Death of the Ayn Rand Scholar by Gray Cavender (classic literature list txt) 📕

ascendency of the right, there’s a move to list the political affiliation of judges so that PACs can target the ones they don’t like, get them defeated, and replace them with their lackeys.

Jillian was frustrated because Professor Naremore wasn’t answering her questions. She didn’t know if he was just holding forth—which he often did—or was dodging her questions. But, from experience, she knew she could get him back on point. It just might take a while.

“Is this what you’re working on now…judicial elections?”

“No, I’m still into regulation. I’m finishing-up a book that I’m calling, Corporate Crime Redux: Deregulation, Criminality and the Great Recession of 2008. It’s a sequel to my Enron book.” He smiled, either happy about the working title or about calling it a sequel. “The project here is to show how laws and regulations that were enacted to protect us after the great depression were eroded…and how this deregulation facilitated the great recession that started in 2008.”

“How’s it coming?”

“It’s coming. I’m in a writing support group…some colleagues in Justice Studies, some in Women and Gender Studies—you know, Jillian, ‘it takes a village.’ Anyway, I’ve finished a good draft of the book and I’m into revisions now.”

“Do you have a publisher?” Jillian had learned as a grad student to think about such matters.

“Well, NYU Press has expressed some interest. They published my Enron book in their Alternative Crim Series. We’ll see.”

Jillian posed her next question as carefully as possible. “So, given your work and also how you’ve described Professor Siemens’ views, I assume that she would really be opposed to your perspective. You said you’d met her…did you guys ever have any…run-ins?”

Jillian could see him tense-up. He stared, not so much at her as off to her side. Then he refocused his attention on her. “We definitely had run-ins…so let me tell you about some in print. OK, I’d written an article that attacked the deregulatory movement, and I drew what-was-to-me the obvious link between deregulatory efforts, right-wing think tanks, and the growing presence of these organizations in academe. Siemens retaliated with a paper that appeared in an edited volume published by some right-wing press…including the claim that universities are anti-business. Except, what made this paper different from her usual screed was that it contained an ad hominem attack...on me.”

“Wow, how so?

“Well, it was crazy. Her chapter included a review of my Enron book.”

“OK, but how’s that a personal attack?”

“Right off the bat, because the Enron book had been out several years by then…it’s a little late in the game for another review. What she did was to pull together any negative reviews, you know, from actual reviews when it was first published. I mean, there were mostly positive reviews, but a couple weren’t so good—and she combined them with anything else she could find…criticisms in other books or journal articles…I’m talking a sentence here, a sentence there…anything…like she was really piling on.”

“That sounds mean…”

“That’s why I said it was an ad hominem attack. I assume she knows that I’m planning to go up for promotion to full professor once I publish Corporate Crime Redux, and I think she’s trying to undermine my record.

“That’s horrible. Is there anything you can do?”

“Yeah…GET EVEN.”

“OK…How?”

He smiled. “See, I did a review of Inside Job that appeared in Crime Media Culture. That’s the documentary film about the run-up to the great recession of 2008. Did you see it, Jillian?”

“I think so…”

“Remember, Matt Damon narrated it?”

Jillian nodded, “yes,” that she’d seen the film.

Despite her acknowledgement that she’d seen it, he continued his explanation. “The film critiques the actions of Congress, The White House, the Fed…” He paused, then gestured with his index finger for emphasis, “…and all those pro-business academics whose position papers poo-pooed the coming crisis. They were wrong, of course…but they were well-paid for being wrong. And, no surprise…Nelda Siemens was in there…to the tune of 15K. So, in my review, I take up-up where the film ended and essentially track them—especially her—like the movie says…I follow the money.” He smiled and nodded.

“I assume that she was really PO’d.”

“I couldn’t care less. This was my way of turning up the heat on Siemens. But, more important, it was about showing how people like her…by their actions AND their inactions…by their complicity…hurt the hell out of people who lost their jobs, lost their homes…and this was around the world. And you know what happened? Not a damn thing…at least not here. In other countries, people went to prison for this…theft. But here in the U.S.—get this—one guy went to prison…one…and it wasn’t really even directly related to this business.”

“Professor Naremore…?

“This is the woman ASU hired…she’s despicable!”

Jillian tried again, “Professor Naremore?”

A bit annoyed, he answered, “Yes, Jillian?”

“Does it bother you that Professor Siemens is dead?”

When she was a grad student, Jillian had heard a couple of stories about Professor Naremore getting mad at someone in his seminar…although not any that she was in. Both times, the offending student had said something that came across as racist. And both times, he’d unloaded on the student. At least, that’s how Jillian had heard it. So, he obviously had a temper.

He thought for a couple of seconds, and then said, “My gramy always said, ‘if you can’t say something good about someone, don’t say anything at all.’ Nelda Siemens is dead…good.”

Jillian thought that he looked really tense, really angry. For some reason, it popped into her mind that this is what it must have been like to be facing him across the net on the tennis court back at Cal. It also popped into her mind to ask, ‘So, Professor Naremore, now what about that alibi?’ But she didn’t.

Jillian left Professor Naremore’s office and walked to the far end of the opposite hall. The interview had left her a drained and a little shaken so she was glad that Carolyn’s office door was closed. Her office hours were posted beside the door. Jillian made a mental note of them. She’d call or come by tomorrow to ‘chat’…as