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2011-03-05 Africa North

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Posted by Steve White 2011-03-05 00:28|| || Front Page|| [11130 views ] Top

#1 Forget the stupidity re: geopolitics and the coziness with egomaniac dictators. What pisses me off is that these professors were complicit in the award of a fraudulent PhD. For that they should have their tenure revoked and their academic positions removed.

I sincerely hope that some Harvard alumni make a lot of waves over this. Not holding my breath, given the massive Arab oil contributions to that place over the last decade. But hoping nonetheless.

At a minimum, the rest of us should make it plain to all that the fact of Harvard faculty colluding to ghost write a doctoral dissertation for pay means the university as a whole is worthy only of contempt.

Posted by lotp 2011-03-05 02:57|| 2011-03-05 02:57|| Front Page Top

#2 Common lotp, Saif is hardly the first to have his thesis written for him.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2011-03-05 04:54|| 2011-03-05 04:54|| Front Page Top

#3 Harvard is the source of many good things, but some things, like this, are reprehensible and intolerable. I will voice my disgust.

Posted by Whiskey Mike 2011-03-05 06:49|| 2011-03-05 06:49|| Front Page Top

#4 Collusion at the other end of the dissertation, too. After all, it must not only be researched and written, but defended. A man who hasn't written the thing is not going to be able to defend it against a committee of professors who know what questions to ask -- and they all know what questions to ask.

Posted by trailing wife 2011-03-05 07:10|| 2011-03-05 07:10|| Front Page Top

#5 Unfortunately this is a perfect example of the principles (or lack there of) of the cultured, intellectual elite that wants to run the world.

I seem to remember another "world" figure whose Harvard credentials (NOT education) have been hidden from view by this same elite.

Posted by AlanC 2011-03-05 08:51|| 2011-03-05 08:51|| Front Page Top

#6 Money is a powerful drug, even in high academic circles.

Posted by R.U. Cereus 2011-03-05 08:57|| 2011-03-05 08:57|| Front Page Top

#7 RU Cereus,

Money is a powerful drug, even in high academic circles.

It certainly is. Especially if you have no resistence and no shame at being so addicted.

These types are the Charlie Sheens of "public" intellectuals.

Posted by AlanC 2011-03-05 09:12|| 2011-03-05 09:12|| Front Page Top

#8 Smart power! Although, if they can only wring a $250k out of an oil-rich megalomaniac dictator...

Posted by regular joe 2011-03-05 09:55|| 2011-03-05 09:55|| Front Page Top

#9 Altogether they got upwards of $6 million in 2 years from the Qadaffis.

Posted by lotp 2011-03-05 10:00|| 2011-03-05 10:00|| Front Page Top

#10 Academia's nasty little secret. "We know what's best for you. Unfortunately, we have the ethics of crack whores".

Posted by tu3031 2011-03-05 13:01|| 2011-03-05 13:01|| Front Page Top

#11 Unfortunately, we have the ethics of crack whores".
And the same taste in associates as well.

Posted by AlanC 2011-03-05 13:30|| 2011-03-05 13:30|| Front Page Top

#12 TU and Alan, those remarks are insults to all crack whores.

Posted by Rambler in Virginia 2011-03-05 15:47|| 2011-03-05 15:47|| Front Page Top

#13 "We know what's best for you. Unfortunately, we have the ethics of crack whores".

Isn't that the motto of the Federal Grants program*? Come on, any one surprised? Can we type Man Made Global Warming? Yes we can. *Google translates that for the Latin as "Scimus quid melius fuerit. Miser habemus meretrices Ethica crack"

Posted by Procopius2k 2011-03-05 16:13|| 2011-03-05 16:13|| Front Page Top

#14 There are a lot of very useful federal grants awarded, P2K, many by DOD looking to seed future capabilities, or by NIH seeding future drugs or disease treatments. Many, if not most, of the grant recipients do legitimate and scrupulous science in my experience (and I've seen the process from the inside).

The ones that don't deserve unmasking, ridicule, scorn and the end of their careers.

Posted by lotp 2011-03-05 19:28|| 2011-03-05 19:28|| Front Page Top

23:35 newc
22:47 gorb
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22:15 Anonymoose
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21:28 Secret Asian Man
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18:49 trailing wife