The history of the professor who failed an entire class

[Dimentio]

http://observerjournal.com/2009/07/09/an-economics-professor-.aspx

Is there any truth at all in this story? I cannot find any sources to verify that, neither the name of the professor or anyone who has studied for him. I have a high degree of suspicion that the story is made up and probably emulating the story of the collective factory in Atlas Shrugged.

Despite that, it seems to be spreading like a forest fire in right wing segments of the internet. Can anyone confirm if its true?

:lol:

[gorillafuck]

Whoever wrote that apparently thinks Obama is distributing money entirely evenly among everyone.:laugh:

And I doubt that's true, I can't find anything on it aside from moronic sites like that one.

[El Rojo]

probs some right-wing fantasy of the folksy proffesor who educated his kids of the evils of "gangster socialism" fo'sho, conrade!

And suprise, suprise, in this particular experiment, they once again forget that socialism isn't just re-distribution of wealth, its also revolutionising the means of production. Sooo the students should have formed collective study groups, hung thier teacher andbought some real text books.

[Jolly Red Giant]

Is there any truth at all in this story?
No - variations of this have been doing the rounds of right-wing media circles for decades.

[eyedrop]

What an irritating commercial on the page.



9 million people live in Sweden. More people fart at lunch in Atlanta Georgia than live in Sweden. Even in a tiny country like Sweden, socialism does not work. AS AN ECONOMIC SYSTEM, socialism does not create enough jobs. Socialists are incapable of understanding the power of personal productivity in the private sector making all people better off. Just to stay afloat, socialist countries must export both products and young, job hunters to capitalist countries.


Haha

[RedAnarchist]

It looks like a urban legend to me.

http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/060827_urban_legends.html

A bit about this legend -

http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=43499
http://www.snopes.com/college/exam/socialism.asp

[eyedrop]

A nice post from the snopes forum.
I heard a similar story about a restaurant owner whose employees were planning to vote for (insert name of Democratic presidential candidate here) because they thought we'd be better off as socialists, so he made them pool their tips, with similar "everyone failed" results. Except, I've worked in places where tips were pooled, and that doesn't happen there, either. If anything, I've known a few people to "cheat" by adding to their contributions after a bad shift so they don't look like slouches for having earned only fifteen percent.

It's actually an apt metaphor, because tipping, like wealth distribution in a capitalist society, has a lot less to do with merit than most people think. But why let the truth get in the way of a good story? http://message.snopes.com/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif

[Dimentio]

It is really sad when you need to use parables to defend your world-view...

There is actually just one individual whom I have seen have claimed that equal results must be achieved in order to achieve equality. That is/was a certain mr Massoud Kamali, who wanted all grades to be equalised to not discriminate against people born in foreign countries. I think such ideas are dangerous and paternalistic, as they help to cement the assumption that foreign-borns are inherently inferior...

[Demogorgon]

The first sentence tells you it is invented
An economics professor at a local college made the statement that he had never failed a single studentThat simply isn't how higher education works. A certain number of students are always failed. This is an attempt by idiots who have never set foot in an institute of higher learning to create a story about the nice professor driven to the end of his tether, but it falls at the first hurdle.

Not to mention of course that I don't see how anyone with a degree in economics could think what Obama is doing is "socialism". I know memories in politics are short, but he is actually simply continuing the "recovery" policy begun under Bush. The truth is that certain individuals who could never really stomach a black President have lost their heads completely. I mean he is to the right of even Carter, Truman, Johnson etc, yet they have painted him as if he is one of us in order to rationalise their fear.

[bcbm]

i like when they put phrases like "national, democratic socialism" in quotes, like obama had actually used that phrase at some point. how many socialist changes have been enacted so far?

[Dimentio]

The first sentence tells you it is inventedThat simply isn't how higher education works. A certain number of students are always failed. This is an attempt by idiots who have never set foot in an institute of higher learning to create a story about the nice professor driven to the end of his tether, but it falls at the first hurdle.

Not to mention of course that I don't see how anyone with a degree in economics could think what Obama is doing is "socialism". I know memories in politics are short, but he is actually simply continuing the "recovery" policy begun under Bush. The truth is that certain individuals who could never really stomach a black President have lost their heads completely. I mean he is to the right of even Carter, Truman, Johnson etc, yet they have painted him as if he is one of us in order to rationalise their fear.

Who knows? There do exist weird right-wing institutes in America which do lectures from an extreme right-wing perspective. I wouldn't doubt that some of them are carrying out actual education.

[Demogorgon]

Who knows? There do exist weird right-wing institutes in America which do lectures from an extreme right-wing perspective. I wouldn't doubt that some of them are carrying out actual education.
Probably, but they aren't going to be teaching classes with 99% support for Obama.

