Recent comments by Jens Hanssen of the U. Toronto exemplify the type of circular reasoning employed by student protesters at Yale, Mizzou, et al. Arguing for a MESA resolution in favor of BDS, he said: “We are political by being non-political. And we are political by being political.” Try this instead, Jens: We demonstrate our contempt for scholarly integrity by lying about Israel; we are an example of what’s wrong with Middle East studies and, indeed, higher education in general.
Winfield Myers is managing editor of the Middle East Forum and director of its Campus Watch project, which reviews and critiques Middle East studies in North American universities. He has taught world history and other topics at the University of Michigan, the University of Georgia, Tulane, and Xavier University of Louisiana. He was previously managing editor of The American Enterprise magazine and CEO of Democracy Project, Inc., which he co-founded. Mr. Myers has served as senior editor and communications director at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute and is principal author and editor of a college guide, Choosing the Right College (1998, 2001). He was educated at the University of Georgia, Tulane, and the University of Michigan.
