A great idea to fix our universities

[Isaac]

Trump asks Arizona university to commit to his agenda for more access to federal money

Nine universities nationwide were asked to commit to President Trump’s political priorities in exchange for more favorable access to federal money.

www.azfamily.com

Seems like a pretty great idea or method to start fixing the problems that we have at our universities and turning out better and more intelligent people who are better armed with the tools they need to conquer life... Real life, not the fake ones that liberals make up

 

[Steve R.]

This should apply to more than just the universities. It needs to be extended to a whole variety of programs. Grants are not free money!

The grants are funded by federal tax receipts. Too many states view grant money as "free" money since state tax dollars are not used to fund the programs that the grants support. The states need to fund the programs dependent on federal grants with state tax dollars and get-off of federal welfare. This should also "save" money since the federal government won't be collecting taxes, then taking their cut, and then distributing the money less administrative fees. The US is $$$$ trillions in debt. The states need to take-up the burden of funding their own projects.

 

[Isaac]

It definitely is a troubling thing to look up what % of a given state's budget is from federal "free" (not free) money, especially medicaid

 

[MarkK]

Seems like a pretty great idea or method to start fixing the problems that we have at our universities and turning out better and more intelligent people who are better armed with the tools they need to conquer life... Real life, not the fake ones that liberals make up

Brilliant. Establish a Department of Truth, and only fund institutions that kiss government ass. Nice "Land of the Free" you got there. Sure would be a shame if something happened to it.

And if state-sponsored institutional arm-twisting is valid, why stop there? Why not arm-twist individuals whose opinions vary from the Department of Truth's citizen's handbook? Why should internal enemies of the state even have the same rights under law? I mean, why not round them up and re-educate them? It sure would be better if the guy who gets elected, gets elected by 100% of voters, right? So just put one name on the ballot.

Think of the social harmony you could have. Not just universities, but all institutions in the motherland, working together to turn out better and more intelligent people who are better armed with the tools they need to kiss government ass.

All you need is some kind of leadership icon, like, big, big something, it's on the tip of my tongue.

 

[Isaac]

that would all make sense IF the universities had been bastions of free speech and this new move by trump was restricting them.
rather, they've been bastions of groupthink, censorship and intolerance and trump is forcing their hand to be more the oppposite - basic stuff, like not admitting people based on race - stuff we shouldn't even have to say

 

[MarkK]

If institutions are required to kiss government ass, individuals will be so required in due course. Vote your conscience on this man, but before you do, take a look around the world, and take a look around history, take a look at states where institutions and individuals are required to kiss government ass.
Coming to consensus via freedom of debate is messy as hell. Letting people make up their own minds, and getting it wrong, and then getting it wrong in the other direction, is hard, messy, and upsetting. But over time, it is the only mechanism that can self-adjust. Over time, the history of the US has shown extremes, from civil war to McCarthy era "reds under your bed" fear-mongering. What has--do you think--always brought it back around, back towards common-sense?

Yeah, freedom. The fact that under no circumstances are Americans ever, nor will they ever be, required to kiss government ass. So think long an hard before you determine that institutions of higher learning should be subject to funding based on how deep up government ass they stick their heads.

Power belongs in the hands of the people, and you should want that power to remain in the hands of the people, even if they are people with whom you disagree. The power play right now in the US? The government is pitting the people against each other in the hopes that it can take some of that power away. Government power in the US is constrained by law. Government, for instance, cannot dictate ideology to universities. This preserves freedom, and it preserves the rights of the people, even if they are people with whom you disagree.

The current government will argue that to protect you from the "other people," you should cede some of the people's rights, so it can keep you safe. Do not submit to this seduction. If the people cede power to the state, especially a state with the incredible military means of the United States, the people will never see that power freely returned to them.

Americans with whom you may have profound disagreements are your brothers. The government that would take your brothers' power away, to keep you safe from him, is lying. If government takes your brother's power away, he takes yours too.

So think long and hard what freedoms of the people you would trade away to spite your brothers. If you think liberals should be forced to kiss government ass, fine, but then understand that under law, Americans--all Americans--will be so forced.

 

[Isaac]

he's forcing them to stop discriminating on the basis of race - i think that's great! and is progress, and is common sense

 

[Cotswold]

In much the same way that for decades investigations into climate change will only receive money if the analysis has the sole intention of promoting climate change. Any academic who is in any way sceptical is viewed as an alarmist and will not receive funding. So no income.
It is simply a method of forcing people to comply in order that they are all singing from the same approved climate change song sheet.
Nobody gets themselves onto the big money climate chance bandwagon if they have alternative views. It was the same during the Covid fiasco.