Have you ever been driving on the highway and, in the distance, you see ominous dark clouds ahead? You're not sure if the storm will hit you, but it's getting closer with each mile.
This is the best I could do from my photo collection. This was near the Grand Canyon.
For years, politics was politics, and the ivory tower was unmoved.
We discussed ideas, challenged the status quo, and maybe changed a few minds here and there. Even if some didn't like higher ed or the values of critical thinking, diversity, and embracing an open and free society.....it seemed we were removed from political consequences. Of course, it was red meat to the base to take potshots at academics, but to a large degree, a truce was formed. It was obvious enough that society needed an educated workforce, but higher education also provided publicly funded research in science and medicine to benefit the country's corporations. Quality colleges and universities brought not just global prestige but an influx of wealthy foreigners, ready to stay and benefit the US economy.. Sure, the faculty and leadership would always skew to the left, but this seemed to be the accepted price tag.
To be honest, it's a dirty little secret that universities and colleges have little to no influence in the political realm. Despite all the screaming about "indoctrination", if colleges really did indoctrinate, why aren't there more leftists in power? The brainwashing hasn't been very effective. Public universities have largely embraced and supported American capitalism and foreign policy. After all, who was educating the Wall Street and political leaders?
The power of the ivory tower was largely symbolic. If you want proof of just how limited that power of higher education was, just look at our society today. It didn't stop the storm. At best, the power was limited to the broader culture, reinforced by the entertainment culture. Many educated leaders could be shamed into appearing non-racist, non-homophobic, etc., and sometimes these beliefs were even acted upon in small but meaningful actions.
After decades of ingesting misinformation, conspiracies, and lies, the time was ripe for change. MAGA extremists didn't want to bring in foreign students, they didn't want the government spending money on research, and they definitely didn't appreciate that educated people tend to vote against MAGA. So, the truce that had held since World War II was over. War was declared.
For rightwing billionaires and a political class groomed by Rush Limbaugh, Fox News, and Alex Jones, it wasn't just about taking away even the small amount of power and influence colleges and universities had, but it was also about control.
Make no mistake, the many culture wars were created to foster division between the classes to keep the elites in power. But those in power have been listening to the right-wing media conspiracies, and an ideology fueled by resentment, hate, and scorched-earth partisanship. It is now a self-propelled beast; the media is fueled by the billionaires who are fueled by social media conspiracies and misinformation, which in turn feeds back into mainstream media.
I have been directly impacted on my campus. There's a chill in the air, and some people can't be trusted anymore.
Some words and concepts can't be discussed, but the administration won't say anything in writing, because they are scared. Of course, nothing is illegal to teach, but the governor can just ask for anyone to be fired, and it will be done. In the past month, university systems have banned words and concepts from the classroom.
Some might think this is an obvious over-reach. The checks on power in our old system came from the checks and balances of the three branches of government, a sense of shame AND from an engaged citizenry at the ballot box. If the other side ever takes power, the roles could be reversed, etc., etc.
However, these "checks" are all gone because all the branches are controlled by one party; they have no shame, and they don't plan on giving up power again.
Even before the blog post was finished, the storm came for me. Something I have worked on for over a decade is gone. It was my professional life's work, and I was going to do it until I retired. They took it from us, even without complaint, without a single controversy; they simply didn't want to worry about it or carry the risk.
There was no compromise, just capitulation.
It doesn't just end there. There are rumors of the core curriculum being cut, changing accreditation agencies (that will enforce some kind of political "diversity" or censorship). Of course, it's not just higher ed; we are all under the storm clouds.
Seek cover and batten down the hatches, the storm is here and there's no break in sight. Hang on as best you can.
