The most important tribalism in the USA is college discrimination against Republicans in professors, Boards of Trustees, and staff. This known but winked at illegal discrimination has led to acceptance of false defamation and then demonization of Republicans. College discrimination, for many decades, is the main root cause for so much po…
The most important tribalism in the USA is college discrimination against Republicans in professors, Boards of Trustees, and staff. This known but winked at illegal discrimination has led to acceptance of false defamation and then demonization of Republicans. College discrimination, for many decades, is the main root cause for so much polarization.
The Democrat Demonization Strategy. Yes, Republicans also claim that it will be terrible if the Dem wins, because of terrible Dem policies, like sending Haitians to Springfield, not Martha’s Vineyard. Not because Kamala is evil, but because the policy is terrible. Many Democrats, and our AS Kling host, treat Trump as evil, seldom seriously arguing against his policies as compared to the Dems. I’m sure in Kling’s mind, like many of my Dem friends, they don’t admit that they think he’s evil, just that he’s so bad, so uniquely terrible on [insert rationalization here]. As noted by Dan Williams, there is a pundit Market for Rationalizations, yet close reading shows he also treats Trump as evil, with rationalizations.
Once the demonization of the target is accepted, like demonization of Trump or Jews or Blacks or illegal aliens, those doing the demonizing get big tribal benefits including closer bonding. Such bonding allows small in-tribe disagreements, as long as the out-tribe demon remains evil.
The genius of Free Speech is to accept big differences of opinions, big disagreements, and remain within the American tribe. Free Speech allows true but unproven facts to be discussed, as well as others to claim those facts as unproven. Like how many cats & dogs & ducks have been eaten by Haitian immigrants. It’s very likely more than 0.
The fastest way to improve colleges is to require them, as edu orgs getting huge govt benefits like endowment tax exemptions, to have a quota of Republicans as Trustees and professors, like 30%.
Quotas are less meritocratic, in theory, but far better than the current situation. And more politically likely than rapidly ending govt support for famous schools of higher ed and demonization.
Seems there was another Dem incited assassination attempt against Trump.
"The fastest way to improve colleges is to require them, as edu orgs getting huge govt benefits like endowment tax exemptions, to have a quota of Republicans as Trustees and professors, like 30%."
The fastest way to improve colleges is to make it illegal to require 4+ year degrees for any job that pays less than 200,000 dollars per year and index that amount to inflation, and apply similar standards to visas etc. All but eliminate student loan programs. Partially cancel the debts with taxes on university endowments.
What I described is hard to pull off but very easy to enforce. What you described is easy to pull off nominally but impossible to enforce. Passive systems of regulation are more effective than active ones, especially when the active ones are working against natural human incentives.
Fortunately, that quota scheme would never be gamed. "Of course I'm a Republican. Look at my party registration. You say I'm not a Republican because I support Black Lives Matter, racial quotas, racial reparations, higher taxes, and censorship against misinformation. I am a proud member of the progressive wing of the Republican Party."
Of course it will be gamed -- in the future. If a quota system is started in 2025, requiring Rep registration from 2024 or before, it can't easily be gamed by BLM supporters who were NOT R in 2024.
Reps in Congress create a partisan Rep commission to accept or reject claims of being a Republican for the Trustees; with similar commission for the Dems.
Obviously you need Republican decision makers to have the power to specify criteria for being a Rep, like publicly supporting at least 2 of the last 3 Rep candidates (or 4 of 6).
Yeah, a Rep NeverTrumper who supported Romney & McCain, maybe like Liz Cheney, could qualify under this. But Trump will pass, win or not in 2024.
If a BLM supporting Harvard prof claims to be a registered R, but supports all Dem policies, he'll be a bit of a laughing stock known liar. Trolling works ok in tweets on X, but unlikely to get respect or status at any decent college.
I'd expect none of the top 100 endowed colleges to qualify -- and they'd all object as they lose their tax exemptions. Losing tax exemptions, then guaranteed student loans, than Fed research -- colleges like all orgs will follow the money. Quotas will lead to immediate attempts at change, as well as big increases in govt tax revenue from Dem orgs who haven't been paying their "fair share", yet arguing for more govt spending.
Roger, do you have a better idea? You realize you are claiming "no change, continued demonization of Reps" is preferable to quotas which help immediately but likely get somewhat gamed over time.
