So much of what Trump and the GOP are doing right now defies logic, although it’s probably consistent with their twisted version of what would make America “great”–a country filled with people who are White, fundamentalist, and receptive to propaganda. The list of insanities is long, but today I just want to focus on the administration’s war on higher education. (Not that today’s Republicans don’t have contempt for education at all levels; they clearly do.)
In the decades following WWII, the best universities in the United States have been considered the best in the world, and that reputation, that prominence, has generated a wide array of economic, cultural, scientific, and geopolitical benefits.
For one thing, our universities generate a significant share of the world’s basic research. Federal funding supporting that research–funding that Trump has threatened to withhold– has given us everything from the internet to mRNA vaccines.
American universities attract and train a highly-skilled workforce. They anchor local economies. They promote economic growth through partnerships with industry. And universities have played a major role in research supporting military innovation, cybersecurity, and intelligence–something you’d think the GOP, with its military obsessions, would appreciate.
Of course, America’s universities also serve to promulgate “liberal” values like academic freedom, intellectual inquiry, democracy and human rights, so MAGA is willing to dispense with the other benefits in order to minimize the chances of creating an informed and thinking citizenry.
This assault on academia isn’t as obvious or remarked-upon as the other–frighteningly numerous– parallels to Germany in the 1930s, but those parallels are there. My friend Morton Marcus recently sent me a copy of an article titled How Universities Die. It began with a history that feels chillingly similar to the Trumpian effort to turn America’s universities into obedient organs of an autocratic, White Christian state.
In 1910, German universities were the envy of the world. They were the world’s center of scientific research, not only in the natural sciences but also in the study of history, politics, philosophy, and literature. Our modern scholarly disciplines were all first defined in Germany. The University of Berlin, founded a century earlier, was the Harvard of its day. Every serious American university, from Hopkins to Chicago, to Harvard and Berkeley, was made or reformed according to the “Berlin model.” Why else is Stanford’s motto (“Die Luft der Freiheit weht” — “The winds of freedom are blowing”) in German? Original research was prized over the mere transmission of knowledge from one generation to the next. Faculty and students would learn together in seminars and laboratories. Professors would have “Lehrfreiheit,” or the freedom to teach, while students would enjoy “Lernfreiheit,” the freedom to learn, across multiple disciplines. Although supported entirely by the state, universities themselves would decide who would teach and what would be taught. If university rankings had existed in 1910, eight of the top 10 in the world probably would have been German — with only Oxford and Cambridge joining them in that elite circle.
As late as 1932, the University of Berlin remained the most famous of the world’s universities. By 1934, it had been destroyed from without and within.
Germany’s descent from a nation of “poets and thinkers” (“Dichter und Denker”) to one of “judges and hangmen” (“Richter und Henker”) ended its leadership in higher education.
When the Nazi regime came into power, it purged universities of non-Aryan students, faculty and political dissidents. Trump is trying to prevent foreign students from enrolling at Harvard, and ejecting foreign students enrolled elsewhere who dare to speak or write in support of Palestinians. International students have noticed; between March 2024 to March 2025, U.S. international student counts declined 11.3%.
The article tells us that leading scholars left Berlin in large numbers, beginning what would be a historic migration of brilliant thinkers to the United States and elsewhere. German universities were divested of capacity for self-government. Scholarship in search of truth was replaced by scholarship in service of the “Volk.” Faculties were purged of non-compliant members. (In Florida, Governor DeSantis has dutifully followed the Nazi model, and Florida has seen a similar migration of professors.)
German universities never regained their status or importance.
The Trump administration is intent upon destroying one of the few fields– higher education– in which this country is still the global leader. The intensifying assault on immigrants had already reduced applications from international students. Coupled with the escalating attacks on universities and DEI, the administration is crippling America’s capacity to recruit talent from all shores. We will decline.
History tells us that when universities die, nations decay.
“History tells us that when universities die, nations decay.History tells us that when universities die, nations decay.”
Education history does not begin at the top level; it begins with the elementary school system which is primarily made up of lower-level income, working families who must rely on public education to actually educate our children. They are the root of higher education and they are rotting from the root as the voucher systems drain the public education system supported by the lies fed to the public that private education will better educate us and save this nation from itself. Statistics proving them wrong are being ignored to provide the “brag” that their child is in “private education”, primarily meaning religion based.
