HATING HIGHER ED WILL NOT MAKE YOU SMARTER
Higher education is under attack, and it's not just from the usual suspects like student loan debt and boring professors. No, this time it's coming from the most unexpected of sources: conservative politicians.
Take Ron DeSantis, for example. He recently took over New College in Florida, but it seems he didn't think his cunning plan all the way through. Now, he's learning the hard way that trying to hurt professors will ultimately hurt students and the state as a whole. Who knew that cutting funding for higher education would have consequences? Oh wait, everyone except for DeSantis.
But it's not just Florida. We're seeing the same thing happen in Texas with Greg Abbott. These Republicans are taking out their hangups against the state university system, and it's not pretty.
Most of all, they're scared of higher education. Yes, you read that right. These politicians are scared of educated citizens who can think critically and challenge their viewpoints. It's like they're afraid of being proven wrong or something.
And it's not just higher education they're scared of. Republicans are scared of a lot of things. They're scared of women taking charge of their own bodies, so they demand the right to track their movements and seize their medical records in case they go to another state for an abortion. They're scared of vaccines and drag queens and climate scientists and Brown people and Black people and gay people. They're so scared of "the libs" they make up demented stories about Democrats drinking the blood of children. Trumpist fixer and convicted felon Roger Stone says he heard there might be a "demonic portal" churning in the air above the Biden White House. I mean, come on.
But let's get back to the war on higher education. The right-wing has been waging this war for decades, and it's taking many forms. They attack academic freedom, cut funding for higher education, promote "alternative facts," and ban critical race theory (CRT). And why? Because they're scared of students learning about the world and thinking critically about important issues.
Let's break down some of these tactics:
- Attacks on academic freedom: Right-wing politicians and pundits have repeatedly attacked the concept of academic freedom, arguing that professors should not be allowed to teach courses that challenge conservative viewpoints. This is ridiculous. College is supposed to be a place where students are exposed to different ideas and perspectives, not just an echo chamber for one political ideology.
- Cutting funding for higher education: This is just short-sighted. Cutting funding for higher education makes it more difficult for students to afford college, which ultimately hurts the economy in the long run. Plus, it leads to a decline in the quality of education as colleges and universities are forced to make do with less.
- Promoting "alternative facts": This is just a fancy way of saying lying. The right-wing promotes conspiracy theories about the education system and attacks the legitimacy of peer-reviewed research. This is dangerous because it undermines the very foundation of knowledge and truth.
- Banning critical race theory: This is just plain racist. Critical race theory is a critical examination of the role of race and racism in American society. Banning it from being taught in schools is an attempt to whitewash history and ignore the systemic issues that still exist today.
So what can we do about this war on higher education? Well, for starters, we can call out these politicians for what they are: scared little children who are afraid of anything that challenges their worldview. We can also support organizations that fight for academic freedom and affordable education. And most importantly, we can continue to learn and think critically about important issues, even if it makes these politicians uncomfortable.
In conclusion, the right-wing's war on higher education is a joke. They're scared of educated citizens who can think critically and challenge their viewpoints. But we won't let them win. We'll continue to fight for academic freedom and affordable education, no matter how much they try to hold us back. And who knows, maybe one day we'll even convince these politicians to join us in the 21st century. But until then, we'll just have to settle for making fun of them in our articles.
FL Republicans are taking out their hangups against the state university system https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/07/24/fl-republicans-are-taking-out-their-hangups-against-the-state-university-system/
Opinion | We're seeing the costs of the right-wing's war on higher ed https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/ron-desantis-new-college-florida-texas-am-kathleen-mcelroy-rcna95385 via @msnbc
The right-wing assault on higher education - Vox https://www.vox.com/policy/23762357/republican-attack-higher-education
Texas faculty say tenure, DEI threats undercut efforts to help higher ed | The Texas Tribune https://www.texastribune.org/2023/04/11/texas-legislature-republicans-universities-tenure-diversity/
After DeSantis’ Anti-CRT Law, Florida Professors Cancel Courses, Modify Teaching — ProPublica https://www.propublica.org/article/desantis-critical-race-theory-florida-college-professors
