As usual Roger, brilliantly stated. Alas, it suffers from the same malady you detect: generalization. A war is fought with little regard or care for the innocents in its way. It offends idealist youth, which is their role in a free society. And they are criticized for lack of historical context, as opposed to cheering on the moral fervor fueling their group think. Pacifists are often crtiqued for their naivete in a trouing war. But who, if not them, will remind us in their protestation, that being on the right side of history never makes it ok to willingly kill innocent children.
I agree with the comments. As usual, Roger, you have written a fine piece, but you leave a lot out. At the root of the Vietnam protests was a legitimate claim. What is the legitimate claim today? It is not antisemitism, but it is easy to say this, particularly when some protesters are sloppy. They, however, are largely pro-Palestinian; that is, they are protesting against Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and their flat refusal to consider some form of a two-state solution that could bring lasting peace to the Middle East. Pro-Israelis find it very convenient to put the entire blame on Hamas after Oct. 7, while glossing over entirely questioning what role Israel might have played to provoke such a response. It is very easy to claim that the over party swung first—we do it, if we can get away with it. At root, I sense that the students are saying, wait a minute. Perhaps it is time for us to listen.
I urge you to write a follow up piece addressing this. I say this as someone who has a number of Jewish friends, who are abhorred as I am about the atrocities going on in the West Bank. Imagine Whites in our South trying to get away with something like this! I think of you as a friend and think you agree with my friends, as well as that behavior like that by Whites is completely unacceptable.
Thank you for starting what I hope will be a thoughtful conversation—one that is not about antisemitism.
The late Charlie Munger: “Show me the incentives, and I'll show you the outcome.”
Look at any strand of extremist opinions today, both on the left and the right, what is the incentive of holding moderate, reasonable opinions? Whereas the incentive for voicing extremist views loudly are obvious, ranging from peer approval in your social circles (including online) and political office (primary elections being mostly closed affairs decided by small numbers of the politically obsessed).
The article made the same point, if indirectly: "One hopes the protestors take a moment from the conformity of their encampments ... Chanting slogans and occupying campuses can confer a giddy feeling of intoxication, a rush of moral superiority, when one is embedded in a crowd chanting the same thing." Conformity pays.
Well written, as always, but why not expand to the supposed adults in the room? Politicians and police are leaving a more lasting imprint on history by their response. Demonstrations came and went during the Vietnam era, but the Kent State deaths are remembered.
Perfect description of why crowd action goes astray. The war-protesting students need to understand that they support a terrorist organization in Gaza whose goal is to kill every Jewish person in Israel. Thank you.
Thanks, Roger, for that evocative portrayal of the dilemmas that both you and I seemingly faced when growing to civic maturity during the U S war on Vietnam.
We can now only encourage those current college demonstrators to form the same self-questioning we made back then.
I met you briefly at lunch at Gould Farm. I was a longtime staff member there. I think you were working on your book on the Federal Reserve then.
Disappointing and largely nonsense: name-calling and absurd historical analogies (lynching!) lobbed against the demonstrators; assuming their ignorance when in fact they are educating the whole country about the Palestinian side of a two-sided story of which this country has only heard one side for too long. Yes, they are too loud, but I go to two campuses regularly, and there has been very little (but there has been a little) real anti-semitism, unless you call advocacy of the Palestinian cause antisemitism, which, of course, it is expedient for many people to do. See the articles by Columbia professors Mazower (in the FT) and McWhorter (in the NYT) for more useful and nuanced views.
Roger thanks for the thoughtful piece! On another topic... your knowledge of both Lincoln’s economic policy and the origins of the Fed could uncover fresh insights through a story about Ag’s GSE. Drawing on my experience as a Farm Credit System consultant, I wrote an essay for the May 2 Local Food Forum substack "Scaling Local Food Economies: How Illinois Can Lead the Way." Aim is to awaken Farm Bill advocates to the opportunity to modernize this century-old creature of Congress. Billions of dollars of private investment could spur local food economies if Congress requires Farm Credit System to improve its service to small farmers. Let me know if you’d like to discuss.
Vietnam was a strategic war that had a two pronged objective, increase inflation and stimulate the economy with war spending, and second, working on the unfinished business of the large Asian operations started during ww2. This is totally different from the crisis in Isreal which simply put, is a nation fighting for its long term security. The students should have the ability to identify the differences and the fact that this is not their fight. If they feel the need to help, they should go and volunteer in the region. Protesting something that you have no idea about does not help anyone.
