[935] in Discussion of MIT-community interests
Re: What is the cost of academic and political freedom?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Krzysztof Gajos)
Sun Oct 7 22:53:48 2001
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Message-ID: <LPBBKDNJMGBGHCIBFALCEELHCKAA.kgajos@mit.edu>
Date: Sun, 7 Oct 2001 22:51:58 -0400
Reply-To: "Documentation at http://web.mit.edu/beland/talk/talk.html"
<MIT-Talk@MIT.EDU>, Krzysztof Gajos <kgajos@MIT.EDU>
From: Krzysztof Gajos <kgajos@MIT.EDU>
To: MIT-Talk@MIT.EDU
In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.4.21.0110071608070.6440-100000@sub-zero.mit.edu>
Implicit in this discussion is the assumption that criticizing Shell at its
recruitment event was harmfull for MIT. Let me suggest that this is unlikely
because:
1. Shell gets so much shit all over the world that they probably no longer
care. If they did they would have done something more than show informecials
on British Airways flights. Also remember what kind of reception Microsoft
gets at MIT campus. And they do not mind giving us money. They desperatelly
(well maybe not so desperatelly) want us to love them. You know, these
companies do benefit from giving us money. They will not stop doing that
just for any reason.
2. There is nothing wrong with MIT having a reputation for having an
outspoken community. People will respect us and our endorsment will actually
mean something. Otherwise we are in big trouble. First MIT admins tried to
make prof. Postol shut up and backed up only when he got too much media
attention. Now MIT is trying to silence somebody for critizing Shell. Look,
Shell does so much shit in Nigeria that it's not even funny. If we don't
give them a little bit of hard time about it, who will?
Have fun,
Krzysztof
