The Republican Heritage Foundation, An American conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. that took a leading role in the conservative movement during the presidency of Ronald Reagan, whose policies were taken from Heritage's policy study Mandate for Leadership, recently released its “Project 2025,” which The New York Times called “a conservative ‘battle plan”.
The plan calls for shredding regulations to curb greenhouse gas pollution from cars, oil and gas wells and power plants, dismantling almost every clean energy program in the federal government and boosting the production of fossil fuels — the burning of which is the chief cause of planetary warming. Obviously they do not care about the Future of our planet!!!!
This Republican Party does nothing to help President Biden! In fact everything they do runs against him and his administration.
These Republican members of Congress are all complicit with the eventual destruction of our democracy and, eventually, our country!
You might say most of them have a heritage that makes them flush in 'Green', though they themselves do not have need to carry 'Green' and certainly not the Green Cause.
Keith, I know republicans hate regulations and I know they pretend climate change isn’t happening,
but I don’t understand why they take these self-destructive positions. In the short term it’s about money, we all know that, but in the long term--and by long-term I mean within the next ten years--all hell will break loose. There will be tens of thousands,
possibly hundreds of thousands of people migrating because of climate change. Extreme heat and unprecedented droughts will eventually make it impossible to grow food in many parts of the world.
Climate change will affect our national security and the security of every other wealthy country. When
thousands of people in Central America are starving,
they’re going to move. They can go north or south, but most of them will likely show up at our southern border. Republicans have been whining and lying about border security for so long, I think they’re starting to believe their own lies. But, I guarantee the situation is only going to get worse, even much worse. So we need to start thinking about what our policies will be now, not after hordes of starving people show up at our borders.
The problem with creating policies to deal with the starving hoards, or any problem, is republicans.
It has become painfully obvious republicans are manipulating their voters with lies. In fact, it’s as if
republicans and democrats are living in two completely different universes. So the issue becomes a question of how to negotiate with people who’ve become so intransigent that the two sides aren’t even able to agree on a set of basic facts about anything. The absolute worst of the intransigent republicans tend to be people who graduated from the prestigious and very expensive universities Bob is referring to in today’s essay. I don’t know what the answer is, but I do know one way to avoid having to deal with irrational republicans is to make sure democrats are the majority in both the senate and the House, and to also have a dem president, so republicans can’t block legislation that deals with problems they refuse to acknowledge.
All of these situations won't affect them because they have the means - the wealth - to take care of their own so they think they don't have to worry about climate change. (The Republican Party has never cared about starving people or displaced people.)
What I don't understand is how they rationalize to themselves ignoring the effects of climate change that we are already experiencing. It will only get worse in the future and their GRANDCHILDREN will bear the brunt of their arrogance and inaction now.
Susan, the climate deniers or rather, climate liars are living in a pretend world where the present will be the future as long as they want it to be. The term "global warming" for what is going on was altered to "Climate change" to make it sound less serious so they could continue to do whatever they want with impunity (child-men). The media needs to be more forthright in its use of the term "global warming." They should emphasize the "warming" part and regularly remind Republicans what the rest of us already know, "the world your grandchildren will inhabit will be horrific if you all don't grow up and start acting like responsible adults, not pathetic children in a fantasy world." We the People have permitted their childish reasoning to prevail too often by electing and re-electing the ignorant among us who have no positive ideas about anything except making themselves richer, and that sure isn't a positive for the rest of us. We need to regularly call out Republicans and name the things they are opposing rather than dismissing it when they filibuster something important. Then we need to hear a lot about the anti-American "Freedom Caucus" (a bunch of unworthy members of (Congress if there ever were one). They plan to shut our government down if they don't get their appalling way. Why other Republicans go along with the "Toddler Caucus" is unclear. No job is worth sacrificing your integrity for. I am sure Republicans in office and in wealth attended a lot of different colleges and universities which proves jerks as well as decent folks can come through any institution.
Ruth. I am in full agreement with you. But there is another problem. People like Trump and Musk don't give a damn about their children and grandchildren, it's all about "ME" for them. You cannot reason with them./ We need to make them pay a responsible tax or confiscate those funds like we would from a recalcitrant foreign government
Fay, I don't understand how so many people from my generation turned out to be such jerks, unwilling to look at the truth, and willing to elect people whose purpose in life and office is to get revenge on people they claim did something to them, probably didn't let them get everything they wanted without question. We certainly did bring on a whole lot of child-men and child-women, although more of the former. You are probably right we can't change them, but maybe confronting them with more truth might help a bit. I do believe we need to tax rich people and corporations significantly. They have gotten everything from our society and it is time they pay some back for their upkeep.
Agreed. As to bringing up the generation of 'me' first, don't beat yourself up too much. TV shows, sitcoms, and ads did a lot to influence those kids. Far more than their parents did. I was a child in the thirties and early forties. No TV, very few child predators, I spent most of my time wandering about in forests, fields and wooded areas. Watching birds, little mammals and wildflowers. Kids growing up in the 50's and 60's were bombarded with TV. Spent more time inside their homes than I did. I was also fortunate that I bought a 5 acre firm when my two youngest daughters were able to join 4H, raise and show animals and learn responsibility. Most people weren't that fortunate.
Ruth, I've asked a similar question: Why are so many of my generation such willfull clods? I can think of only two reasons: they don't think there consequences for their actions, and that its been estimated that half the children born in this country are unwanted. I think that fact has a profound effect on people's psyche and how they view the world and their fellow human beings.
8-24-2024, RUTH, FAY, AND OTHERS, IT ALL BOILS=DOWN TO "ORGANIZED-HATE FROM THE VATICAN, SO-CALLED-CLUB WHO PRETENDTO BE OH-SO-CARING ABOUT BLACKS, BROWNS, YELLOW, RED, POOR WHITE-SKINNED CITIZENS, ALONG WITH MAGA, WHITE-NATIONALIST-HATEFUL-BIGOTS, WHO OFTEN SHOW-UP AT THEIR SO-CALLED-PULPITS ON SUNDAY MORNINGS ONLY TO LIVE ROTTEN-HATEFUL LIVES MONDAY THRU SUNDAY!!! AS LONG AS HATE PREVAILS IN THE HEARTS/MINDS OF THE PEOPLE, NOTHING POSIKTIVE WILL EXIST!!! THE POUCHA
Fay and Ruth, I am also in full agreement. However, there is another reason they may not want to act. I suspect that as they have always done they will adjust to the new global circumstances in a Disaster Economics way. A system of making even more money off the climate collapses. Say they take over all water resources, such as is being done in CA and South America, though they don't yet have complete control of these resources.
The obscenely wealthy will do soul/crushing things to gain even more money/power. Perhaps they have the advice of a Think Tank that advises taking advantage of the calamities in action now and gaining traction. Not that that isn't being done now in the face of hurricanes and floods. I can't say I can imagine a new way they will profit off of human misery, despair and desperation that will profit them even more than now, but they may have.
How ghastly of an opinion of them I have and the fact that I could suspect they can be anymore cruel then they are. I really think they can be that evil for they already gain so much from disaster and human misery.
I really hope they don't have anyway to hide from the evils they unleash on the world and they realize it soon, real soon.
Ellen, I've recently heard that even Bill Gates (& consortium of like "investors") is buying up - water rights - in the U.S. midwest. To do what with ? ? ? Only dire times will tell - - -
What you said reminds me of a YouTube video of the song by Zager & Evans "In the Year 2525" with a backdrop of Fritz Langs "Metropolis" (1927). IMO this video is both creepy & prophetic -
to what is happening in current time (along with the resurgence of
so called 'Christian Nationalism'. IMO we truly are in 'dire times'.....
and only seeing - the beginnings - [[[ I'm feeling like a Cassandra these days - with little hope and no optimism - both for me & this
Sudan, Maybe they”(the greedy wealthy)” will be upset if their pure bred dogs and pets can’t breathe and or survive because water is unavailable. People do not matter to them. Their entire denial system will also suck the air and water right out of their bunkers!
You know, once upon a time major media outlets were one of our major sources for factual info, but when computers became ubiquitous, they stopped caring about truth, I guess because peddling lies is more lucrative. The toddler caucus needs to grow up, but I’m afraid the only thing that motivates them
is money. Rather than do what’s best for the country, they’ll pretend the existential threat of climate change doesn’t exist. As long as they cater to the most uninformed people in America who find comfort in being lied to, we can’t substantially
mitigate climate change.
There are two ways I can think of to attack their cozy lie-fest: Make all private campaign donations illegal.
Allow campaigns to use only public money for campaigning, and put people with integrity on the FEC to monitor campaign spending.
The money they make by lying is what motivates them. If that’s taken away they no longer have a reason to lie to their constituents. If Dems become the majority in both the House and the Senate, and Biden is the President, the first thing we have to do is get rid of Citizens United and pass legislation to make private donations illegal. In reality, all they are is bribes and bribes are corrupt.
Another thought is for Dems to hold public hearings
on climate change. Currently, republicans have an anti-science bias, and scientists who testify at hearings have been subjected to humiliating, fact free diatribes from republicans in Congress. They have no shame in treating experts badly so we may not be able to persuade them to testify.
