"I guess for you freedom is free!"

[wellstone_democrat]

Hilarious exchange in my office hallway a few minutes ago---a perfect set up in fact. Prof A is liberal-ish and tired to death (it seems) of Prof. W's endless answer to any criticism of the Iraq mess: "Freedom isn't free!" Prof. A is new, got his doctorate after another career, and played the innocent to perfection:

Prof. W: "Well, Freedom isn't Free!"
Prof. A: "Well seeing how you served in the military then I guess it *wasn't* free from your point of view. I disagree but thank you for your service"
Prof. W: "Well, I wasn't in the service, I had a lottery number in 1970 but wasn't called. I would have been proud to serve if called."
Prof. A: "Oh, sorry. I guess for you freedom was free then since you didn't serve and just benefited from the service of others"
Prof. W: (going into full petulant mode) "Well, I supported the Vietnam War---what did you do?"
Prof. A: "I fought in it for one long year."
Prof. W: "then you should support the President!"
Prof. A: "no, I learned that kind of blind 'support' is generally a mistake but, then again, I guess by your definition of how the country works, I *paid* for that freedom. But, you are sort of stuck Mark since you haven't "paid" for anything."

Now, in the grand scheme of academia, untenured Prof. A is really the "loser" as petulant Prof. W will work to get him out. But, what Prof. W doesn't know is that Prof. A accepted a very nice job this a.m. for next year and won't be here to "punish"

Anyway, I laughed out loud to hear the endless "freedom isn't free" crap answered for once.

[texpatriot2004]

1. Man, that's beautiful. Superb. BRAVO to Prof. A n/t

[bunkerbuster1]

2. good Lord--you mean to tell me that college professors say stuff as stupid

as "Freedom isn't Free"?

Ok, maybe it's been too long since I set foot on a college campus, but still.

[wellstone_democrat]

4. Despite the claim that its a wild radical bastion

of America, there are LOADS of conservatives. At some schools in some states they _PREFER_ conservatives. And in my dept of 30, I'd say that all but 6 are conservative-rabidly neocon. Of the rest of us...we shut up 99% of the time.

[bunkerbuster1]

11. Oh, I know there are all kinds of political types in academia

I had right-wing profs myself.

But something as dittohead-ish and stupid as "Freedom isn't Free?" That's what surprised me. Not the political sentiment, but rather the inherent stupidity.

It'd be like a lefty saying "Visualize World Peace, Mannnnn!"

[BiggJawn]

10. Must be an Econ Perfesser....

Can't find Liberals willing to teach the young'uns how to sell their Souls for bright shiny baubles....

[Sequoia]

3. A song I remember from childhood

Freedom isn't free
Freedom isn't free
You've got to fight for it
Sacrifice for it
For your liberty.

My husband and I break out singing it when ever the Chimpmeister starts yapping about "they hate us for our freedoms"!

[lady lib]

5. Wow. Great exchange. I was wondering how Prof. W responded

to "you haven't 'paid' for anything."

[wellstone_democrat]

15. I should have added the dramatic finish...

Prof. A turned on his heel with a tight little smile and walked away down the hall.

As he said to me later: "nothing is sweeter than knowing that I could say anything to that pompous ass because I am giving my notice this week!" We agreed that W is a weasel because he had no comeback. Oh, and A has been more or less planning this since he accepted the other job and has been waiting to provoke another "fury of jingoistic nonsense out of our colleague!"

Yeah, unfortunately education is no barrier to trite jingoism.

[Straight Shooter]

6. Why wasn't Professor W proud enough to volunteer to serve?

Why must he be called? Who does he think he's kidding? :eyes:

[Marr]

12. Because his Freedom bill never arrived in the mail.

[Straight Shooter]

16. LOL!

I actually thought we were paying plenty enough for our so-called "freedom" with our taxes. Silly me. :silly:

[MuseRider]

7. Excellent!

Thanks for sharing that exchange.

[mtnester]

8. Oh snap

I Luv the art of the master, subtle smackdown much better than in your face stuff.

[ComerPerro]

9. That "I would have been proud to serve, if drafted" line is BS

Hell, if they supported the war and would have proudly served if they were drafted, why didn't they just enlist and spare someone else?

[gratuitous]

13. Hey Prof. W: Still time to volunteer now for Iraq

We all know how much you'd like to "pay" for your freedom, which we all know isn't free, and how much you'd hate to be a freeloader. Imagine what an inspiration you'd be for countless young people if a tenured professor gave up his lifetime sinecure at a prestigious university to go fight and die in Iraq to help pay for all that freedom!

I get a tear in my eye and my breast swells with manly pride just thinking about your sacrifice. Go for it, Prof. W!

[marbuc]

14. GWB said "freedom is the almighty's gift to the world."

or something like that. From my experience, gifts are normally given without a cost, which of course is why they are called "gifts."

[shenmue]

17. Very funny

Excellent answer from Dr. A.

Way to keep on his toes.

:D :applause:

[thinkingwoman]

18. Great story!

There's nothing I hate more than the brain-cell liquifying phrase:

Freedom isn't free.

Ugh. :puke:

[Lisa]

19. way to go, Prof A! "I fought in it for one long year."

Only a fool or an egotist would try to come up with a rebuttal to that.