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The Republican war on colleges (www.axios.com)

submitted 1 year ago by ATQ@lemm.ee to c/politics@lemmy.world

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Former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the two GOP presidential frontrunners, have both promised a crackdown on colleges should they occupy the White House — a stark reflection of the right's growing skepticism of higher education.

Some Republican complaints about colleges are related to broader concern about "wokeness" and free speech. But others hint at deeper questions about the value of college, and how to ensure a degree comes with an appropriate economic return.

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[-] TechyDad@lemmy.world 68 points 1 year ago

They see colleges as "liberal wokeness indoctrination centers" because their kids go to college and return more liberal. In a way, they're right, but it's not because colleges are actively indoctrinating students.

When you grow up in a town, you're likely to be surrounded by people like you. They all look like you and think like you. People who look and think different are "strange others" and stereotypes about these people abound.

Then, you go to college. Suddenly, you're surrounded by people who look different and think differently. That stereotype you have about Group A? Well, you've now met 5 people who are in Group A and none of them fit the stereotype. Your biases get shattered and you start to see people as actual people instead of "strange others."

Then you go back home. Nobody back home has met all the people you met. They still use the old stereotypes that you've discarded. To them, you've changed. They're right, but it's because your experiences have shaped how you see the world not because someone strapped you to a chair and forced "wokeness" into you.

[-] just_another_person@lemmy.world 17 points 1 year ago

Pretty much. I'd even go a step further and say the classic right-winger finds pretty much all types of education as an enemy now for potentially informing their kids that the BS they've been thought at home may not be accurate or based in fact. All of these right-wing groups trying to get books banned, teachers fired, and school curriculum changed pretty much spells it out.

[-] PersnickityPenguin@lemm.ee 11 points 1 year ago

A lot of hardcore right-wingers are also homeschooling their kids these days.

[-] cmbabul@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

It’s not even ‘these days’ hardcore right wingers have done this since I was in school in the 90s. It’s just that more right wingers have become more hardcore than before.

[-] JTode@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

I had the benefit of a better environment growing up, but when I was at Uni, I cannot say how many people told me this story, particularly about gay folks.

[-] Mirshe@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Yeah, I had a buddy who basically could not believe that black people weren't all savages out to rape and murder. Dude was raised in the backwoods of Georgia and probably never actually met a black person face to face in his whole life.

[-] reddig33@lemmy.world 28 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Can’t have an educated populace. They might vote. Or worse — they might want better jobs and a living wage.

[-] BobVersionFour@kbin.social 6 points 1 year ago

Get them yound and keep them dumb shocking to no one republican and most religion have the same game plan.

[-] halfempty@kbin.social 27 points 1 year ago

Not just Higher Education. Republicans are at war with gradeschool education as well. They know full well that ignorant people are more easily manipulated.

[-] ohlaph@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago

They want dumb uninformed slave labor.

[-] Matt_Shatt@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

The shortsightedness is mind blowing. What happens in a generation when the US can’t produce enough scientists and engineers? We have to bring in smart people from other countries. And they won’t like that either. It’s astonishing.

[-] Mirshe@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Because THE SENATOR'S kids will be the engineers and scientists. They have the money to be sent to very nice upscale private schools where they learn all that stuff. You, in the other hand, do not, nor do you need all that fancy learning about physics and chemistry and history. All you need to know is how to DO YOUR JOB.

Basically, large parts of the GOP are actually trying to reinvent the aristocracy.

[-] pwnieb0y@lemmy.world 17 points 1 year ago

Didn't they both go to Ivy League schools? Just sayin'.

[-] SpeakinTelnet@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 year ago

Dammit I taught higher education was a great thing but now I'm not so sure.

[-] bobs_monkey@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago

Education for me and not for thee. Same shit, different pot.

[-] Empyreus@lemmy.world 16 points 1 year ago

Have to fight higher education, because they won't be able to control their base as easy

[-] Cobrachickenwing@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 year ago

Only the war on state and community colleges. Not ivy league rich universities like Harvard, Yale and Stanford where the majority of Republican donors matriculated.

[-] Skanky@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

Republicans against education? Tale as old as time...

