A couple of weeks ago, I posted on Political Science Professor Bruce Gilley’s new paper “The Case for Colonialism”, which I was quite surprised ever got published.
Well, right on cue, the article has been yanked and sent to the Memory Hole Gulag.
From the Chronicle of Higher Education (which really ought to change its name):
A controversial essay that offered a defense of colonialism and led to a revolt at Third World Quarterly has been withdrawn due to “serious and credible threats of personal violence” to the journal’s editor, according to a notice posted by the journal’s publisher, Taylor & Francis.
The essay, “The Case for Colonialism,” was withdrawn at the request of the journal’s editor, Shahid Qadir, and in agreement with the essay’s author, Bruce Gilley, an associate professor of political science at Portland State University, the notice said.
It is most unfortunate that the article’s author appears to have cucked out.
The article itself met the usual criteria for inclusion in the journal:
The publisher said that it had conducted a thorough investigation after receiving complaints about the essay and found that it had undergone double-blind peer review, in line with the journal’s editorial policy.
But this has zero weight when the The Other’s feelings are involved. The Other is offended and, as a result, threatens violence, which is precisely what The Other typically resorts to. (Way to reinforce stereotypes guys!):
However, the publisher’s notice continued, the journal’s editor received “serious and credible threats of personal violence” linked to the publication of the essay. “As the publisher, we must take this seriously,” the withdrawal notice reads. “Taylor & Francis has a strong and supportive duty of care to all our academic editorial teams, and this is why we are withdrawing this essay.”
Backlash against Third World Quarterly was swift after it published the colonialism essay last month. Fifteen people on the journal’s 34-member board resigned, and a petition seeking a retraction drew more than 10,000 signatures.
In the wake of the controversy, the author, Mr. Gilley, had asked that his essay be withdrawn. “I regret the pain and anger that it has caused for many people,” Mr. Gilley wrote last month on his website.
If you go to the page the paper was originally posted to, the title of the paper remains, but where the abstract was, it now reads:
Abstract
WITHDRAWAL NOTICE
This Viewpoint essay has been withdrawn at the request of the academic journal editor, and in agreement with the author of the essay. Following a number of complaints, Taylor & Francis conducted a thorough investigation into the peer review process on this article. Whilst this clearly demonstrated the essay had undergone double-blind peer review, in line with the journal’s editorial policy, the journal editor has subsequently received serious and credible threats of personal violence. These threats are linked to the publication of this essay. As the publisher, we must take this seriously. Taylor & Francis has a strong and supportive duty of care to all our academic editorial teams, and this is why we are withdrawing this essay.
Again, the above paragraph replaces the abstract of a double-blind, peer reviewed, academic article.
How symbolic.
Let that sink in.
Thankfully, I downloaded “The Case for Colonialism” before it was scrubbed.