This particular story is not merely fiction, it isn't decent fiction.

[Wanted Man]

Umm, at the bottom of the article they even admit it's not true:


For all our "progressive" readers, it's a PARABLE; no need to "demand" the name of the professor...

It’s Obamunism, stupid.

Anyway, I wonder what it would be like if it were true. I mean, a professor who doesn't fail any students as long as they aren't socialists. Do they have to suck his dick too?

I also like how, according to Snopes, the story was variously titled "Simple Economics", "Excellent lesson in Economics", "Economics 101", etc. Now, Economics was never my best subject, but...

[Dimentio]

The question is remaining. An ideology which is forced to use parables to motivate its supporters must stand on really loose ground...

[Red Commissar]

As has been mentioned earlier, this is a common variation of a popular tale that is spread among right-wing groups, particularly in the ever popular email rounds.

It's playing off the popular misconception among the crowd that socialism ultimately punishes people who are are smart and productive to benefit slackers and lazy folk. This is a very, very common sentiment towards socialism among traditionally minded people. Sort of a Randroid view on the innovators, entrepreneurs, and industrialists, who drive society should not be restricted to benefit the lazy.

It's a stupid story though. It relies mainly on making a parallel with people who are upper middle-class, making up to six figures, being "punished" for what they are good at, ie taxes. Is socialism about regulating capitalism and placing taxes? Hardly, but it's suffice for these types when they preach to the choir.

[Dimentio]

As has been mentioned earlier, this is a common variation of a popular tale that is spread among right-wing groups, particularly in the ever popular email rounds.

It's playing off the popular misconception among the crowd that socialism ultimately punishes people who are are smart and productive to benefit slackers and lazy folk. This is a very, very common sentiment towards socialism among traditionally minded people. Sort of a Randroid view on the innovators, entrepreneurs, and industrialists, who drive society should not be restricted to benefit the lazy.

It's a stupid story though. It relies mainly on making a parallel with people who are upper middle-class, making up to six figures, being "punished" for what they are good at, ie taxes. Is socialism about regulating capitalism and placing taxes? Hardly, but it's suffice for these types when they preach to the choir.

The fun thing is that it seems to be that it is mostly spread internally, as a way to "boost morale". I cannot believe that people under hardship would bay into this tale about "Obama socialism".

Also checked up the term "Obamunism". Got the following replies: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Obamunism

[CartCollector]

It's a stupid story though. It relies mainly on making a parallel with people who are upper middle-class, making up to six figures, being "punished" for what they are good at, ie taxes. Is socialism about regulating capitalism and placing taxes? Hardly, but it's suffice for these types when they preach to the choir.
Well it is what the neoliberals and social democrats call socialism.


It is really sad when you need to use parables to defend your world-view...
Jesus must be the saddest man of all time then.

But yeah whenever someone tries to make an analogy like this it fails because the characteristics don't always hold. For instance, grades are not money. You won't ever get evicted from your house, be refused medical care, or starve to death because you failed a class. Also, let's say the students in the apocryphal "socialist" class tried a strategy of dividing their homework assignments and tests and sharing their answers (can someone say "mutual aid society?") so that all of them could get a better grade and have more free time. In any economic system this reduction of labor would be considered a tremendous improvement- not so in a classroom!

[blake 3:17]

It relies mainly on making a parallel with people who are upper middle-class, making up to six figures, being "punished" for what they are good at, ie taxes.

Paying them or not paying them?

[Red Commissar]

Well it is what the neoliberals and social democrats call socialism.

Well, I wouldn't necessarily say this is something social democrats would be using. This is mostly from conservatives and the neolbierals you mentioned, drawing attention to the characteristics of the tax-heavy welfare states of social democrats, which they actually see as "socialism".

[ZombieGrits]

"But when socialism takes away the reward, no one will endeavor. Most people will work to 'get through their workday' but few, if any, will strive to their full potential or excel or innovate. "

Replace the word "socialism" with "capitalism" and there you have a nice summary of how just about everybody I know feels about this system. I think most people would be more motivated to work when they have more control over what they're working towards.

PS: sorry about the bold, i dont know what the hell just happened

[A Revolutionary Tool]

Wow I got the same type of email years ago when I was a young conservative boy. It went somewhere along the line of a kid asking her dad why he thought the Republicans were better and it went on to say they were socialist and explained socialism through that crappy analogy. Of course at the time I thought it was genius. Damn I'm so embarrassed of myself as a child :crying:. So I got that chain email around 9/11 so I know it's at least a few years old.