GRAVE OBJECTIONS
This position is open to grave objection. First, because the contestants do not start on the basis of the big boys. for instance, a small group of highly skilled engineers, capable of producing a mOsC • MOLOT maUstry. Likewise in politics: having to rely on journals such as this, with a small circulation compared to The Estahlishment politicians, who have casy access to the mess media. But a second to the liberal position contest of economic forces and political ideas, far from taking place in conditions of freedom, capitansi. Anything wat endangers the system 1s crushed: besides Adam 'hidden hand' is another hand with a knife! Of course, apologists for capitalism quietly try to SWO important to them to preserve the illusion that those who have come to the top, economically and politically, have done so because of merit. Thus, it provides a reason for retaining the status quo. They argue that a company like I.C.l. must have been efficient, as well as pleasing the public, to have beaten all its competitors and emerged as sole producer of chemicals. Ergo, it is best left in its present state. Similarly with politics: Labou and Conservative leaders rule because they have pruved to the satistaction of um electorate that they are sound, right thinking individuals PILLARS OF ESTABLISHMENT The same principle applies in the academic world. Professors are supposed to be appointed on merit. They are presumably sapposed to be wiser, Once appointed, if not before they pronouncements. They help to stem the time of heloing the Prices & Incomes Board to keep down wages, and by generally serving the ruling class with a steady flow of articles and speeches. Always, and this has been so throughout history, the generally prevailing ideas in the universiter have helped to bolster the existing social system. It is comforting for the ruling class to believe that this has happened through a free expression of ideas, conducted by people who are only seekers afti, truth. It makes the ruling slags appear as if it is the highest embodiment of truth in society. Maxists disputy this and rightly so. intend to outline what restrictions have been played on LO SHOW way by LoUDIe Summer. denied this, Defending the University's right to manufacturing weapons of mass destructions for inherent in such grants. In American universities overlooks the dangers process has gone much mintary-industrial research programs (and in consequence, of their avers res instructional Colleges and universities, like most other capitalist institutions, have illusions about their role in society. It facilitates smooth, easy working, acting ås a buttress against subversive influences. Places of higher learning - • - at least according to the myth-operate with complete academic freedom in their research for knowledge; without let or hindrance, widely conflicting views are expressed and, from their clash, the Truth (capital T) emerges.
MILITARY LINK
Universities were under considerable pressure to succumb to blandishments from firms with prestige might all be tied up with answering "Yes".
Moreover, the economic prosperity of the region Instances SCIE unel located in a town if the neighbouring university But once the military link had been established, a Chestic aniversity can easily be contaiminated....
cassinco rescaren contracts. It meant, as anotner writer put it, bringing into the university the laboratories like those at Los Alamos or Oak Ridge.' Gc.re was the freedom to publish the fruits of research. Gone was the university's right the best man to Instead there was the secrity man, prying into all If Professor Briggs or anybody else questions then let him examine the facts. With a military about the cost-effectiveness search projects. It has already made overtur traditional academic freedom so that more work on classified projects. As Professor Bernal has Nor is it any longer possible to envisage leading problem of theoretical physics, as happened in the Cavendish laboratories at Cambridge in the inter-war years. As C.P. Snow pointed out, it would be impossible to have a prominent Russian as a member of the team for fear something with Kapitza phenomenon couldn't take place now, discovered:
PROFESSORS/ENTREPRENEURS The link with mintarism is but one facet of the capitalist industry as a whole. This has been more closelly studied in American than in this country.
A survey evealed that 20 per cent of American presidents are members of one or more boards of directors; 40 per cent of the colleges programmes; 50 per cent of the industrialists were members of one or more college boards; and that 65 percent of the companies support college Kerr, ex-head of the University of Californa, anC industry are becoming more and more alike. As u of the companies support college research Kerr, ex-head of the University of Calitorna, declared: "The university and segments of industry are becominmore and more alike. As the university becomes tied to the world of work, the natural and some of the social sciences-takes on the characteristics of an entrepreneur.... The mechanism held together by adminietrative rules and powered by money. 'zilian government since Finance often influences decisions in a hidden, subtle way. However, occasionally the authorities admit that their whole policy was the case at the University of Keele in its considetable funds from business magnates in the Potteries resulted in tha Inivarcitu anthnition students were forbidden to form left-wing clubs;
a lecturer's appointment was revoked when it was discovered he was a CPer; and a course W29 because it might be liable to misinterpretation.
