Korbellian Resistance
April 22, 2010
Consensus among DU students on the “liberal” atmosphere of campus does not necessarily mean conformity. This is the vibe I got from Jake Braunger, a co-founder of the new student organization as I posed questions this afternoon about the group.
The Korbellian Resistances’ Facebook page states, “our purpose is to promote diversity of thought in opposition to the dominant political ideology at Korbel”. Is there a “dominant political ideology” silencing the voices of “conservatives” on campus, especially those of our fellow colleagues at JKSIS? Organizers of the K.R. would say yes. When asked about this issue, Braunger stated “the predominant ideology is democratic liberalism”. With an “overwhelming lack of political diversity” at Korbel and a tendency towards “groupthink”, Braunger seemed frustrated at a perceived or real lack of variation in political discourse.
“Most of our members agree on fiscal conservatism but there are some differing views on foreign policy”, states Braunger. In its early stage of development, the K.R. resembles more a gathering of politically similar students, than a cohesive force with a demonstrable philosophy at the moment. The leadership is organized in a triumvirate style, with the possibility for the organizational dynamic to vary in the future.
When asked what speaker, if any, he would choose for their first meeting, Braunger said “Ron Paul, and without having someone call him a kook”. Ron Paul does not represent mainstream Republican or conservative thought, reminding me of the enormous applause he received from the young participants at the 2010 CPAC conference. Signaling, there may be a groundswell of resistance among young conservatives. Is this organization tapping into that resistance?
The broad brush of the K.R. appeals to “right” leaning members of the Korbel student body. Neo-cons, fiscal conservatives, traditionalists, etc. are all welcome to join. One curious fact pointed out to me by Joseph Emerson was the call of the K.R. to promote “diversity in thought”, yet the group is closed to the public, with content restricted to members.
This group is representative of a larger tension that has paralyzed American politics and has the potential to divide the public even further. Political parties whose rhetoric is dissimilar but whose policies are nearly identical leaves the public confused. A seemingly binary choice becomes convoluted to the point of apathy within the voting population. Binary? The lack of plurality within American political discourse is shocking.
Supporters of either dominant U.S. political party preclude the insertion of any dissenting opinions and leave the citizenry with the same old song and dance. Emotion clouds reason and agreement is rarely reached other than in times of crisis.
I would argue, whatever bandwagon one jumps on across the political landscape, superficial disagreements among R’s and D’s render incapable the ability to agree on purposeful legislation that would address fundamentally agreed principles. If the stage could be taken away from a Shakespearian Congress that revels in opining and blustering, without much to show for it, maybe some substantive progress will be made.
The Korbellian Resistance, if inclusive and non-divisive, should be welcomed as a healthy addition to a swelling number of Korbel student groups. We shall see.
Aaron Ferreira