I used to think we could teach students how climate
change--what is causing it and how it will affect their lives, motivating them to motivate their parents. That’s what was done to get people to stop smoking and it was surprisingly effective. But now,
domestic terrorist republicans have convinced many parents that schools shouldn’t be allowed to teach anything that’s even mildly offensive. I’m at a loss
I do not think we need to make elections be paid from the public coffers. However I have been shouting to the wind that we need to repeal the Citizens United decision. Then make it illegal to contribute to anyone that you are not eligible to vote for, and put a per person limit on funds donated.
Jean (Muriel); Sudan is where we are heading, climate wise. So scary! They want to increase our numbers while shrinking our habitat. Hoping we all destroy each other? But the fools need food water and livable shelter themselves! That is why they want a 'police' state and 'civil' war'? (Biggest Oxymoron there ever was!)? 💰 money isn't everything!
There are the huge cities built, with our dollars, and not available to those but the select. Who makes the cut? Why not those that govern the government. How many more of these underground cities are there?
I know, crazy talk, but we know they have these cities designed for the ones that have brought us to this brink. I hate being this cynical.
I'm glad we don't "rate" to live in these underground cities ; unless they have osmosis filters and Goretex walls to keep floods out and allow clean water as needed. Or maybe they are a fish like species with gills. Pollution still happens, and warming causes fires that melt things and contaminants get spread around. I'd rather fix what we have.
Susan Garrity Benton : with the removal of family planning they are setting the stage for increased hapless numbers of people (humans) with no place to go and limited food sources and water. It's like a mass suicide/murder plan! NUTS!
Laurie, I've been thinking that this - ban on abortion - is more like a move to - total
slavery of the masses (YouTube video of Zager & Evans "In the Year 2525" to the backdrop of Fritz Langs 1927 'Metropolis' to support those at the top at minimal cost.
Well said. It is mind-boggling, for sure. The intransigence of some seems to be spilling over in the sense that much of what could be done on everything from education, immigration, and the changing climate to mitigate millions of lives is stagnated and worsened by procrastination over political views amongst other changes in technology, automation, global finance, etc. Humans have created a world (for the time being) of constant change requiring progressivism, not regressive behavior, where every change presented by Democrats is reacted to with extreme and unrealistic conservativism. Much of what you have said is already happening on parts of the planet, as reported internationally by intergovernmental organizations, non-government bodies, and community-based groups. Fight-like-hell attitudes, as repeated by the former 45th president, serve to illustrate that wall building, say no, lock them up, are more about preserving the past than trying to survive the future.
Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely! Their policies are illogical and insane because they are so very corrupted by their massive and unjust power.
Only We the People can save them, and ourselves by restoring the rightful power of we the people, and by taking away their power, and their money in our politics.
Help pass HJR54, the We the People Amendment, with movetoamend.org Ask Nancy Pelosi and Josh Harder to cosponsor. All of other greater Bay Area Reps already are!
And ask our Senators to introduce the Senate Companion to HJR54.
These very rich Republicans think they can buy their survival while the rest of us perish. I relate it to the people that think they can survive a nuclear disaster because they have 6 months of food in an underground bunker.
They eventually have to leave their safe haven and that’s when the radiation will end their life! ☢️
On your point “impossible to grow food in many parts of the world” could eventually include the US. Currently Much of the produce in grocery stores comes from Mexico and Central America. If you have a local market where you get food or even better a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) you are fortunate but the majority of the population rely on foods transported thousands of miles. For 45 years my husband (who has Biodynamic Certification)and I have been involved in growing at least some of our food and we’ve stuck it out at least until now. Depending on rainfall has now left us waiting for rain for two months. The low wet spots and springs have run dry. It rains around our immediate area but is stalled by the ridges. This has not been the case until now. I got a full eyeful of the cause of this dry microclimate we are now in- it’s called a rain shadow- not enough moisture generally. A couple of weeks ago I was driving to a nearby small city that in recent years has exploded population from people from Washington DC wanting out from the traffic and prices ( now bringing those things here but in the wake of it interestingly enough turning a solid Red city into a Blue one)- but the level of new unattractive but affordable houses now stacked on what was once prime farmland depressed me greatly. No trees on asphalt streets, a worse example of Levittown I’ve never seen. No zoning to require green and tree spaces left amply to counteract the heat islands these places now become. Unsustainable. My point is this- we too- in our “arrogantly great” nation will potentially be migratory. Is the history of the “Okies” so far behind us this phenomenon of environmental emigration within our own borders doesn’t even give the - we as a nation pause.
I will mercer understand our species inability to learn from history and from current science. There is ample research and guidance to build green cities and use regenerative farming which also helps climate change. I wish you and your husband good luck to be able to continue to grow food and contribute to what nurtures and sustains LIFE. You are to be celebrated.
Thank you. I’ll share your comment with my husband who really deserves great credit. You are so spot on about failure to either learn from the past or use the technology at hand.
Your first hand insight into this situation of climate change and food source is so well written; the facts support what we are experiencing. This should be an essay for every newspaper in the world. It is after all a global issue.
Jane, you’re right about the possibility of the U.S.
becoming a place where food can’t grow. But the U.S. has a lot more resources & scientific knowledge
than most other countries. Therefore theoretically,
the U.S. will become a place migrants flock to and we need to be prepared for that. Actually, it’s in our best interests, for example, to give other countries any technology we have or develop that helps to grow food with very little water. Perhaps we develop
a way to remove salt from seawater on a large scale so it’s drinkable. Whatever technology helps people
in other countries to stay where they are should be offered at no charge.
Lets be 'honest' here. IMO There WILL be millions world wide immigrating to - wherever they can - when - Climate Change//Global Warming - becomes truly serious & leaving environmental devistation behind them as they move - to wherever - because they were
raping, pilaging, and plundering the environment - to merely survive. Which will only make Climate Change//Global Warming much worse - - - and the rate of environmental
destruction will - escalate at an ever faster pace. I'm already seeing - out of state license
plates here in Seattle WA. Whether due to job relocations, but as likely that these new
residents being political and climatic - Refugees. Denialism knows no boundaries - when
it comes to ones own survival - hmm ? ? ?
To return to Robert's original ? = 50 + years ago I was the 1st in my family generation to go to college and between my parents savings and my own income, did it on my own without scholorships (strings attached !) 1st 2 years being at my local Community College
then transferring for the last 3 years to the U. of WA and all the time living at home to help take care of invalid family members & holding down part time jobs.
So, a higher education Can be had without getting scholorships or taking out - loans and
going into debt. It is just more difficult these days, to (hopefully) land better paying jobs than the average student - like me back in the day....
Susan, I am always amazed at Republican "stubbornness." That is why I so often refer to many of them as child-men and child-women. Any parent or person who has lived with children and been responsible for them for a while will notice the similarities between Republican behavior and that of young children, particularly those who have not had sufficient positive parenting. They whine, lie, refuse to acknowledge their lies, try to make alliances over the lies, blame others for anything that could be a problem for them. They are loud at times, throw tantrums whenever they don't get what they want and will even hurt people if they can. Why anyone votes for or even listens to them is still a mystery to me. I heard a comment last night after the debate that one of the candidates would probably get points because he talked loudly, lied almost convincingly, and "stood his ground," as if standing his ground for a lie is presidential. From what I have heard about the "debate," there was not one positive idea for the future of our nation, but a whole lot of lying about conditions in our nation right now. I don't know which schools those candidates attended, but whichever they were, they should be embarrassed!
Ruth, Like most children, the 'children' you refer to - learned these behaviours from
their - parents - who perpetuate their own 'childish' behaviour which ensures that their own children repeat & repeat & repeat into adulthood the same behaviours.
[[ I've heard of this same pattern within my own family, though not actually witnessed it]].
"but I don’t understand why they take these self-destructive positions. In the short term it’s about money, we all know that, but in the long term--and by long-term I mean within the next ten years--all hell will break loose."
Because they don't believe it will happen on their watch, and they don't care about the future - that's someone else's problem.
WRKnight, I also think it is general ignorance of what is really going on. The people electing the jerks are so wrapped up in their Fox et al, they don't ever get the truth. When there is a disaster that happens to them, they whine and cry that no one is helping them, but they keep electing people who despise them except for their vote. They have no clue what is being done to them because they themselves are so addicted to bubble TV and internet they can't see the disaster coming. So, they want FEMA and the rest of the government they hate to bail them out. It is nuts, but I have heard no good discussion of how to reach these people. Their states keep putting into place all kinds of voter suppression and we allow enormous donations to candidates that are not even attributed because of John Roberts and his completely unconstitutional "Citizens United" case that was just an excuse to let rich people and corporations buy candidates and bamboozle the people. That is what we are up against and I don't know what to do about it except fight it where we are, all the time.
See Randy Gaul above. Republicans make up the majority of the 1%. Their only concern is money, and increasing their opportunity to make more while guaranteeing their kids the ability and right of maintaining the money and power. Free enterprise to the maximum!