This nation was lost on July 4, 2025, as Trump’s BBB was signed, overturning the July 4, 1776 anniversary of our Independence from the dictatorship of Royalty. The failed university student who later created his own university which was shut down due to the lies and rip-off of fees providing no education was deemed one of his many crimes against the nation. America loves its “goodfellas”, the Godfather “Dons” and honors them as leaders; but it isn’t his ring the sitting, mostly university educated, lawmakers are kissing.
“German universities never regained their status or importance.German universities never regained their status or importance.”
“Those who forget the past (including that of other nations) are doomed to repeat it.” This is where we find ourselves today with no light at the end of Trump’s 4-year tunnel.
Amazing blog post. It’s an eye opening bit of history I’ve never heard before.
We’ve discussed the similarities between Trump and Hitler for good reason. If you think Hitler was worse because of the Holocaust, what would you call our participation in the genocide of Palestinians by Israel? Israel is murdering and starving Palestinians who are standing in food lines with their kids. We’re no better than Nazi Germany.
Neither party is thrilled with independent and/or critical thinkers who question their authority over the people. Mamdani is a serious threat because he represents the solution for the people. Once the people get a taste of the solution, it will be the beginning of the end for the oligarchy.
One of the brilliant scientists who migrated to the US was Albert Einstein, who in 1949, declared that we are an oligarchy. The oligarchs owned the media and both political parties. He said our primary problem was focusing on the objective “I” instead of the collective “WE”. That was in 1949, and it’s only gotten much worse.
The attacks on education by Republicans have been occurring for decades. Meanwhile, the Kochs’ dark network has funded and controls business schools in 150 universities across the country. They control Ball State’s business department. Why hasn’t the Democratic Party purged the Koch network from American universities like what Trump/Miller/Rubio are doing today?
Because the DP is a fraud!
I was wavering on that conclusion, but during the January 6th Insurrection hearings, Pelosi and the Democrats didn’t call either of the funders of the insurrection attempt before Congress: Koch and Fancelli, the billionaires who funded the rally. In the volumes of pages written, not one word was mentioned about the funders. Not one! As I last checked, funding an insurrection is just as illegal as participating in one.
By the way, Einstein said the solution to what ails our obsession with the objective (enter Ayn Rand) was a form of socialism focusing on the collective. Fast forward to 2025, and we have Zohran Mamdani in NYC wanting to open city-owned markets in NY’s food deserts, which is driving the Wall Street people nuts.
Both political parties have attacked Mamdani, and so has the New York press. I wonder why the establishment is so scared of Mamdani and his platform? 😉
The solution to a state-captured oligarchy that enriches itself at the expense of workers is socialism, which advocates for a united workforce. If you haven’t noticed, both unions and universities have been influenced by external interests for generations. Universities rely on donors, which affects their decisions and priorities. We witnessed this clearly in New York during the campus protests against Israel.
Tod, You’ve never “Genocide Don”. Why doesn’t he get some of the blame. Without a complete overthrow of another right wing authoritarian in charge of Israel, nothing is going to change there either. We can just make harder or easier, but as long as weapons profits drive policy, nothing is going to change in the US.
Propaganda is advertising for bullshit and there is a river of both gushing out of DC.
Sure, German university’s work top notch. You can trace it back to the Roman government seat transferring to the house of Habsburg. The Roman government and educational system was truly a blueprint for Germany because of that Roman government seat in Austria. This of course was after the collapse of Rome proper! The Roman Church, which was Catholicism, stayed in Italy, ie, the Vatican.
Britain and therefore it’s empire that spawned so many offshoots including the United States, was directly influenced by Rome and it’s empire building, including system of government and of course the state religion, the Church of England, which gave rise to the Catholic and Protestant wars. These wars and warlike governments actually continued unabated until today. This so-called Christian driven governmental system has continued and promoted world turmoil since Roman emperor Constantine.
The fish rots from the head, Rome was a big global-sized fish. And the rot continues. Rome actually signed its own death warrant by refusing the Goths citizenship. They sacked Rome. Incidentally, the Goths were Germanic! See? Follow the dots! That’s why Hitler really admired the British, and it’s American offshoot.
Rest assured, this Roman rotting fish has reached its maggot infested end. There are no more new worlds to conquer. North America, Australia, New Zealand, were the last frontiers. There is no more. The ability to learn from history, and the ability to separate the church from secular government across the board, has failed. There will be no saving grace, because that grace is corrupt, along with secularism! A new dark ages eventually? Probably more like the death of civilization! There will be a human die off that this current system will never recover from.