[-] BombOmOm@lemmy.world -2 points 1 year ago

Quite a number of people would be much better focusing on the trades. Many trades pay quite well and have a shortage of manpower. Colleges are too expensive for what you get.

[+] MasterObee@lemmy.world -30 points 1 year ago

Colleges war on Republicans*

It's pretty simple - the left gives a ton of money to colleges, why wouldn't they try to push left talking points and get more money? If republicans would give more money to colleges, we all know that the colleges would push more right wing talking points.

[-] Captainvaqina@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Maybe Republicans could try becoming as successful as Democrats. Or having any policies or direction whatsoever. Or maybe they could try helping people instead of stripping individuals of their rights whilst also bending over and spreading their corp tax and reg cuts.

[-] mrnotoriousman@kbin.social 8 points 1 year ago

Exactly what talking points are you referring to being pushed in higher ed across the country?

[+] MasterObee@lemmy.world -7 points 1 year ago

anti-racism, political violence, CRT, gender theory, marxism

[-] mrnotoriousman@kbin.social 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

All you did was list off right wing buzzwords lmao. Have you ever stepped foot in a university? Do you think random electives are being forced on every student or something? I have 2 degrees and didn't experience any of the above.

edit: also "anti-racism" sounds like some white supremacist dog whistle

[-] MasterObee@lemmy.world -5 points 1 year ago

Have you ever stepped foot in a university?

I went to college from 2012-2017, I witnessed it first hand.

Do you think random electives are being forced on every student or something?

Sociology was, which we had CRT curriculum.

edit: also “anti-racism” sounds like some white supremacist dog whistle

It's the lefts all encompassing buzz word, so the left can criticize people for not being racist.

If I say 'I'm not racist" they respond "well it doesn't matter if you're racist or not, if you aren't anti-racist you're perpetuating white supremacy."

[-] TheDoozer@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

If I say 'I'm not racist" they respond "well it doesn't matter if you're racist or not, if you aren't anti-racist you're perpetuating white supremacy."

So maybe I'm just misinterpreting your idea of what "anti-racist" means, but it sounds like a business owner saying "I don't actively discriminate against people based on race, but they're saying if I don't support measures so other people can't discriminate against people based on race, I'm perpetuating white supremacy." That seems a pretty reasonable stance.

Being otherwise neutral to an established system is perpetuating it, even if you don't participate in it yourself. I'm not sure what's confusing about that. Again, unless I'm misunderstanding your interpretation of "anti-racist."

[-] MasterObee@lemmy.world -1 points 1 year ago

So maybe I’m just misinterpreting your idea of what “anti-racist”

You are. Anti-racism is the lifestyle of fighting 'racism' in every day life. However, the definition of 'racism' has changed in academia so it's not actually about treating races unequally, it's treating the right races unequally.

So, in your example, if that business owner isn't hiring minority races over white races, they are not anti-racist, therefore, they are racist.

Being otherwise neutral to an established system is perpetuating it

See you're doing it here. Someone can be neutral to race; not making any determinations based on race, but if you say the established system, which you can't define, is racist (once again, the 'updated' definition of racism which says only white people can be racist), you want to claim anybody that isn't donating to the right charity, or supporting your causes, is racist?

So essentially, you've made 'racism' entirely subjective based on policies that you yourself (or the left in general) determines.

Racism used to mean a very objective thing: if you treat people differently based on their race. Now it's entirely subjective at the whim of one political parties definition.

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

anti-racism

Sorry, you're saying that's a bad thing?

[-] ZombieTheZombieCat@lemm.ee 6 points 1 year ago

Are you saying like the DNC actually gives money to colleges? Or maybe people you just don't like make private donations, which has nothing to do with what's taught

[-] MasterObee@lemmy.world -3 points 1 year ago

Are you saying like the DNC actually gives money to colleges?

Idk about colleges, but the DNC and teachers unions definitely.

? Or maybe people you just don’t like make private donations, which has nothing to do with what’s taught

Some. But what I'm saying is democrats tend to fund colleges at a much higher rate. Why wouldn't the colleges buddy up for privileges?

This is what we call "Conflict of Interest"

this post was submitted on 23 Jul 2023

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