Spinoza Redux….

Well it does appear that there are some brave Americans who are going above and beyond the rehtoric and proposing actions that actually make a difference in our world.  Wick Sloane – a columnist at InsideHigherEd is proposing a Katrina like show of support by US univiersities for Lebanese students and faculty.

Here is a blurb:

Imagine. No interruption of study and research for all students and
faculty in the Middle East shut out in this latest war. Lebanon.
Israel. Gaza. Iraq. Everyone.

Why not? Education is cheaper than war.

John Waterbury, president of American University of Beirut, who was stuck in the United States
when war broke out,
is in Washington seeking federal aid and hopes to soon be on his way
back to his campus. I’ll bet he and all his Middle East colleagues
would welcome help from us.

Never mind U.S. visas for now. We have the Web, satellites, cell
phones and air drops. Imagine seeing on CNN: classes and seminars and
students studying in the rubble. Now. On all sides of all borders.
People from around the world showing life will go on. Saturday, I
listened to a friend describe the ballet precision of his evacuation
from Lebanon last week. With thousands of others. The U.S. government
can do such things. Punch the “Reverse Route” button. Of course, this
is difficult.

Hurricane Katrina was an act of God. American higher ed scrambled to
help. This Middle East war is of man. (And Yale at that, given higher
educations of U.S. leaders Bush, Cheney, Bolton and Bremer, at least.)
Are U.S. colleges and universities planning to help there, too? Mustn’t
we try?

Maybe all you educated folks can encourage your Alma Matters to do something constructive.