Fred, it seems they ARE Republican because they are ridiculously rich. They are so addicted to their wealth and power they have to be Republican because at least most of the time, Democrats work hard to provide for the needs of those who are struggling. Republicans almost never go that direction. They are OK with infrastructure sometimes because it is going to make the corporations providing the materials and sometimes doing the work a lot richer because the government We the People, nearly always pay more than the job is worth, and often to red state corporations where so many Republicans have taken up residence or were converted from Southern Democrathood.
I like the truth in which your comments dwell. But too many Democrats in Congress used/use compromise (Biden claims this as his badge of honor as a politician) to get legislation passed compromising our lives. There are quite a few issues that must be legislated from the POV that the facts speak for themselves and action must be taken to protect the American people and their rights.
By denying global warming is a problem, Republican members of Congress accelerate it.
The horrific new 'normal' of hyper-heated massive fires *everywhere* in temperate North America (causing insurance companies to withdraw from markets), the rushing loss of myriad species shutting down whole ecosystems (coral reef bleaching, decimation of insects, etc.), sea-level rise and extreme weather-- are all a result of the willful acceleration of global warming that Republicans in Congress advance.
These fails are REAL and will be irreversible:
2 out of 3 North American bird species face extinction
And without even looking at the bird species facing extinction, there is the overall loss of sheer number of birds. Even the invasive starling seems to be losing numbers. Combined with the fact that conservatives actively seem to want to facilitate this process which they say isn't happening, it's all extremely scary, the world they are creating for us all. I feel completely powerless in the face of their religiosity and belligerent eff-the-world attitude.
We the People are not powerless. Check out movetoamend.org and strategically help out.
You will learn how to grow the movement of the people, to restore good government, and kick special interests to the curb, and all it takes is to demand HJR54, and to spread the word to others, and other social and environmental justice groups.
Lisa, Republicans have already rewritten the Bible to exclude Jesus's teachings about caring for others, blessing and caring for poor folks, those in prison, loving one's neighbor, loving one's enemies and doing good to those who hurt them, etc. their religion is now "I'm right whatever I do because god loves me and I love Jesus and Jesus made me or wants me to be rich. There are people trying to stop me from having all that god wants me to have and I am going to get them for being in my way!" How do we get these people to even notice global warming unless it is actually happening to them and they can't deal with it? They do want us to pay for any losses they have, though as much as they hat and want to destroy our government, while they cash their Social Security check and visit their doctor on Medicare. It's an incredible disconnect, a fantasyland that no one seems to be able to breach. That's probably because we haven't tried very hard. Well, we had better start trying since we are all in this together.
Maryk, unfortunately, the Republican voters don't care about any of those things. They hate bugs, never visit coral reefs, don't care about birds or anything else. Even their farmers who are seeing the crazy challenges global warming is bringing, can't bring themselves to say "Enough!" They know, but can't make themselves break their addiction to the loud-mouthed lying, whining that is the Republican Party today. We are in trouble!
Again, this essay is another example of corporate rule corruption brought on by Citizens United, and other related SCOTUS rulings.
The Heritage Foundation represents the perceived interests of the Oligarchy, and that they are winning in their quest for Fascism.
When the people demand fairness but our government doesn’t respect nor respond to our will, it couldn’t be more clear that the interests of the Oligarchy are being served, not the will of the people!!!
The We the People Amendment, HJR54, will overrule SCOTUS and overturn Citizens United! It will greatly increase the power of the people by establishing that only we are entitled to constitutional rights and powers! And that money in politics must be regulated!!!!!!!
Please help us restore our broken system at movetoamend.org. Nothing is more important because we can and we must fix this root problem of our time, and time is running out.
Daniel Solomon ; I have been concerned about this since Jan 6th. there were videos showing some Congress members giving 'tours' of the Capitol on Jan 5th! Their votes against certifying President Biden's win are public records, aren't they? They seemed to violate other important ethics rules* when they refused to even allow a debate about voting rights ; like their *Oaths of office*.
Sec.3, 14th amendment has never been used to my knowledge. Also, the way it’s worded doesn’t give
us a clue about how to implement it. A handful of people I would call legal & Constitutional experts,
have written and said the way to trigger sec.3 is for
a Secretary of State to leave Trump off that state’s ballot. Trump would obviously challenge it, and it would wind up in the Supreme Court. But that applies only to Trump. I agree with you that sec.3 applies to members of Congress as well. I suppose
the next time they run for reelection the Sec. of State in whatever state they live in can leave their names off the ballot, forcing the matter to be decided legally. But, the problem with that is, if the Sec. of State is a republican, chances are they won’t do that. So, it seems to me there must be another way to trigger sec.3, 14th amendment and we need to figure out what it is.
First, I want to say I am appalled at Project 2025 and I think it all but guarantees a GOP loss. I will never understand GOP doomsday worship. However, I hold out a small, dry twig of hope that robust climate action will soon enjoy bipartisan support. A growing number of GOP youth are joining Benji Backer's American Conservative Coalition (ACC), a conservative climate organization that wants to return to environmental leadership; it reminds members of Nixon signing the EPA, CWA, etc. Climate solutions are an urgent issue for ACC. Also, growing numbers of fishermen and farmers of all political stripes are recognizing climate change as indisputable and are organizing to take action. Climate innovators and leaders are springing up all over the world in recognition that time is short and collaboration is vital. Finally, Mother Nature is speaking at high volume. Will it be enough? Not sure, I've used up my optimism. I am deeply suspicious and cynical about the Republican Heritage Foundation report because at this point only Big Oil and their purchased representatives benefit from continued climate denial vis-a-vis more money, at least in the short term (maybe long term they are going "off world"?). I resent that public policy is made based on these "black box" special interest funded reports. It strikes me as very anti-democratic. Important policy should be argued at the table of public debate, not behind think tank doors. We should able to weigh the evidence. Every GOP candidate should be asked about Project 2025, and also about the fact that GOP representatives have mostly approved the annual defense budget which has included funds for addressing climate impacts to national security, military bases and operations since the 1990s. Transparency is messy, but I think we need more of it if we want better policy.
Damn right! There are no true Republicans left! If Dems say blue,Pubes say green!Point fingers and do absolutely nothing to help Biden! As a matter of fact, they do nothing but spew diarrhea! Ridiculous
Keith, yes, and I honestly do not see what their end game is. Do they think whoever they put in the White House will appreciate them. They will see those manipulators as dangerous and work to "destroy" them. I wonder how many of the Heritage Foundation workers were from Harvard, Yale, and the other privileged schools. I suspect many and for a good reason. It gives the Foundation a legitimacy they do not deserve. Why anyone listens to them and their just plain stupid ideas is beyond comprehension. It must be because they don't actually read or think about anything that comes out of that "august" body. Republicans really do love the unthinking and the mis-educated. How painful for the rest of us, and eventually for them too because none of those ideas promises a good world situation to leave to their kids, even if those kids go to Harvard or Yale.
They don't care about this planet because they will all take a ride on Elon's Space X to Mars-on-Lago where they will infest another planet while sucking the last bit of oil out of this one.
Well said Keith.... when I became aware of the end game the Federalist Society has in store for America I nearly fell from my chair. Jim Hightower had two consecutive issues on the Supreme Court and their corruption. Jim has been around for a long time and tells it exactly how it is and further study proved his unbelievable story to be true. The Federalist Society has morphed from a small group of college activists, professors and students, into an unbelievable monster with intentions of replacing our Democracy with a Plutocracy..... and unless the majority of our citizens wake up to this scary fact we may just satisfy their wish they've had for 20 or more years.
In my opinion it began with the growth of the billionaires .... in 1980 there was only one living self-made Billionaire - Ross Perot..... today we're approaching 900 and they are growing at a rate of one billionaire a day. The mentality of most billionaires is one of self service and greed and they find a welcome home in the Federalist Society. Five of our Supreme Court Justices are or were members of the Federalist Society. Their power and wealth is tremendous and they have nearly 4 billion dollars to spend in the 2024 election. I only hope that this court action against Trump will awaken many who now believe him.
Flounder-- I see nothing wrong with giving prospective future students special consideration when it comes to administration practices relating to past family members who attended a particular educational institution. I understand that a legacy status shouldn't be an invitation written in stone, it should be just another in a long line of personal qualifications offered in an attempt to achieve admission. If being a legacy was a golden ticket to attending a chosen university our schools, over time, would become little more than glorified social clubs. Being a legacy should be nothing more than a consideration, especially if their parents are alumni in good standing and donate to the school on an annual basis. Just think, without this common practice Delta House would never have had the Lincoln with which to mourn the passing of poor Fawn as they ventured forth on that eventful road trip.
Are you sure you have thought this through. Dr. Reich gave you all the statistics which show how undeserving students get in as legacy and this is the ticket to the highest paying jobs in the country. Why should my children not have this opportunity if they have the grades?
Linda--I hear what your saying and I agree with you but if my family has attended the institution in question and I wish to attend same and a tie exists between myself and a student with no past connections to the school I would hope my family's past would tip the scales in my favor, all other things being equal.
