Where “Incivility” = “Language that Makes University Administrators and Wealthy Donors Uncomfortable”

The broad-based attack on “incivility” from academics continues. But of course “civility” can only be defined as language that makes the administrator class comfortable. Given that these administrators see themselves as equivalent to corporate CEOs, this also means they want the power to fire anyone who they deem “uncivil,” which means nothing more than “language that makes them or wealthy donors uncomfortable.” That the University of California chancellor used the 50th anniversary of the Free Speech Movement to make this claim is especially galling.