Subject: Re: [AUDITORY] Silence from leaders in auditory science From: Douglas Scott <jdmusictuition@xxxxxxxx> Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2025 17:39:18 -0400--000000000000843298063132678a Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Alain We are in dire straits indeed if scientists are relying on journalists as expert arbiters of fact. Of course it is a banal fact that funding is being cut. That's not what is in dispute here. What is in dispute is how much funding for politically biased research has been flowing from politically captured state entities under false banners. How do I know this? From following left-wing commentators for decades. This is how the dominant political hegemony has been maintained. It's got nothing to do with the highly misguided constructs of right wing or left wing stances on some arbitrary issue of the day. It doesn't matter which team's flag is currently flying on the dungeon parapet. Maybe I'm an idealist, but as far as I am concerned, the problem isn't that the U.S. is cutting the branch that many researchers are sitting on, but rather that researchers were sitting on a branch cultivated by and for U.S. interests in the first place while (hopefully) being fully aware that they were part of a massive exploitative racket that ultimately only furthered those interests and not that of science or scientists as a whole. Doug On Tue, 25 Mar 2025 at 00:34, Emmanuel Ponsot <emmanuel.ponsot@xxxxxxxx> wrote: > Dear colleagues, > > In this climate of fear and uncertainty, we first want to express our > strong support for our American colleagues who are directly or indirectly > affected by the current attacks from the U.S. government on scientific > freedom. > > It's certainly worth reaffirming our values as scientists, those that > animate us beyond the hearing sciences community. These values are indeed > those espoused by the Stand Up for Science movement ( > https://standupforscience.fr/), to which we lend our full support. They > are also the values upheld by democratic nations where science can be > conducted freely and without political interference. > At the European level, various initiatives are emerging to provide > structured, in-person support and financial assistance for American > researchers facing these challenges, which we hope will be implemented > quickly. For instance, in France, the universities of Aix-Marseille ( > https://www.univ-amu.fr/fr/public/actualites/safe-place-science-aix-marse= ille-universite-prete-accueillir-les-scientifiques), > Lyon, and Paris-Sciences & Lettres have already launched the first hostin= g > initiatives, but other European institutions and foundations are expected > to come up with new proposals in the coming weeks. > For those of our community who feel threatened, and find it difficult to > continue their research in their home countries amid severe attacks on > academic freedom =E2=80=94 whether in the United States or other countrie= s facing > similar issues =E2=80=94 we encourage you to reach out to us in France or= to other > colleagues at European universities or research institutions not only to > explore potential job opportunities but also to discuss any immediate for= ms > of assistance and support that could be provided. > > Best, > > Nicolas Grimault, Mathieu Lavandier, Christian Lorenzi, Olivier Macherey, > Sabine Meunier, Emmanuel Ponsot, L=C3=A9o Varnet --000000000000843298063132678a Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr">Alain<div><br></div><div>We are in dire straits indeed if = scientists are relying on journalists as expert arbiters of fact.<br><br>Of= course it is a banal fact that funding is being cut. That's not what i= s in dispute here. What is in dispute is how much funding for politically b= iased research has been flowing from politically captured state entities un= der false banners.</div><div><br></div><div>How do I know this? From follow= ing left-wing commentators for decades. This is how the dominant political = hegemony has been maintained. It's got nothing to do with the highly mi= sguided constructs of right wing or left wing stances on some arbitrary iss= ue of the day. It doesn't matter which team's flag is currently fly= ing on the dungeon parapet.</div><div><br></div><div>Maybe I'm an ideal= ist, but as far as I am concerned, the problem isn't that the U.S. is c= utting the branch that many researchers are sitting on, but rather that res= earchers were sitting on a branch cultivated by and for U.S. interests in t= he first place while (hopefully) being fully aware that they were part of a= massive exploitative racket that ultimately only furthered those interests= and not that of science or scientists as a whole.</div><div><br></div><div= >Doug</div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div = dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Tue, 25 Mar 2025 at 00:34, Emmanuel Pon= sot <<a href=3D"mailto:emmanuel.ponsot@xxxxxxxx">emmanuel.ponsot@xxxxxxxx= r</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin= :0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"= >Dear colleagues,<br> <br> In this climate of fear and uncertainty, we first want to express our stron= g support for our American colleagues who are directly or indirectly affect= ed by the current attacks from the U.S. government on scientific freedom.<b= r> <br> It's certainly worth reaffirming our values as scientists, those that a= nimate us beyond the hearing sciences community. These values are indeed th= ose espoused by the Stand Up for Science movement (<a href=3D"https://stand= upforscience.fr/" rel=3D"noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">https://standupforsc= ience.fr/</a>), to which we lend our full support. They are also the values= upheld by democratic nations where science can be conducted freely and wit= hout political interference.<br> At the European level, various initiatives are emerging to provide structur= ed, in-person support and financial assistance for American researchers fac= ing these challenges, which we hope will be implemented quickly. For instan= ce, in France, the universities of Aix-Marseille (<a href=3D"https://www.un= iv-amu.fr/fr/public/actualites/safe-place-science-aix-marseille-universite-= prete-accueillir-les-scientifiques" rel=3D"noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">ht= tps://www.univ-amu.fr/fr/public/actualites/safe-place-science-aix-marseille= -universite-prete-accueillir-les-scientifiques</a>), Lyon, and Paris-Scienc= es & Lettres have already launched the first hosting initiatives, but o= ther European institutions and foundations are expected to come up with new= proposals in the coming weeks. <br> For those of our community who feel threatened, and find it difficult to co= ntinue their research in their home countries amid severe attacks on academ= ic freedom =E2=80=94 whether in the United States or other countries facing= similar issues =E2=80=94 we encourage you to reach out to us in France or = to other colleagues at European universities or research institutions not o= nly to explore potential job opportunities but also to discuss any immediat= e forms of assistance and support that could be provided.<br> <br> Best,<br> <br> Nicolas Grimault, Mathieu Lavandier, Christian Lorenzi, Olivier Macherey, S= abine Meunier, Emmanuel Ponsot, L=C3=A9o Varnet</blockquote></div> --000000000000843298063132678a--