“but as long as weapons profits drive policy, nothing is going to change in the U.S.”
That quote says it all. That is why so many no longer vote and support the UniParty system.
Todd is right about the DNC. They need to to embrace Mamdani and his candidacy, if they want to have any relevance going forward. Embrace affordability or keep losing. I understand the big tent feeling and its importance in identity to the Democratic Party. That’s the best thing about affordability. It works for any political stripe.
Yes, embrace Mamdani!
“…in order to minimize the chances of creating an informed and thinking citizenry.”
That’s their game.
One of your very best, Sheila. I’m going to widen its reach. And, may I add my earlier assessment of the foundation, set decades ago, by the Powell Memo. I’ll do that in a separate comment. Republicans, unfettered capitalism lovers and their ilk, in well-funded philanthropies, created think tanks and more to do the work of undermining higher education as they also aimed to limit it to the ‘higher classes.’
The Launch of the Long Game
To understand today’s conservative attacks on higher ed, look to the ambitious pro-corporate agenda laid out in the 1971 Powell memo, Linda Stamato writes.
https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/views/2023/05/09/powell-memo-helped-launch-attacks-higher-ed-opinion
JS, “ There will be no saving grace, because that grace is corrupt, along with secularism! A new Dark Ages eventually?”
Life is about moments, meeting possibilities, and turning them into memories. Our collective knowledge is our memories captured by our large language model.
AI simulates our brains doing exactly what we do in large language models. It is a super librarian curating Human Knowledge.
But it doesn’t have our five senses, so it must use ours to sense individual perspectives. It also only models our brains without all of the chemical contents of our bodies, including our relationships with energy around us as we travel through spacetime, for the flash of time we are each whole.
Currently, I use one AI model from Microsoft called Co-pilot to debate and check my thinking.
It’s dangerous work, but we are a singular generation with the ability to live using AI as well as old-fashioned, do-it-yourself thinking by interacting with contemporary colleagues, and using libraries and librarians.
You might want to try Co-pilot to debate your thinking, like I do. I find it a fascinating hobby and tool.
I lay blame on the “Greatest Generation” which sought to make sure their children, the Baby Boomers, were denied nothing. As JFK said prematurely, “the torch has passed to a new generation.” The baby boomers took control of universities in the 1970s and the universities’ decline began there. Today it is manifest in the Palestinian protests, a movement that can not define the appropriate response to the barbarian actions of Oct. 7th. and the support given to Hamas by its allies.
There are no Nuremburg trials being held for the perpetrators of Oct. 7. Carpet bombing Germany in WWII was accepted by the world after Germany bombed England so extensively during that war.
Israel was a great mistake to begin with. It is based on God telling Abraham to go into the Land of Canaan without making provisions for the Canaanites. Zionism is based on mythology and religious fanaticism, hardly the way to run a nation. tRump must tell Bibbi to end the war this week, no matter the justification.
Go ahead with plans to make the Gaza beachfront the Miami of the Mediterranean, but don’t allow an international airport or cruise ship docking to be built there. All entry must be by land through Israel or Egypt. The Chinese could build the hi-speed rail service. Disney could design the domestic Gaza of the future. It’s Justice served American style.
MJM. One thing I enjoy about Co-Pilot is that it is so present-minded that it’s not motivated to look at the past to assign blame. Ever.
Why is it designed that way?
The past is helpful to learn from because that’s where everything we know comes from. Still, blame is a useless emotion because all we can change is the present and ourselves to try for a better future for ourselves, those closest to us, or everyone here, there, or everywhere.
MJM, your sentence might have read ” God SUPPOSEDLY telling….” it’s all myth.
Religion is a culturally supported delusion…all religion. Every culture has its own story about “creation,” however it is portrayed. The idea that life is an accident of chemistry/biology is much too scary for most people. And, I believe, people need to believe in overarching reasons for our presence, for their emotional security.
Morton,
Yes, God sent the Jewish People to Canaan. But remember that they wandered in the desert forty years. During that period of time, they built a really well prepared military. That more or less made it possible to go wherever they wanted, without fear.
The problems that we face today in the Middle East can be attributed to the end of WWI, The powers that were dividing up the area were essentially clueless. They left out the Palestinians and the Kurds, as well as the Jews.