Don--Most apps have a space for personal impute relating to an application's personal reasons for wanting to attend that particular university. There is nothing wrong with mentioning your family's past history relating to that school.
Don-If the dean of student's son wanted to attend the school where is dad was a dean, I see nothing wrong with special consideration being given to the boy. Life is too restricting as it is, it seems our rules have rules.
Donald, I disagree that there should be any legacy consideration at all. If affirmative action concerning race is not acceptable when colleges and universities deliberately for generations excluded people of color, legacies should not be a category either since so many of those legacy's ancestors participated in the "whites only" policies at most of those high octane institutions and corporations. I think higher education institutions need to find ways to build their student bodies and make them as diverse as possible, ways that our racist, misogynistic Supreme Court will have to go along with. I don't know what they will look like, but I know a bunch of smart people can figure it out if they try and they get past doing things the old way.
Professor Reich, I do agree that legacy admissions should be abolished, as it seems to have become more about assuring strong endowments from the wealthy, with a presumption that anyone who had graduated from an ivy league school surely would have done well financially and would have been generous in its donations as alums. You state: “….elite universities give preference to children of family members who attended that same university — and, not incidentally, are more likely to be wealthy.” However, the preference is given to legacy families who in fact are wealthy and not to ones who are not. I have evidence to support this, though admittedly it is only one case, but it’s a personal one. My great-grandfather, who attended Brown, went on to get a law degree from Harvard. His son, my grandfather, attended Harvard and graduated Phi Beta Cappa in 1879 (I have his key). Both men became US Congressmen from MA. My father graduated from Harvard, Summa Cum Laude, but his family’s fortune disappeared in the Great Depression, and he never fully recovered from that. Although my parents divorced, I am certain he was unable to give any money to Harvard. I am uncertain about any contributions his father or grandfather might have made to Harvard. My brother and I grew up quite poor on a tight budget (our mother had to forego her full scholarship to college because she had to find work to support her family during the depression). There was simply no money saved for us to go to college (but like you, we were able to do so through scholarships, loans, and work). My point is that my brother applied to Harvard, thinking it made sense to follow in our family’s footsteps, and then he figured he would tackle scholarship and loans to make it work. My brother was highly qualified: a straight A student with high SATs, Honor Society, class president, etc. But he was not accepted by Harvard (probably because our father didn’t give Harvard money and the fact that our family had none to speak of). But he was accepted at Dartmouth (he is 3 years older than you and I are, Robert). And he did receive scholarships and loans and went on to get the equivalent of a master’s at King’s College at Cambridge University. He was no slacker, my brother, and Harvard, who supposedly cared about legacy, should have accepted him. My brother was fine with the way it ultimately turned out, though going to elite schools with no money to spare had its own challenges, but it does illustrate an important point regarding legacy acceptances. There is definite discrimination against the underprivileged (a type of diversity, white or not) when it comes to these moneyed institutions.
Ruth--I still feel past considerations aren't a negative point to take when looking at admission standards. Keep legacy as something to be reflected upon remembering all the while that issue has no color.
Hence the war on public education; if the only education the hoi polloi can get is watching PragerU "educational" videos, legacy admissions won't be needed: only the children of the 1% will be even remotely qualified to go to any university, much less a prestigious one.
Wha'd'ya'wan'na bet the Яepubлиkan will come up with some kind of nonsense claiming that dismantling legacy college admissions is a "woke" conspiracy to destroy families and undermine "family values," while being unfair to new college enrollees who will have a benefit removed that their forebears had. They may even come up with a catchy meme to rebrand it, like they did in calling the inheritance tax the "death tax," knowing their supporters will simply respond to the new meme as thoughtlessly as they predictably respond to other catchy memes - without a single moment of reflection or critical thought. Face it. Their supporters don't necessarily >have< a college education! It makes them a lot easier to manipulate by Яepubлиkan that >do< have a college education. And remember, the Яepubлиkans just >love< the undereducated!
The war on education is another example of corporate rule corruption brought on by Citizens United, and other related SCOTUS rulings.
We all want our children to have an excellent public school education. When the people demand fairness but our government doesn’t respect nor respond to our will, it couldn’t be more clear that the interests of the Oligarchy are being served, not the will of the people!!!
The We the People Amendment, HJR54, will overrule SCOTUS and overturn Citizens United! It will greatly increase the power of the people by establishing that only we are entitled to constitutional rights and powers! And that money in politics must be regulated!!!!!!!
Please help us restore our broken system at movetoamend.org. Nothing is more important because we can and we must fix this root problem of our time, and time is running out.
Even the comment itself is a teaching moment! Huzzah!
(Note, however, that education - unlike a sense of humor - is not a private possession: it is a public good; "elite casts" in a foreign country can't change the fact thereof, regardless of their evolutionary challenges. Go Bears!)
Legacy admissions are unquestionably distasteful but I wonder if natural selection will kill the practice.
I frankly fail to see the attraction of an Ivy League education anymore. When I see the prominent graduates of "prestigious" schools who are in the news these days -- Ted Cruz (Princeton, Harvard law), Josh Hawley (Stanford, Yale law), Ron DeSantis (Yale, Harvard law), judge James C. Ho (Stanford, U. of Chicago law), Samuel Alito (Princeton, Yale law) Clarence Thomas (Yale law), and Sam Bankman-Fried (MIT), to name the first few who come to mind -- I have to conclude that either these institutions are all failing in some significant respect or that they are simply favorite stepping stones for ambitious people with control issues. I used to think the Ivy Leagues were the gold standard, but if I were applying to college today I'd be looking elsewhere.
The problem is that too many companies & institutions look at these schools in their resume & make that a primary criterion in hiring or accepting them. They advance precisely because these universities are in their background, & other people see that & conclude that only if they make it into these schools they have it made regardless of their actual talent, skills or character. The incompetence or bad character of these people in high positions only confirms the importance of these schools in getting ahead.
Jaime Ramirez ; 'connections' have something to do with it, too. There is a private school in my town where those who get to attend are on a special track to Northeastern, and from there, directly into high paying and prestigious jobs. If you start in the 'right' private school you will associate with "The 'right' people and have a proper 'world view'. And success. This local school accepts a certain number of local students who are native to the town and have qualifying high grades. They don't need to be wealthy.
I say, they [those at the top] don't have to conspire, because they all think alike. The president of General Motors and the president of Chase Manhattan Bank really are not going to disagree much on anything, nor would the editor of the New York Times disagree with them. They all tend to think quite alike, otherwise they would not be in those jobs.
Yes, Laurie, it's all about connections, this advantage of legacy being 1 form of it.
There's this talk about "privilege" (I really think a better, less triggering word is "advantage"). The advantage of (family, business, political) connections is among the less talked about but more important privileges, others being wealth & looks (beauty, attractiveness).
Jamie maybe it’s time to activate “another way”! Your comment got me to thinking about Black Wall-street…pre Tulsa Riots. Maybe we need to engineer a Inclusive Ivy League community to work around, and create just as valuable connections in the education to job pipe line!
Shockingly, many of those grads--Republicans in the public eye-- graduated at the very top of their class.
Can an institution really impart ethical values to young adults? Are most grads as ethically bankrupt as some? Is there an overwhelming factor pervading culture that selects for the greedy and self-focused to succeed?
It seems more likely that these once hallowed institutions are 'favorite stepping stones for ambitious people' who have, by whatever cause, no ethical boundaries.
I think it's all part of the mishmash of money/republican/ivy league schools/money lalala. The rich, in general, don't seem to have much of a conscience, no care for anyone else, and all their focus on making money. It's not the schools per se, it's the mindsets of the people who are admitted because of money, and this legacy thing we are talking about. Now, without affirmative action, there won't many students going there who would offer different views.
Federalist Society wines and dines and explains the step-ford wife offerings to young Ivy League boys which is appealing to narcissists. They are handed the slender book of Jesus’s sayings only, out-of-context and historical cultural norms (why wash another person’s feet?). That becomes their “Bible” and memorized future stump speech throw-outs for the good people in Iowa to Texas. The society finds college girls and starts the prep for the role of good Senator’s wives gazing with loving eyes at their husband which is appealing to many girls...parties and primping Barbie-style. Only as a woman matures does that step-ford wife realize what they gave up (Reagan’s wife comes to mind) and alcohol becomes their crutch. Only a mature man can walk with Michelle Obama. Bill Clinton finally acknowledged that Hillary was smarter than he; intellectually, but also as a loving adult. (He actual does seem to gaze lovingly at her, now. Maybe he has matured). I used to think they were so much smarter than me. I don’t think that anymore.
Ryan, I have been thinking the same thing - So many prominent people in politics who don't care about other human beings or the environment received their education from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc. This article touches in on these connections, which looks like a virus of heartless narcissism borne from entitlement and having opportunities handed to them.
We don’t have time for natural selection to take care of it. That requires generations. We maybe have two more before desperation causes authoritarian regimes to commit nuclear holocaust.
What the Supreme Court inadvertently did was pick off the race cover story behind which all of these legacy admissions were hiding. It is a very interesting and important new development. And a huge criticism of Ivy League college admissions. Rightly so! Thanks for noting this important topic.
