Politics

MIT explains on their webpage that they are proud to be one of the first universities in America to obey authoritarian orders from Trump and his regime: see MIT’s current “Understanding MIT: Merit and Excellence” webpage.

MIT advertises on their webpage that they are one of the first universities, leading other universities in America, to remove all references to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives across the university campus.

Rigor in admissions and hiring

MIT was first to reinstate the SAT as a requirement for undergraduate applications and eliminated DEI statements in faculty hiring — steps that other universities have emulated.

MIT has moved quickly to silence the First Amendment right to freedom of speech for students that nonviolently protest the ongoing genocide of Palestinians in the Middle East.

MIT has taken steps to improve and accelerate its student disciplinary processes


Safe campus environment

MIT has continually improved its approach to making sure that campus operates smoothly and safely, and that everyone is able to pursue the work they came to MIT to do. MIT has introduced enhanced rules, implemented rapid response measures, and used administrative actions when appropriate.


Strong disciplinary actions

Disciplinary actions related to campus tensions stemming from the conflict in the Middle East have included probation, full suspensions, and/or bans from campus for students who violated campus rules.

Shawn Fain, the president of the UAW (United Auto Workers), explains the free trade disaster that was NAFTA and how tariffs are part of an intelligent strategy for protecting workers’ rights.  He explains how 99% of Trump’s policies go against workers’ rights, and while Trump’s tariffs are generally careless and harmful to workers in America, Trump’s auto tariffs are specifically good for American auto workers and the working class in America.

See Alphabet tracked copy.

Streamed live on Apr 10, 2025

UAW President Shawn Fain discusses the political moment we find ourselves in, our union’s position on tariffs and trade, and the attacks we are facing from the Trump administration.

I took the time over the past week to watch all 3 episodes, 6 hours, of Ken Burns’ PBS documentary on the Holocaust.  Parallels were drawn between the United States’ expansion to the West as a white Christian peoples genocide of the native American peoples, which served as inspiration for Germany’s expansion to the East led by Hitler as a white Christian peoples genocide of Jewish and other peoples.  The documentary points out that Hitler was inspired by eugenics and segregationist laws in the United States that were used to keep black people from integrating into society.  According to Burns, the world watched and denied immigration to Jewish refugees before, during, and after the second world war, even after it was publicly known that over 6 million Jewish people had been murdered at industrial death camps across Europe.  The documentary shows footage of United States citizens chanting “Build That Wall” to keep Jewish refugees out.  The documentary shows footage of German citizens chanting “Make Germany Great Again” just before they organized the murder of the Jewish people while the world watched.  It documents that not a single country in the world would allow significant immigration of Jewish refugees to escape the Holocaust.  The point is made that antisemitism has not gone away since.

The documentary focuses on the Holocaust as an example of a larger trend.  The current Unites States Republican party represents Anarcho-capitalist Libertarians whom have teamed up with Trump whom represents the White Christian Nationalists whom have the heterophobic Proud Boys that fight for them and whom stormed the United States capital, tried to implement authoritarian rule and throw out United States democracy on January 6th, 2021.  This is not a Christian idea.  This is not a Jewish idea.  This is not a white or black idea.  This is not a racial or religious idea.  This is not a nationalist idea.  This idea is about money.  This idea is about capital.  I am grateful to Ken Burns and PBS for creating and releasing this film at this appropriate time and making these analogies so apparent to such a broad audience.  I highly recommend taking the time to watch this documentary.