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Steven Pinker and Robert Zimmer “cancel” University of Austin leaving their advisory board (https://www.uaustin.org/news/uatx-statement-about-robert-zimmer-and-steven-pinker)
53

Zimmer’s statement gives me the sense that he expected this to be yet another CV-padding, honorary/“consulting” position of little consequence.

Yeah, they definitely thought it was going to be a attend a few board meetings and collect a pay check kind of gig. Then they realized it was going to be embarrassing to be publicly associated with and beat a hasty retreat.
> I will continue to work on and speak about the issue of free expression on campuses, and I wish the University of Austin success in advancing this essential priority. Good luck advancing a priority on campus without a campus lol. Decent burn on the way out

Peevin Stinker is very selective about the company he keeps

'I can accept pedophilia, but I draw the line at making negative comments about higher education.' (Yes im attributing to Pinker here what was actually said by Zimmer, but else the joke doesnt work). E: for completeness sake, here is what [Pinker said](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FERxj1FXoAMJkHQ?format=jpg&name=medium), anybody who is an expert in the theories used by [Hari Seldon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hari_Seldon) of course can analyze this and note that he isn't actually saying anything of note here apart from 'dont ever ask me about this, I will not talk about it' which considering the situation is the smart move.
“No comment” is often the correct move.
The best move would have been not to play
It's funny when he isn't, but in many ways he is, like when many people linked to him went all IDW and he mostly steered clear

I can’t believe the left would do this.

Factionalism is a left-wing trope, maybe they’re not serious afterall 🤔

They’ll say, as usual, that this was self-censorship or pressure from the woke mob or whatever. All Ls are Ws in reactionary land.

precommitting to “continue to admire” Zimmer’s leadership and Pinker’s whole “public intellectual” deal; big of them

(the inability to pick a consistent spelling of “advisor” also amused me)

Well that went a bit faster than I expected.

Anti-woke implosion speed run any %

But but but they had a good reason to do so!