Once upon a time, I represented school districts. If our kids could block and tackle, they could get into Ivy League schools, even with substandard SATs and mediocre grades. Few, if any of our excellent students could get into Ivy schools, even if they were legacies, unless they were athletes.
The worship factor with sports is mystifying to me. Sure kids can learn team work, etc. But it's just a game. A money grubbing game. Money that could be applied to all manner of improving the human condition. Or the Earths.
Very interesting. I didn't know that Ivies were that focused on athletics. Non Ivy U. of Chicago doesn't even have a football program (unless I am badly out of date).
Not exactly Ivies, Daniel. But a look at the division did have a surprise for me. U. of Chicago, the "Maroons" is on the list. A nice glimpse through an old lens.
Once upon a time, they were in the Big 10 but de-emphasized football. Many members of my family went to Northwestern, which has probably eclipsed Chicago.
In my case, I was rejected by most of the schools of my choice. But they paid me to go to school.
Big 10. I'm from the Chicago area originally. And my father went to Chicago on the GI Bill after WW II. But the Big 10, while keeping the name, has swelled now to being more like the Big 18 or 19, including recently picking up several PAC 12 teams. Also Nebraska, Rutgers, Maryland, Penn State... It used to be such a nice little conference.
Lefty here and I agree with the issue, but I don’t see how federal or state government can restrict this practice at private institutions. Borrowing the Rs favorite term, it seems like government overreach, if even allowable. States could restrict it for their public schools, but that’s not where the problem is.
In the abstract, as long as they don't take any government money, I agree. However consider Grove City College, which passes itself off as the best "Christen" liberal arts school., that objected to "state action" 14th Amendment federal jurisdiction. A 6-3 majority SCOTUS opinion holds that when students receive federally funded grants, Title IX requirements only apply to the specific program or activity that was benefitted by the grants.
But what if students take, say Pell grants? What if the school gets federal research funds?
I was never jealous of the Little Lord Fauntleroys and other landed gentry who think their shit doesn't stink. My inferiority complex drove me to outwork them. .
If Americans still believe in that “ if you work hard enough, you can make it”...then they should come out and VOTE at future elections only for candidates who support true “Advancement on Merit”, and that includes Admission to Universities ; ALL of them. “Buying” their way into University or “using the Family Name” to get in, is a total anathema to that obviously mythical belief. 🤨
I'm not opposed to EVERY manner of hereditary bequeathment: the rich are entitled to all the colorblindness, haemophilia, Huntington's Disease and Habsburg lips their flesh is heir to, but the nation's colleges and universities belong to just that -- the nation, and that's all of us.
A degree from a prestigious university awarded to someone whose family will never have to worry about paying the rent, or the mortgage or deciding between critical medications and heating their home for the winter is just a scrap of paper that opens no doors because the door was already open wide.
Former Supreme Court Justice Breyer said that to help guide his decisions on the court, he asked himself: Would this or that decision promote democracy? I think that's a wise rule of thumb for all policies. It appears legacy admissions have demoted democracy and caused extreme imbalance.
I haven’t heard it said directly, but rich legacy applicants are a business decision in the admissions process, not just a gesture of favoritism. The process of “packaging” financial aid awards, which happens in conjunction with the admissions process, looks specifically for full-pay students; those able to bring in the full cost of attending and not drain the coffers of scholarship and financial aid awards. They are a revenue-generating decision.
I read somewhere that Harvard's endowment is now so large that Harvard could admit every new student tuition free for the foreseeable future. If that's true, it would certainly eliminate the business case for rich legacy applicants.
Exactly, but it's the result of the legacy admission practice. - remember it started in the Jim Crow era. So the majority of those white wealthy students today represent the advantage that their ancestral family received by the legacy admission policy denied the black community and others.
Thank you for this piece. I come from a family in which my siblings definitely profited from legacy admissions, and in their defense ....made good use of the opportunity - several Harvard graduates - and have conducted themselves subsequently with generosity. And which doesn’t completely “make it right.” I think we need to do 2 things - end Legacy admissions to the “Ivys” and make a concerted effort to support colleges & universities outside of the Ivy network that deliver an education that may be more than the equal of what their more “illustrious” colleagues are actually providing. I attended Bryn Mawr for a year, and then UC Irvine for the balance of my college career. I received a MUCH BETTER education at UC Irvine than at Bryn Mawr - better teaching and definitely better opportunities for the kinds of “extra curricular” learning that can be a HUGELY important factor in post college career trajectories. At UC Irvine I had a GIFT of studying with a Behavioral Psychologist who was displeased with the utter absence of any real studies on what happens in a "group therapy”session. He could find no studies in which that which was being “measured” was defined such it could be replicated. So he set out to create a methodology. And those of us who benefited from his work learned how to understand a system - the rewards, the punishments & the process. Those lessons have stayed with me ever since, and informed my ability to analyze any system in which mammals ... including 2-legged mammals ... are participating. And yes, reward and punishment functions much the same for humans as it does for rats & pigeons. And this “fringe benefit” of my UCIrvine education turns out to be the single most important “tool” that I took from “Higher Education.”
I highly recommend visiting any college in which you are considering enrolling, and get out into the school to talk to students. You’ll get a much better idea of what’s actually possible to learn at a particular institution by doing so. And you have a much better chance of picking a school in which the “extracurricular” learning opportunities are at least as valuable as the official curriculum.
Ban 'em. Two kids from my son's high school were being considered for entry to Brown - my son and a kid from a super wealthy family. The super wealthy dad offered to build Brown a building. Guess who they chose?...
Agreed. AKA a bribe, plain and simple. These kids grew up with this behavior; it’s not surprising their path into Congress also has been purchased and it continues via their Citizens United proxy votes. Funny how the RW short term view on everything may have more unintended consequences for them.
America's "elite" colleges have a strong history of not allowing Jewish students, and or having explicit quotas to limit their admissions, of requiring higher marks for Jews both to get in and to stay in, and tolerating or even promoting antisemitism on campus. Explicit and implicit Anti-African policies in American colleges in general were so strong that what we now call Traditionally Black Colleges had to be created for African Americans to have someplace to attend. Other non-White groups have fared no better, and have not even been able to compensate with a "separate but equal" alternative.
Since the 60s and 70s, through required and voluntary affirmative action programs, colleges have cast themselves as The Great Equalizers of socioeconomic injustice. In practice, they still only admit disadvantaged students who get remarkably good grades despite the disadvantages they face -- that is, kids who should have gotten in anyway. They are at best just reducing discrimination slightly, not counterbalancing it at all. The White backlash against this, imagining that White Johnny and Janie didn't get in because some presumed to be unqualified Black kid did is well known.
Against this background it amazes me that today's anti-legacy sentiment seems to have legs. Legacy admissions play a significant role in preserving America's bloodline-based class stratification. 50 years hence, this could have significant ripple effects.
If you look at the number of lawyers, candidates, judges (Supreme Court included) who claim to have attended/graduated Harvard Law School and are now firmly dedicated to ending democracy, could there be a problem with legacy admissions? You think?
Fine, ban legacy admissions but that won't stop the elite from getting the best jobs. They all know each other and hire from their own gilded networks. The rest of us have zero access to those networks so despite our educational achievements, we cannot gain a foothold.
I think it would be more helpful to build a culture that values education, especially public education. We don't need Ivy League schools to have good lives and lives well-lived. Then, make a college education free or close to it. At the same time, we can address unfair hiring and promotion practices so that the in-crowd isn't constantly getting the best jobs.
Alas, if we had a country that ensured we have what we needed, regardless of the family into which we were born, we wouldn't feel the need to make billions of dollars. What if we each were valued for what we can contribute to our society and paid enough to have all that we actually need to do that job (clean air and water, healthy food, stable and extremely affordable medical care, safe places to live, access to the outdoors, time with the people we love, enough to take a vacation, vacation time, paid leave for medical and parental needs, etc)? What if we didn't value the fanciest cars and the biggest houses and instead valued hard work, kindness, and contribution to a better country for everyone? I know that is pie in the sky, but I can dream.
The Republican Heritage Foundation, An American conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. that took a leading role in the conservative movement during the presidency of Ronald Reagan, whose policies were taken from Heritage's policy study Mandate for Leadership, recently released its “Project 2025,” which The New York Times called “a conservative ‘battle plan”.
The plan calls for shredding regulations to curb greenhouse gas pollution from cars, oil and gas wells and power plants, dismantling almost every clean energy program in the federal government and boosting the production of fossil fuels — the burning of which is the chief cause of planetary warming. Obviously they do not care about the Future of our planet!!!!
This Republican Party does nothing to help President Biden! In fact everything they do runs against him and his administration.
These Republican members of Congress are all complicit with the eventual destruction of our democracy and, eventually, our country!
I think they are still in willful denial about anything environmental. All they see is their own greed.
Randy,
They believe in “Green” it just isn’t the color of trees or of plants or of clear skies!!!!
The wrong kind o' Green Party, eh?
You might say most of them have a heritage that makes them flush in 'Green', though they themselves do not have need to carry 'Green' and certainly not the Green Cause.
