At Minding the Campus today, Prof. Robert Weissberg has a marvelous essay on what he calls “incidentism.” What he means by that is the technique used by leftist and “identity” groups to extort money and privileges from universities by overreacting to real or imaginary campus events.

What makes incidentism work is the fact that nearly all college leaders are cut from the same bolt of cloth. They earnestly want to help heal social divisions and just can’t say “no” when spokespeople for officially oppressed groups demand succor for some new hurt. It just isn’t in them to reply, “Stop complaining and grow up.”