"a fundamental principle of fairness in legal matters requiring that everyone is treated equally and has the right to a fair hearing and a chance to defend their rights when it supports a Democrat political agenda or administration but is to be completely ignored when supporting a Republican political agenda or administration."
In fairness the author is highlighting the importance of increasing conservative representation on campus to avoid a monoculture, as well as calling out the last two Democratic administrations for similar abuses of due process.
Unfortunately for some important research programs, ignoring due process in this instance is wonderful politics. Elitist, privileged outrage at government interference in a private administration - having the temerity to withhold billions of dollars of taxpayers money no less - displays at best a lack of self awareness.
Meantime before Trump was reelected, SCOTUS ruled against Harvard’s admission policies that did not prioritise the smartest applicants as measured by test scores, and discriminated against Asian-Americans in particular. SCOTUS also suggested that ending legacy preference would have a much more meaningful impact on diversity and inclusion.
According to some studies white students whose parents went to their preferred college are seven times more likely to be admitted than white students who were non-legacy. That inherited intergenerational social (and financial) capital influences admissions at all makes a complete mockery of equality and inclusion. I applaud efforts to encourage First Generation students to apply to Ivies, but while legacy is used to determine admissions, efforts to increase inclusion will remain mired in hypocrisy.
There is plenty of precedent for federal dollars to be connected to congressional-approved public policy goals. And certainly, if a POTUS is using his executive power to thwart any of that, it deserves to be challenged in court.
However, this isn't that. This is similar to if recipients of federal dollars were running Madrasa promoting "death to Jews" and "death to America". There isn't really any constitutional or other legal challenge we should accept for that type of thing. It is really a constitutional basis that the primary role of the federal government is national security... meaning it should fund programs to eliminate any group threatening the country and/or Jews. Simply cutting off the flow of federal dollar SUPPORTING those things should be non-controversial.
But my point still stands... there is a great swell of demand for DUE PROCESS related to everything that the Trump administration does while we just left four years of media silence in never demanding DUE PROCESS for anything that that geriatric potted cabbage Autopen did.
The authors might also have noted the existence of the *other* new Harvard Presidential Task Force Report, 222 pages long, on anti-Muslim/Arab/Palestinian activity on campus.
The Trump administration must act within the law, and by acting within the law, they would have the actual opportunity to address problems instead of grandstanding. Harvard and other monoculture institutions will not change by themselves. I wish that I could remember who said it before me, but you cannot fix a problem from within because the problem is from within.
This is exactly my fear! I enjoy the retributive justice Harvard et al are receiving. But there are no guardrails to insure that it does not swing from the AOC to the MTG. Both terrifying anti-intellectuals who know only abusive power left and right.
Persuasion definition of Due Process:
"a fundamental principle of fairness in legal matters requiring that everyone is treated equally and has the right to a fair hearing and a chance to defend their rights when it supports a Democrat political agenda or administration but is to be completely ignored when supporting a Republican political agenda or administration."
In fairness the author is highlighting the importance of increasing conservative representation on campus to avoid a monoculture, as well as calling out the last two Democratic administrations for similar abuses of due process.
Unfortunately for some important research programs, ignoring due process in this instance is wonderful politics. Elitist, privileged outrage at government interference in a private administration - having the temerity to withhold billions of dollars of taxpayers money no less - displays at best a lack of self awareness.
Meantime before Trump was reelected, SCOTUS ruled against Harvard’s admission policies that did not prioritise the smartest applicants as measured by test scores, and discriminated against Asian-Americans in particular. SCOTUS also suggested that ending legacy preference would have a much more meaningful impact on diversity and inclusion.
According to some studies white students whose parents went to their preferred college are seven times more likely to be admitted than white students who were non-legacy. That inherited intergenerational social (and financial) capital influences admissions at all makes a complete mockery of equality and inclusion. I applaud efforts to encourage First Generation students to apply to Ivies, but while legacy is used to determine admissions, efforts to increase inclusion will remain mired in hypocrisy.
There is plenty of precedent for federal dollars to be connected to congressional-approved public policy goals. And certainly, if a POTUS is using his executive power to thwart any of that, it deserves to be challenged in court.
However, this isn't that. This is similar to if recipients of federal dollars were running Madrasa promoting "death to Jews" and "death to America". There isn't really any constitutional or other legal challenge we should accept for that type of thing. It is really a constitutional basis that the primary role of the federal government is national security... meaning it should fund programs to eliminate any group threatening the country and/or Jews. Simply cutting off the flow of federal dollar SUPPORTING those things should be non-controversial.
But my point still stands... there is a great swell of demand for DUE PROCESS related to everything that the Trump administration does while we just left four years of media silence in never demanding DUE PROCESS for anything that that geriatric potted cabbage Autopen did.
The authors might also have noted the existence of the *other* new Harvard Presidential Task Force Report, 222 pages long, on anti-Muslim/Arab/Palestinian activity on campus.
https://www.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/FINAL-Harvard-AMAAAPB-Report-5.7.25.pdf
The Trump administration must act within the law, and by acting within the law, they would have the actual opportunity to address problems instead of grandstanding. Harvard and other monoculture institutions will not change by themselves. I wish that I could remember who said it before me, but you cannot fix a problem from within because the problem is from within.
Very precise and principled argumentation. Same rules for all institutions, no to arbitrary and populist behaviours
This is exactly my fear! I enjoy the retributive justice Harvard et al are receiving. But there are no guardrails to insure that it does not swing from the AOC to the MTG. Both terrifying anti-intellectuals who know only abusive power left and right.