Keith, I know republicans hate regulations and I know they pretend climate change isn’t happening,
but I don’t understand why they take these self-destructive positions. In the short term it’s about money, we all know that, but in the long term--and by long-term I mean within the next ten years--all hell will break loose. There will be tens of thousands,
possibly hundreds of thousands of people migrating because of climate change. Extreme heat and unprecedented droughts will eventually make it impossible to grow food in many parts of the world.
Climate change will affect our national security and the security of every other wealthy country. When
thousands of people in Central America are starving,
they’re going to move. They can go north or south, but most of them will likely show up at our southern border. Republicans have been whining and lying about border security for so long, I think they’re starting to believe their own lies. But, I guarantee the situation is only going to get worse, even much worse. So we need to start thinking about what our policies will be now, not after hordes of starving people show up at our borders.
The problem with creating policies to deal with the starving hoards, or any problem, is republicans.
It has become painfully obvious republicans are manipulating their voters with lies. In fact, it’s as if
republicans and democrats are living in two completely different universes. So the issue becomes a question of how to negotiate with people who’ve become so intransigent that the two sides aren’t even able to agree on a set of basic facts about anything. The absolute worst of the intransigent republicans tend to be people who graduated from the prestigious and very expensive universities Bob is referring to in today’s essay. I don’t know what the answer is, but I do know one way to avoid having to deal with irrational republicans is to make sure democrats are the majority in both the senate and the House, and to also have a dem president, so republicans can’t block legislation that deals with problems they refuse to acknowledge.
They don't care because they don't have to.
All of these situations won't affect them because they have the means - the wealth - to take care of their own so they think they don't have to worry about climate change. (The Republican Party has never cared about starving people or displaced people.)
What I don't understand is how they rationalize to themselves ignoring the effects of climate change that we are already experiencing. It will only get worse in the future and their GRANDCHILDREN will bear the brunt of their arrogance and inaction now.
Susan, the climate deniers or rather, climate liars are living in a pretend world where the present will be the future as long as they want it to be. The term "global warming" for what is going on was altered to "Climate change" to make it sound less serious so they could continue to do whatever they want with impunity (child-men). The media needs to be more forthright in its use of the term "global warming." They should emphasize the "warming" part and regularly remind Republicans what the rest of us already know, "the world your grandchildren will inhabit will be horrific if you all don't grow up and start acting like responsible adults, not pathetic children in a fantasy world." We the People have permitted their childish reasoning to prevail too often by electing and re-electing the ignorant among us who have no positive ideas about anything except making themselves richer, and that sure isn't a positive for the rest of us. We need to regularly call out Republicans and name the things they are opposing rather than dismissing it when they filibuster something important. Then we need to hear a lot about the anti-American "Freedom Caucus" (a bunch of unworthy members of (Congress if there ever were one). They plan to shut our government down if they don't get their appalling way. Why other Republicans go along with the "Toddler Caucus" is unclear. No job is worth sacrificing your integrity for. I am sure Republicans in office and in wealth attended a lot of different colleges and universities which proves jerks as well as decent folks can come through any institution.
Ruth. I am in full agreement with you. But there is another problem. People like Trump and Musk don't give a damn about their children and grandchildren, it's all about "ME" for them. You cannot reason with them./ We need to make them pay a responsible tax or confiscate those funds like we would from a recalcitrant foreign government
Fay, I don't understand how so many people from my generation turned out to be such jerks, unwilling to look at the truth, and willing to elect people whose purpose in life and office is to get revenge on people they claim did something to them, probably didn't let them get everything they wanted without question. We certainly did bring on a whole lot of child-men and child-women, although more of the former. You are probably right we can't change them, but maybe confronting them with more truth might help a bit. I do believe we need to tax rich people and corporations significantly. They have gotten everything from our society and it is time they pay some back for their upkeep.
Agreed. As to bringing up the generation of 'me' first, don't beat yourself up too much. TV shows, sitcoms, and ads did a lot to influence those kids. Far more than their parents did. I was a child in the thirties and early forties. No TV, very few child predators, I spent most of my time wandering about in forests, fields and wooded areas. Watching birds, little mammals and wildflowers. Kids growing up in the 50's and 60's were bombarded with TV. Spent more time inside their homes than I did. I was also fortunate that I bought a 5 acre firm when my two youngest daughters were able to join 4H, raise and show animals and learn responsibility. Most people weren't that fortunate.
Ruth, I've asked a similar question: Why are so many of my generation such willfull clods? I can think of only two reasons: they don't think there consequences for their actions, and that its been estimated that half the children born in this country are unwanted. I think that fact has a profound effect on people's psyche and how they view the world and their fellow human beings.
8-24-2024, RUTH, FAY, AND OTHERS, IT ALL BOILS=DOWN TO "ORGANIZED-HATE FROM THE VATICAN, SO-CALLED-CLUB WHO PRETENDTO BE OH-SO-CARING ABOUT BLACKS, BROWNS, YELLOW, RED, POOR WHITE-SKINNED CITIZENS, ALONG WITH MAGA, WHITE-NATIONALIST-HATEFUL-BIGOTS, WHO OFTEN SHOW-UP AT THEIR SO-CALLED-PULPITS ON SUNDAY MORNINGS ONLY TO LIVE ROTTEN-HATEFUL LIVES MONDAY THRU SUNDAY!!! AS LONG AS HATE PREVAILS IN THE HEARTS/MINDS OF THE PEOPLE, NOTHING POSIKTIVE WILL EXIST!!! THE POUCHA
Fay and Ruth, I am also in full agreement. However, there is another reason they may not want to act. I suspect that as they have always done they will adjust to the new global circumstances in a Disaster Economics way. A system of making even more money off the climate collapses. Say they take over all water resources, such as is being done in CA and South America, though they don't yet have complete control of these resources.
The obscenely wealthy will do soul/crushing things to gain even more money/power. Perhaps they have the advice of a Think Tank that advises taking advantage of the calamities in action now and gaining traction. Not that that isn't being done now in the face of hurricanes and floods. I can't say I can imagine a new way they will profit off of human misery, despair and desperation that will profit them even more than now, but they may have.
How ghastly of an opinion of them I have and the fact that I could suspect they can be anymore cruel then they are. I really think they can be that evil for they already gain so much from disaster and human misery.
I really hope they don't have anyway to hide from the evils they unleash on the world and they realize it soon, real soon.
Ellen, I've recently heard that even Bill Gates (& consortium of like "investors") is buying up - water rights - in the U.S. midwest. To do what with ? ? ? Only dire times will tell - - -
What you said reminds me of a YouTube video of the song by Zager & Evans "In the Year 2525" with a backdrop of Fritz Langs "Metropolis" (1927). IMO this video is both creepy & prophetic -
to what is happening in current time (along with the resurgence of
so called 'Christian Nationalism'. IMO we truly are in 'dire times'.....
and only seeing - the beginnings - [[[ I'm feeling like a Cassandra these days - with little hope and no optimism - both for me & this
planet - humanity's only home ]]] .
Love “Toddler Caucus!” It’s very appropriate based on their behavior.
Sudan, Maybe they”(the greedy wealthy)” will be upset if their pure bred dogs and pets can’t breathe and or survive because water is unavailable. People do not matter to them. Their entire denial system will also suck the air and water right out of their bunkers!
You know, once upon a time major media outlets were one of our major sources for factual info, but when computers became ubiquitous, they stopped caring about truth, I guess because peddling lies is more lucrative. The toddler caucus needs to grow up, but I’m afraid the only thing that motivates them
is money. Rather than do what’s best for the country, they’ll pretend the existential threat of climate change doesn’t exist. As long as they cater to the most uninformed people in America who find comfort in being lied to, we can’t substantially
mitigate climate change.
There are two ways I can think of to attack their cozy lie-fest: Make all private campaign donations illegal.
Allow campaigns to use only public money for campaigning, and put people with integrity on the FEC to monitor campaign spending.
The money they make by lying is what motivates them. If that’s taken away they no longer have a reason to lie to their constituents. If Dems become the majority in both the House and the Senate, and Biden is the President, the first thing we have to do is get rid of Citizens United and pass legislation to make private donations illegal. In reality, all they are is bribes and bribes are corrupt.
Another thought is for Dems to hold public hearings
on climate change. Currently, republicans have an anti-science bias, and scientists who testify at hearings have been subjected to humiliating, fact free diatribes from republicans in Congress. They have no shame in treating experts badly so we may not be able to persuade them to testify.
I used to think we could teach students how climate
change--what is causing it and how it will affect their lives, motivating them to motivate their parents. That’s what was done to get people to stop smoking and it was surprisingly effective. But now,
domestic terrorist republicans have convinced many parents that schools shouldn’t be allowed to teach anything that’s even mildly offensive. I’m at a loss
about how to proceed.
I do not think we need to make elections be paid from the public coffers. However I have been shouting to the wind that we need to repeal the Citizens United decision. Then make it illegal to contribute to anyone that you are not eligible to vote for, and put a per person limit on funds donated.
