Trump is now at war with Harvard. The standard establishment line is that this is a disgrace, an affront to liberal learning, the independence of the universities, etc. “Boo-hoo-aroo”, as I always say when I mock my sons when they pretend to be afflicted by something. Here is Barack Obama: “Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions – rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking concrete steps to make sure all students at Harvard can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and mutual respect.” Well, there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy, Obama.
The story is unedifying, as usual. The US Government says to Harvard: Do this and that (DEI, foreign students, antisemitism, etc). Harvard says to the US Government: No. So the US Government says: We will revoke your federal funding and its tax-exempt status. Harvard says: So much for academic freedom. Columbia, Stanford, Princeton all stand with Harvard. The Guardian editorialises: Trump is making a “concerted attack on the independence of US institutions of higher education”. Aye.
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