Academic Bias

In an introduction to the subject of hoaxes, my archaeology professor asked the class how many of us had ever done a Tarot reading, paid attention to horoscopes, gotten our palms deciphered, and seen Fox News.

Heh.

My Persian professor is a slightly frazzled Iranian emigre, who asserted, jokingly, that since Farsi has no grammatical genders, Persian culture is liberated. I immediately thought, but of course didn't say, that grammatical genders aren't nearly as oppressive as burkhas and enforced Sharia sexual ethics.

Anyway, I've decided that there are two ways to become an Iran expert. One is to learn Farsi and study the history, culture, and sociology of Persia and Iran. The other approach, most famously charted by Michael Ledeen, is to dig up inflammatory cold war rhetoric and replace the word "USSR" with "Iran." You tell me which method is more effective.