Susan Wahl; Unless they have friends piloting those UAPs flying around and have an exit plan.
Susan,sorry, maybe Sudan was a spiritual slip!😂😂 desert......
Jean (Muriel); Sudan is where we are heading, climate wise. So scary! They want to increase our numbers while shrinking our habitat. Hoping we all destroy each other? But the fools need food water and livable shelter themselves! That is why they want a 'police' state and 'civil' war'? (Biggest Oxymoron there ever was!)? 💰 money isn't everything!
There are the huge cities built, with our dollars, and not available to those but the select. Who makes the cut? Why not those that govern the government. How many more of these underground cities are there?
I know, crazy talk, but we know they have these cities designed for the ones that have brought us to this brink. I hate being this cynical.
I'm glad we don't "rate" to live in these underground cities ; unless they have osmosis filters and Goretex walls to keep floods out and allow clean water as needed. Or maybe they are a fish like species with gills. Pollution still happens, and warming causes fires that melt things and contaminants get spread around. I'd rather fix what we have.
Susan Garrity Benton : with the removal of family planning they are setting the stage for increased hapless numbers of people (humans) with no place to go and limited food sources and water. It's like a mass suicide/murder plan! NUTS!
Laurie, I've been thinking that this - ban on abortion - is more like a move to - total
slavery of the masses (YouTube video of Zager & Evans "In the Year 2525" to the backdrop of Fritz Langs 1927 'Metropolis' to support those at the top at minimal cost.
Well said. It is mind-boggling, for sure. The intransigence of some seems to be spilling over in the sense that much of what could be done on everything from education, immigration, and the changing climate to mitigate millions of lives is stagnated and worsened by procrastination over political views amongst other changes in technology, automation, global finance, etc. Humans have created a world (for the time being) of constant change requiring progressivism, not regressive behavior, where every change presented by Democrats is reacted to with extreme and unrealistic conservativism. Much of what you have said is already happening on parts of the planet, as reported internationally by intergovernmental organizations, non-government bodies, and community-based groups. Fight-like-hell attitudes, as repeated by the former 45th president, serve to illustrate that wall building, say no, lock them up, are more about preserving the past than trying to survive the future.
Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely! Their policies are illogical and insane because they are so very corrupted by their massive and unjust power.
Only We the People can save them, and ourselves by restoring the rightful power of we the people, and by taking away their power, and their money in our politics.
Help pass HJR54, the We the People Amendment, with movetoamend.org Ask Nancy Pelosi and Josh Harder to cosponsor. All of other greater Bay Area Reps already are!
And ask our Senators to introduce the Senate Companion to HJR54.
Don’t despair. Help out!
These very rich Republicans think they can buy their survival while the rest of us perish. I relate it to the people that think they can survive a nuclear disaster because they have 6 months of food in an underground bunker.
They eventually have to leave their safe haven and that’s when the radiation will end their life! ☢️
I might add, end their lives in a slow and uncomfortable death.
On your point “impossible to grow food in many parts of the world” could eventually include the US. Currently Much of the produce in grocery stores comes from Mexico and Central America. If you have a local market where you get food or even better a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) you are fortunate but the majority of the population rely on foods transported thousands of miles. For 45 years my husband (who has Biodynamic Certification)and I have been involved in growing at least some of our food and we’ve stuck it out at least until now. Depending on rainfall has now left us waiting for rain for two months. The low wet spots and springs have run dry. It rains around our immediate area but is stalled by the ridges. This has not been the case until now. I got a full eyeful of the cause of this dry microclimate we are now in- it’s called a rain shadow- not enough moisture generally. A couple of weeks ago I was driving to a nearby small city that in recent years has exploded population from people from Washington DC wanting out from the traffic and prices ( now bringing those things here but in the wake of it interestingly enough turning a solid Red city into a Blue one)- but the level of new unattractive but affordable houses now stacked on what was once prime farmland depressed me greatly. No trees on asphalt streets, a worse example of Levittown I’ve never seen. No zoning to require green and tree spaces left amply to counteract the heat islands these places now become. Unsustainable. My point is this- we too- in our “arrogantly great” nation will potentially be migratory. Is the history of the “Okies” so far behind us this phenomenon of environmental emigration within our own borders doesn’t even give the - we as a nation pause.
I will mercer understand our species inability to learn from history and from current science. There is ample research and guidance to build green cities and use regenerative farming which also helps climate change. I wish you and your husband good luck to be able to continue to grow food and contribute to what nurtures and sustains LIFE. You are to be celebrated.
Thank you. I’ll share your comment with my husband who really deserves great credit. You are so spot on about failure to either learn from the past or use the technology at hand.
Your first hand insight into this situation of climate change and food source is so well written; the facts support what we are experiencing. This should be an essay for every newspaper in the world. It is after all a global issue.
Jane, you’re right about the possibility of the U.S.
becoming a place where food can’t grow. But the U.S. has a lot more resources & scientific knowledge
than most other countries. Therefore theoretically,
the U.S. will become a place migrants flock to and we need to be prepared for that. Actually, it’s in our best interests, for example, to give other countries any technology we have or develop that helps to grow food with very little water. Perhaps we develop
a way to remove salt from seawater on a large scale so it’s drinkable. Whatever technology helps people
in other countries to stay where they are should be offered at no charge.
Lets be 'honest' here. IMO There WILL be millions world wide immigrating to - wherever they can - when - Climate Change//Global Warming - becomes truly serious & leaving environmental devistation behind them as they move - to wherever - because they were
raping, pilaging, and plundering the environment - to merely survive. Which will only make Climate Change//Global Warming much worse - - - and the rate of environmental
destruction will - escalate at an ever faster pace. I'm already seeing - out of state license
plates here in Seattle WA. Whether due to job relocations, but as likely that these new
residents being political and climatic - Refugees. Denialism knows no boundaries - when
it comes to ones own survival - hmm ? ? ?
To return to Robert's original ? = 50 + years ago I was the 1st in my family generation to go to college and between my parents savings and my own income, did it on my own without scholorships (strings attached !) 1st 2 years being at my local Community College
then transferring for the last 3 years to the U. of WA and all the time living at home to help take care of invalid family members & holding down part time jobs.
So, a higher education Can be had without getting scholorships or taking out - loans and
going into debt. It is just more difficult these days, to (hopefully) land better paying jobs than the average student - like me back in the day....
Susan, I am always amazed at Republican "stubbornness." That is why I so often refer to many of them as child-men and child-women. Any parent or person who has lived with children and been responsible for them for a while will notice the similarities between Republican behavior and that of young children, particularly those who have not had sufficient positive parenting. They whine, lie, refuse to acknowledge their lies, try to make alliances over the lies, blame others for anything that could be a problem for them. They are loud at times, throw tantrums whenever they don't get what they want and will even hurt people if they can. Why anyone votes for or even listens to them is still a mystery to me. I heard a comment last night after the debate that one of the candidates would probably get points because he talked loudly, lied almost convincingly, and "stood his ground," as if standing his ground for a lie is presidential. From what I have heard about the "debate," there was not one positive idea for the future of our nation, but a whole lot of lying about conditions in our nation right now. I don't know which schools those candidates attended, but whichever they were, they should be embarrassed!
Ruth, Like most children, the 'children' you refer to - learned these behaviours from
their - parents - who perpetuate their own 'childish' behaviour which ensures that their own children repeat & repeat & repeat into adulthood the same behaviours.
[[ I've heard of this same pattern within my own family, though not actually witnessed it]].
"but I don’t understand why they take these self-destructive positions. In the short term it’s about money, we all know that, but in the long term--and by long-term I mean within the next ten years--all hell will break loose."
Because they don't believe it will happen on their watch, and they don't care about the future - that's someone else's problem.
WRKnight, I also think it is general ignorance of what is really going on. The people electing the jerks are so wrapped up in their Fox et al, they don't ever get the truth. When there is a disaster that happens to them, they whine and cry that no one is helping them, but they keep electing people who despise them except for their vote. They have no clue what is being done to them because they themselves are so addicted to bubble TV and internet they can't see the disaster coming. So, they want FEMA and the rest of the government they hate to bail them out. It is nuts, but I have heard no good discussion of how to reach these people. Their states keep putting into place all kinds of voter suppression and we allow enormous donations to candidates that are not even attributed because of John Roberts and his completely unconstitutional "Citizens United" case that was just an excuse to let rich people and corporations buy candidates and bamboozle the people. That is what we are up against and I don't know what to do about it except fight it where we are, all the time.
And they have lots of guns.
See Randy Gaul above. Republicans make up the majority of the 1%. Their only concern is money, and increasing their opportunity to make more while guaranteeing their kids the ability and right of maintaining the money and power. Free enterprise to the maximum!
Fred, it seems they ARE Republican because they are ridiculously rich. They are so addicted to their wealth and power they have to be Republican because at least most of the time, Democrats work hard to provide for the needs of those who are struggling. Republicans almost never go that direction. They are OK with infrastructure sometimes because it is going to make the corporations providing the materials and sometimes doing the work a lot richer because the government We the People, nearly always pay more than the job is worth, and often to red state corporations where so many Republicans have taken up residence or were converted from Southern Democrathood.