Finally, we need to accept that our society is split in values, and. like prosecutor & defense in court searching for truth, we need Rep partisans and Dem partisans in govt, checking and balancing the other and increasing the rule of law.
The most important tribalism in the USA is college discrimination against Republicans in professors, Boards of Trustees, and staff. This known but winked at illegal discrimination has led to acceptance of false defamation and then demonization of Republicans. College discrimination, for many decades, is the main root cause for so much polarization.
The Democrat Demonization Strategy. Yes, Republicans also claim that it will be terrible if the Dem wins, because of terrible Dem policies, like sending Haitians to Springfield, not Martha’s Vineyard. Not because Kamala is evil, but because the policy is terrible. Many Democrats, and our AS Kling host, treat Trump as evil, seldom seriously arguing against his policies as compared to the Dems. I’m sure in Kling’s mind, like many of my Dem friends, they don’t admit that they think he’s evil, just that he’s so bad, so uniquely terrible on [insert rationalization here]. As noted by Dan Williams, there is a pundit Market for Rationalizations, yet close reading shows he also treats Trump as evil, with rationalizations.
Once the demonization of the target is accepted, like demonization of Trump or Jews or Blacks or illegal aliens, those doing the demonizing get big tribal benefits including closer bonding. Such bonding allows small in-tribe disagreements, as long as the out-tribe demon remains evil.
The genius of Free Speech is to accept big differences of opinions, big disagreements, and remain within the American tribe. Free Speech allows true but unproven facts to be discussed, as well as others to claim those facts as unproven. Like how many cats & dogs & ducks have been eaten by Haitian immigrants. It’s very likely more than 0.
The fastest way to improve colleges is to require them, as edu orgs getting huge govt benefits like endowment tax exemptions, to have a quota of Republicans as Trustees and professors, like 30%.
Quotas are less meritocratic, in theory, but far better than the current situation. And more politically likely than rapidly ending govt support for famous schools of higher ed and demonization.
Seems there was another Dem incited assassination attempt against Trump.
"The fastest way to improve colleges is to require them, as edu orgs getting huge govt benefits like endowment tax exemptions, to have a quota of Republicans as Trustees and professors, like 30%."
The fastest way to improve colleges is to make it illegal to require 4+ year degrees for any job that pays less than 200,000 dollars per year and index that amount to inflation, and apply similar standards to visas etc. All but eliminate student loan programs. Partially cancel the debts with taxes on university endowments.
What I described is hard to pull off but very easy to enforce. What you described is easy to pull off nominally but impossible to enforce. Passive systems of regulation are more effective than active ones, especially when the active ones are working against natural human incentives.
Fortunately, that quota scheme would never be gamed. "Of course I'm a Republican. Look at my party registration. You say I'm not a Republican because I support Black Lives Matter, racial quotas, racial reparations, higher taxes, and censorship against misinformation. I am a proud member of the progressive wing of the Republican Party."
Of course it will be gamed -- in the future. If a quota system is started in 2025, requiring Rep registration from 2024 or before, it can't easily be gamed by BLM supporters who were NOT R in 2024.
Reps in Congress create a partisan Rep commission to accept or reject claims of being a Republican for the Trustees; with similar commission for the Dems.
Obviously you need Republican decision makers to have the power to specify criteria for being a Rep, like publicly supporting at least 2 of the last 3 Rep candidates (or 4 of 6).
Yeah, a Rep NeverTrumper who supported Romney & McCain, maybe like Liz Cheney, could qualify under this. But Trump will pass, win or not in 2024.
If a BLM supporting Harvard prof claims to be a registered R, but supports all Dem policies, he'll be a bit of a laughing stock known liar. Trolling works ok in tweets on X, but unlikely to get respect or status at any decent college.
I'd expect none of the top 100 endowed colleges to qualify -- and they'd all object as they lose their tax exemptions. Losing tax exemptions, then guaranteed student loans, than Fed research -- colleges like all orgs will follow the money. Quotas will lead to immediate attempts at change, as well as big increases in govt tax revenue from Dem orgs who haven't been paying their "fair share", yet arguing for more govt spending.
Roger, do you have a better idea? You realize you are claiming "no change, continued demonization of Reps" is preferable to quotas which help immediately but likely get somewhat gamed over time.
Finally, we need to accept that our society is split in values, and. like prosecutor & defense in court searching for truth, we need Rep partisans and Dem partisans in govt, checking and balancing the other and increasing the rule of law.