As usual Roger, brilliantly stated. Alas, it suffers from the same malady you detect: generalization. A war is fought with little regard or care for the innocents in its way. It offends idealist youth, which is their role in a free society. And they are criticized for lack of historical context, as opposed to cheering on the moral fervor fueling their group think. Pacifists are often crtiqued for their naivete in a trouing war. But who, if not them, will remind us in their protestation, that being on the right side of history never makes it ok to willingly kill innocent children.
Thanks for the balanced comment Michael. So nice to hear from you! :)
Thank you Wayne. Gould Farm is close to my heart--a wonderful place.
I agree with the comments. As usual, Roger, you have written a fine piece, but you leave a lot out. At the root of the Vietnam protests was a legitimate claim. What is the legitimate claim today? It is not antisemitism, but it is easy to say this, particularly when some protesters are sloppy. They, however, are largely pro-Palestinian; that is, they are protesting against Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and their flat refusal to consider some form of a two-state solution that could bring lasting peace to the Middle East. Pro-Israelis find it very convenient to put the entire blame on Hamas after Oct. 7, while glossing over entirely questioning what role Israel might have played to provoke such a response. It is very easy to claim that the over party swung first—we do it, if we can get away with it. At root, I sense that the students are saying, wait a minute. Perhaps it is time for us to listen.
I urge you to write a follow up piece addressing this. I say this as someone who has a number of Jewish friends, who are abhorred as I am about the atrocities going on in the West Bank. Imagine Whites in our South trying to get away with something like this! I think of you as a friend and think you agree with my friends, as well as that behavior like that by Whites is completely unacceptable.
Thank you for starting what I hope will be a thoughtful conversation—one that is not about antisemitism.
The late Charlie Munger: “Show me the incentives, and I'll show you the outcome.”
Look at any strand of extremist opinions today, both on the left and the right, what is the incentive of holding moderate, reasonable opinions? Whereas the incentive for voicing extremist views loudly are obvious, ranging from peer approval in your social circles (including online) and political office (primary elections being mostly closed affairs decided by small numbers of the politically obsessed).
The article made the same point, if indirectly: "One hopes the protestors take a moment from the conformity of their encampments ... Chanting slogans and occupying campuses can confer a giddy feeling of intoxication, a rush of moral superiority, when one is embedded in a crowd chanting the same thing." Conformity pays.
Well written, as always, but why not expand to the supposed adults in the room? Politicians and police are leaving a more lasting imprint on history by their response. Demonstrations came and went during the Vietnam era, but the Kent State deaths are remembered.
Perfect description of why crowd action goes astray. The war-protesting students need to understand that they support a terrorist organization in Gaza whose goal is to kill every Jewish person in Israel. Thank you.
Thanks, Roger, for that evocative portrayal of the dilemmas that both you and I seemingly faced when growing to civic maturity during the U S war on Vietnam.
We can now only encourage those current college demonstrators to form the same self-questioning we made back then.
I met you briefly at lunch at Gould Farm. I was a longtime staff member there. I think you were working on your book on the Federal Reserve then.
I’m following your good writing. Keep it up!
As always, thought-provoking and beautifully written. Thank you, Roger.
Disappointing and largely nonsense: name-calling and absurd historical analogies (lynching!) lobbed against the demonstrators; assuming their ignorance when in fact they are educating the whole country about the Palestinian side of a two-sided story of which this country has only heard one side for too long. Yes, they are too loud, but I go to two campuses regularly, and there has been very little (but there has been a little) real anti-semitism, unless you call advocacy of the Palestinian cause antisemitism, which, of course, it is expedient for many people to do. See the articles by Columbia professors Mazower (in the FT) and McWhorter (in the NYT) for more useful and nuanced views.
Roger thanks for the thoughtful piece! On another topic... your knowledge of both Lincoln’s economic policy and the origins of the Fed could uncover fresh insights through a story about Ag’s GSE. Drawing on my experience as a Farm Credit System consultant, I wrote an essay for the May 2 Local Food Forum substack "Scaling Local Food Economies: How Illinois Can Lead the Way." Aim is to awaken Farm Bill advocates to the opportunity to modernize this century-old creature of Congress. Billions of dollars of private investment could spur local food economies if Congress requires Farm Credit System to improve its service to small farmers. Let me know if you’d like to discuss.
Vietnam was a strategic war that had a two pronged objective, increase inflation and stimulate the economy with war spending, and second, working on the unfinished business of the large Asian operations started during ww2. This is totally different from the crisis in Isreal which simply put, is a nation fighting for its long term security. The students should have the ability to identify the differences and the fact that this is not their fight. If they feel the need to help, they should go and volunteer in the region. Protesting something that you have no idea about does not help anyone.