. He continues to abuse voting patterns for pointing out that liberal bias. Further, he tries to equate young and older adults as brainless followers that can be easely influenced. In my experience, he could not be more wrong. My students have always been very critical: to me, my methods, the scientific material etc.

However, Horowitz has another program than making the academic world 'less liberally biased': in efforts to remove that bias he suggests that politicians should decide the cirriculum. Thus, he wants to remove academic freedom and make it an arm of politics. He tries to create that by a wedging method claiming liberal bias in teaching and research.

Count me in...

Although I only teach philosophy part-time, is it possible for me to be added to Horwitz's list? It would be a badge of distinction to be considered a contributing influence to the opening of the minds of my current and future students!

I'd be famous!

Geeze I thought the whole idea

Of education was to expose one to the knowledge outside thier own realm of existence and to open up thier minds and challenge thier views. When I first attended college I attended Berea. This is a Christain influenced college providing a "Liberal Education" to students to provide them with the tools to become successfull and add to the development of soceity. At least that was what we were told then. I like to see how Berea College falls now. In 1991 it was considered a Liberal Arts College. That was when most people understood what Liberal actually stood for. As a "christain College" i just wonder where it would fall now. It was here that I first learned to question those "values" I grew up with and discover what real "values" where. It supported the idea of Christianaity without ties to a Demonation and because of that we had learned the true meaning of Christainaity. Not the meaning that the Republican party seems to push at us. It is because of that education I do have my own faith independent of organized religion and therefore not likely to fall victim to tactic that are meant to use my faith to manipulate me and to subject to thier will.

The one thing Berea taught is that a liberal education is the only true path to freedom. As long as you are keep in ignorance then those that have the knowlege are able to "rule" with your consent simply because you do not realize the difference.

Dottiemae

As long as you are keep in ignorance then those that have the knowlege are able to "rule" with your consent simply because you do not realize the difference.

Absolutely right on!