Category: In the News

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Faculty Questioning Cal Poly’s Saudi Connection

Cal Poly's Warren Baker & his Saudi Connection
It is rumored… and don’t we all love rumors… that Cal Poly’s Saudi Connection is being questioned by virtually all of the past chairs of the Faculty Academic Senate of Cal Poly. It seems like they want to formally show their disapproval. Obviously, the administration is desperately trying to invoke various parliamentary procedures and sycophants to try to silence the measure.

Time will tell if the controversial Dean of Engineering Mohammad Noori or President Warren Baker are successful in silencing their critics.

In the meantime, steve.chawkins@latimes.com of the Los Angeles Times has blown the ‘regional cover’ off the story with an article in today’s paper! An important part of the article was in it’s final summary statement:

“Look at South Africa,” he said. “The University of California divested from South Africa, along with the rest of the world, and apartheid came to an end.”

Cal Poly says that ‘we’re’ (those who think discrimination is not nice) trying to embarrass the Cal Poly administration… we’ll — my advice to Warren Baker — is to stop doing stupid and embarrassing things.

My other Cal Poly & Saudi Arabia Blogs:

Cal Poly & Saudi Arabia Part Deux

Cal Poly… training tomorrow’s terrorists?

Roger Freberg

we all have the power to stand up to wrong and it starts with one person willing to break from the pack

UPDATE! : OoOops.. it’s hitting the fan! Civilrights.org

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San Francisco’s Chinese New Year 2008 (Wu Zi)

San Francisco's Chinese New Year 2008
This year’s theme is “In search of roots.” This is something virtually every American can identify… we all came from somewhere else…. even ‘native’ Americans.
There is something about getting yourself established in a new country, building a family and a future that sometimes lets go of the past. In letting go, we sometimes forget the valuable lessons learned… glorious victories and ignominious defeats that make us proud… and keep us humble.

Roots are important…. in the ‘Year of the Rat.’ ( I do worry that this is an election year… but rats are supposedly good luck)
Parade route in old San Francisco!
So… looking for a little fun this weekend?

Roger Freberg

Cathay Pacific’s Site on Chinese New Year

Wikipedia’s Info on Chinese New Year

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Cal Poly… training tomorrow’s terrorists?

A Proud Cal Poly SupporterSometimes, one wonders when the pursuit of the almighty dollar (well, it used to be almighty) blinds university administrations and academicians to the world’s realities or common sense.

With apparently little oversight, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has taken it amongst themselves to go to Saudi Arabia, set up a University and plans to award Cal Poly Degrees in Engineering. This raises several questions:

1) who knows about this project? Who approved it?

2) Did Cal Poly turn a blind eye to some of the Saudis enlightened ‘cultural’ requirements. Will Women, Jews and Gays be allowed to teach?… nah… I don’t think so.

3) Will female Saudi students be able to participate… I hear a NO?

4) How does this help spread tolerance and understanding?

A recent on-line article discusses these and other questions …. however, the only question I have for Cal Poly’s controversial Engineering Dean or Cal Poly president Warren Baker… will you take credit for what your Saudi friends may unleash ultimately on America?

It doesn’t take a scholar to recognize the fact that Saudi Arabia doesn’t hold the same values on life and human rights as do most Americans. Even Provost William Durgan of Cal Poly in addressing members of the Cal Poly Academic Senate (email) wrote:

“It is clear and indisputable that there are significant differences in American and Saudi cultural constructs, ethical tenets and understandings of human rights and responsibilities.”

The problems with doing more business with Saudi Arabia concerns the amount of moral and ethical compromises we as a country and as a people have to make in order to make a buck. I would have thought we would have learned our lesson.

History points to the cooperation between American Universities and Nazi Germany far after it was clear with whom we were dealing.

So, the question I have for Cal Poly and all other American Universities is simply: how much of our American freedoms or core values is anyone willing to sacrifice in order to make a buck?

More reading:

Human Rights in Saudi Arabia (Wikipedia)

Human Rights Watch — Saudi Arabia

Amnesty international — USA– Saudi Arabia

U.S. State Department Report on Human Rights — Saudi Arabia

So, it goes without saying that we nor any of our institutions should support Saudi Arabia’s isolationist ways. Helping the Saudis keep their ‘education in-house’ is the problem. If ever the little kingdom will move into any of the current centuries of civilized behavior, it will come only with greater exposure to the west and not less.

Cal Poly is just wrong.

Roger Freberg

UPDATE!

Cal Poly student Brian Eller’s superb article!

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John McCain & the Reagan Coalition

the NEW Reagan Coalition
What’s not to like about John McCain?

John brings together the same groups that Ronald Reagan did back in 1980. His attractiveness to each group is a bit different that President Reagan, John has many more moderates and folks on the left… but the coalition is in many significant ways… the same.

Now, I do understand that there are some vocal ‘conservatives’ that want to turn themselves into ‘suicide voters’ by supporting democrats… but these are your ‘abortion-is-everything’ conservatives and neither side of this debate can swing this election…. though the ‘social conservatives’ may try by linking to other issues they may feel are sexy with the voters… but the coalition behind McCain is formidable. bring it!

Of course, John McCain might throw a bone by putting a social conservative on the ticket as President Reagan did by placing a liberal Republican on his ticket. We shall see… politics makes such strange bedfellows.

Besides, a ‘suicide’ voter is already dead from the neck up.

Roger Freberg

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Brandeis University’s Arrogant Persecution of an Innocent Man

Brandeis is not a nice place

It’s not that Donald Hindley is a former Trojan that I rush to his defense… although that is certainly reason enough! It is hard to see an academician being railroaded by an administration to meet some politically motivated objective… or as best said by Fire’s Greg Lukianoff:

“I have no idea whether Brandeis simply has a grudge against Professor Hindley or if it is simply too arrogant to admit that it has done something wrong here, but I do not believe that administrators can continue to plead innocence in the face of the facts, the virtually nonexistent procedure, and the condemnation in the media and by students and faculty. Brandeis has made a terrible mess here. It is time to clean it up.”

The story is an old one heard all around the country in universities that lack proper oversight of their zealous administrations and faculty… the persecution of innocents, the punishment of constitutionally protected free speech and the closing of the American Academic Mind.

Brandeis University is not alone in their ruthlessness… but they are guilty none-the-less.

Roger Freberg