Onlv when it was clear finance would not be industrialists was a limited degree of liberalisation A more recent example of the power of money comes from Lancaster University. Nobody within university took violent exception David Craig's views on morality when he first University was in danger of loosing £200,000 as a consequence that Dr. Craig was asked for his To sum up about finance: higher education's deseraency ultra-cautious, appointing stolid and safe men to key posts; and it places university authorities on S10e EstaDusnment. a tact unat students clearly saw during their protests earlier LS Year The recent wave o1 student unrest has also helped TO development-university-sponsoted students. The hall porters at Louds had. as or • 45 0HC 01 reacted strongly. It called for a public inqua, into the issue, backing up this demand by staging Although most people do not seem to be aware of it, spying in universities has quite a lon ancestry. In May 1957, Lord Chorley sparked off a public controversy by his revelation that M.1.5 was collecting reports on the personal habits, reading habits and outside activities. "Some of the university teacher has been asked, in effect, what Шn08T8B20e documents a colleague has in fis room, which, in fact, means that a teacher has been asked to find a way into his colleague's study. This is not a thing which happens now and then: it is going on all the time. Numerous colleagues of mine wh vork in London University have told me in the month that they have been saked to report not only on their students but on their own Chorley's speech led others to startling disclosures about the conduct of the member of M.I.5 admitted: We have members reporting from every university and college in the Professor .L. Montrose, argued for a policy of SUITIC non-cooperation with the security service. Others advocated that penetrated the universities. All that appears to have been done, however, was that the A.U.T. wrote for a clarification of Government policy. disquiet, claimed that investigations were only conducted on a small number of students. It seeing cross check Information obtained from them. There was nothing surreptitious about the inquiry, which was considered essential to the security of the determination go give nothing away except bland assurances, the 1957 controversy fizzled out.
there is, nowever that the investigation of statt and STOCHES CONUMEE MUCE thorough-going fashion than in 1957, Behind it He First it must vett carefully appoin cents to many merely as a precaution against secret information getting passed on to the Russies, but, probably more important, to prevent the employment of people who they would call 'troublemakers' and we would call 'good trade unionists. a whole. It would be strange if the universities, were omitted. In Greece, the military junta had the most detailed personal Left a to impose its regime, the Grele army used a NATO contingency plan, enticiency asins all its DOLCHE opponents. Surely it is reasonable to assume that BrItal.
Third, the need of the university authorities, in order to preserve its own stability as a capitalist POWERLESS INTELLECTUALS Revolt among intellectuals is likely to spread. In part, due to the general reasons outlined by the late Professor C. Wright Mills: the centralisation of decision-making leaves intellectuals powerless and with a feeling of frustration; they see the need to act, with growing urgency, at the same time as the existing social outside, and operate against, the system. But this trend among intellectuals in Britain is reinforced by factors that are peculiar to this country, mort of which are associated with the failure of socia democracy. On a whole host of leues (Inoomes Government's poltical bankruptcy is increasingly WETTE apparent. As the questioning grows more angry, so the answers become more unconvincing. For instance, how can a Labour politician justify the Government breaiting every election promises ... ›ducation made before the 1964 general election? They were merely modest own reformist philosophy as nolating the alleged principles of parliamentar lemocracy, where the electorate is supposed t determine, in broad outline, the course une TOTALITARIANISM Ad tre points to these being a tendency towards totalitarianism in Detain today. For when the po verstar be carnot waswer unew critics, Ene resort other means. It to in this context tha spying at universities and elsewhere has to be viewed. It is simply hypocritical for university authorities to pose as the custodians of academic protest, against it. How can liable to police harrassment, and probable arress in any national emergency?
sides the two groups of restrictions imposed ance and spying, places of higher learing subjected to a third type of curtailment-to the sphere of investigation. We have already touched research might have military significance. What is not so wol known is ul researen into a lot ol social od thistorian, the rature to maked by and historical problems is impaired by It is possible to do research into the British capitalist state's dirty dealing in foreign policy, but it is impossible to investigate, in the same way, how the ruling class dealt with its enemy at home. If we are unable to say the security forces were doing in 1868, If that i still shrouded in secrecy, what hope have we of discovering what they are doing today?.The truth socialist then STRUGGLE FOR SOCIALISM TOCH are German student leader, who said' "The most opposion WIVESELY The removal of student oppositior through police terror and through pumshment of attack on age toot it became by une of on ne most signincant democratic consciousness i Germany since the
The Black Dwarf 14th February 1969
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The first, and most important, is economic Universities are financially dependent; the nee for large funds from outside bodies are likely to the person who pays the piper calls the Professor Asa Bries
use in Vietnam, he pointed out that the firm had given the money for prue resea tch and had placed constitute a threat to academic freedom nor was
Britain. What it has meant was clearly revealed by General Eisenhower in his farewell address ending nis term as President of the Tinited State in 1956. In that speech he toade his famous warning aboat
dominating all aspects of American life, including following year a survey showed that 84 per cont of all research activity was related to military on Education stated that, if these funds dried up,
the meantimi, i told to foe claim ve on recent the remation Radiate And tee