I like the truth in which your comments dwell. But too many Democrats in Congress used/use compromise (Biden claims this as his badge of honor as a politician) to get legislation passed compromising our lives. There are quite a few issues that must be legislated from the POV that the facts speak for themselves and action must be taken to protect the American people and their rights.
By denying global warming is a problem, Republican members of Congress accelerate it.
The horrific new 'normal' of hyper-heated massive fires *everywhere* in temperate North America (causing insurance companies to withdraw from markets), the rushing loss of myriad species shutting down whole ecosystems (coral reef bleaching, decimation of insects, etc.), sea-level rise and extreme weather-- are all a result of the willful acceleration of global warming that Republicans in Congress advance.
These fails are REAL and will be irreversible:
2 out of 3 North American bird species face extinction
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/2-out-of-3-north-american-bird-species-face-extinction-how-we-can-save-them
And without even looking at the bird species facing extinction, there is the overall loss of sheer number of birds. Even the invasive starling seems to be losing numbers. Combined with the fact that conservatives actively seem to want to facilitate this process which they say isn't happening, it's all extremely scary, the world they are creating for us all. I feel completely powerless in the face of their religiosity and belligerent eff-the-world attitude.
We the People are not powerless. Check out movetoamend.org and strategically help out.
You will learn how to grow the movement of the people, to restore good government, and kick special interests to the curb, and all it takes is to demand HJR54, and to spread the word to others, and other social and environmental justice groups.
Si Se Puede save democracy and our planet!
Lisa, Republicans have already rewritten the Bible to exclude Jesus's teachings about caring for others, blessing and caring for poor folks, those in prison, loving one's neighbor, loving one's enemies and doing good to those who hurt them, etc. their religion is now "I'm right whatever I do because god loves me and I love Jesus and Jesus made me or wants me to be rich. There are people trying to stop me from having all that god wants me to have and I am going to get them for being in my way!" How do we get these people to even notice global warming unless it is actually happening to them and they can't deal with it? They do want us to pay for any losses they have, though as much as they hat and want to destroy our government, while they cash their Social Security check and visit their doctor on Medicare. It's an incredible disconnect, a fantasyland that no one seems to be able to breach. That's probably because we haven't tried very hard. Well, we had better start trying since we are all in this together.
Thank you for the link about birds. This greatly concerns and saddens me :(
Maryk, unfortunately, the Republican voters don't care about any of those things. They hate bugs, never visit coral reefs, don't care about birds or anything else. Even their farmers who are seeing the crazy challenges global warming is bringing, can't bring themselves to say "Enough!" They know, but can't make themselves break their addiction to the loud-mouthed lying, whining that is the Republican Party today. We are in trouble!
Again, this essay is another example of corporate rule corruption brought on by Citizens United, and other related SCOTUS rulings.
The Heritage Foundation represents the perceived interests of the Oligarchy, and that they are winning in their quest for Fascism.
When the people demand fairness but our government doesn’t respect nor respond to our will, it couldn’t be more clear that the interests of the Oligarchy are being served, not the will of the people!!!
The We the People Amendment, HJR54, will overrule SCOTUS and overturn Citizens United! It will greatly increase the power of the people by establishing that only we are entitled to constitutional rights and powers! And that money in politics must be regulated!!!!!!!
Please help us restore our broken system at movetoamend.org. Nothing is more important because we can and we must fix this root problem of our time, and time is running out.
History will show that the beginning of the end of our republic was the Citizens United ruling.
And the planet.
IMHO the 14t Amendment bar against insurrectionists applies to many members. I can't understand why nothing is being done.
Daniel Solomon ; I have been concerned about this since Jan 6th. there were videos showing some Congress members giving 'tours' of the Capitol on Jan 5th! Their votes against certifying President Biden's win are public records, aren't they? They seemed to violate other important ethics rules* when they refused to even allow a debate about voting rights ; like their *Oaths of office*.
* The GUBMINT ! , Sits !, on Their HANDS !* . The " MAMONITE Machiine ! , Grinds ON!"
Absolutely.
Sec.3, 14th amendment has never been used to my knowledge. Also, the way it’s worded doesn’t give
us a clue about how to implement it. A handful of people I would call legal & Constitutional experts,
have written and said the way to trigger sec.3 is for
a Secretary of State to leave Trump off that state’s ballot. Trump would obviously challenge it, and it would wind up in the Supreme Court. But that applies only to Trump. I agree with you that sec.3 applies to members of Congress as well. I suppose
the next time they run for reelection the Sec. of State in whatever state they live in can leave their names off the ballot, forcing the matter to be decided legally. But, the problem with that is, if the Sec. of State is a republican, chances are they won’t do that. So, it seems to me there must be another way to trigger sec.3, 14th amendment and we need to figure out what it is.
At least 4 secretaries of state are working on it. It only takes one to appeal to SCOTUS.
I,too, have wondered.
Has any one created a list of politicians and businesses that supported them?
I thinkI I have seen one.
First, I want to say I am appalled at Project 2025 and I think it all but guarantees a GOP loss. I will never understand GOP doomsday worship. However, I hold out a small, dry twig of hope that robust climate action will soon enjoy bipartisan support. A growing number of GOP youth are joining Benji Backer's American Conservative Coalition (ACC), a conservative climate organization that wants to return to environmental leadership; it reminds members of Nixon signing the EPA, CWA, etc. Climate solutions are an urgent issue for ACC. Also, growing numbers of fishermen and farmers of all political stripes are recognizing climate change as indisputable and are organizing to take action. Climate innovators and leaders are springing up all over the world in recognition that time is short and collaboration is vital. Finally, Mother Nature is speaking at high volume. Will it be enough? Not sure, I've used up my optimism. I am deeply suspicious and cynical about the Republican Heritage Foundation report because at this point only Big Oil and their purchased representatives benefit from continued climate denial vis-a-vis more money, at least in the short term (maybe long term they are going "off world"?). I resent that public policy is made based on these "black box" special interest funded reports. It strikes me as very anti-democratic. Important policy should be argued at the table of public debate, not behind think tank doors. We should able to weigh the evidence. Every GOP candidate should be asked about Project 2025, and also about the fact that GOP representatives have mostly approved the annual defense budget which has included funds for addressing climate impacts to national security, military bases and operations since the 1990s. Transparency is messy, but I think we need more of it if we want better policy.
Damn right! There are no true Republicans left! If Dems say blue,Pubes say green!Point fingers and do absolutely nothing to help Biden! As a matter of fact, they do nothing but spew diarrhea! Ridiculous
Keith, yes, and I honestly do not see what their end game is. Do they think whoever they put in the White House will appreciate them. They will see those manipulators as dangerous and work to "destroy" them. I wonder how many of the Heritage Foundation workers were from Harvard, Yale, and the other privileged schools. I suspect many and for a good reason. It gives the Foundation a legitimacy they do not deserve. Why anyone listens to them and their just plain stupid ideas is beyond comprehension. It must be because they don't actually read or think about anything that comes out of that "august" body. Republicans really do love the unthinking and the mis-educated. How painful for the rest of us, and eventually for them too because none of those ideas promises a good world situation to leave to their kids, even if those kids go to Harvard or Yale.
They don't care about this planet because they will all take a ride on Elon's Space X to Mars-on-Lago where they will infest another planet while sucking the last bit of oil out of this one.
Well said Keith.... when I became aware of the end game the Federalist Society has in store for America I nearly fell from my chair. Jim Hightower had two consecutive issues on the Supreme Court and their corruption. Jim has been around for a long time and tells it exactly how it is and further study proved his unbelievable story to be true. The Federalist Society has morphed from a small group of college activists, professors and students, into an unbelievable monster with intentions of replacing our Democracy with a Plutocracy..... and unless the majority of our citizens wake up to this scary fact we may just satisfy their wish they've had for 20 or more years.
In my opinion it began with the growth of the billionaires .... in 1980 there was only one living self-made Billionaire - Ross Perot..... today we're approaching 900 and they are growing at a rate of one billionaire a day. The mentality of most billionaires is one of self service and greed and they find a welcome home in the Federalist Society. Five of our Supreme Court Justices are or were members of the Federalist Society. Their power and wealth is tremendous and they have nearly 4 billion dollars to spend in the 2024 election. I only hope that this court action against Trump will awaken many who now believe him.
THANK GOD their party is on life support! Roughly 70%+ of Americans are DIRECTLY OPPOSED to EVERYTHING "The Grand OLD Pedophiles" party stands for.
In fact, only 25% living in America are registered Trumplicans, and only 40% support Bunkerboy.
I like our odds of getting a brand new party to replace the Gop in my lifetime. (I am 35.)
Flounder-- I see nothing wrong with giving prospective future students special consideration when it comes to administration practices relating to past family members who attended a particular educational institution. I understand that a legacy status shouldn't be an invitation written in stone, it should be just another in a long line of personal qualifications offered in an attempt to achieve admission. If being a legacy was a golden ticket to attending a chosen university our schools, over time, would become little more than glorified social clubs. Being a legacy should be nothing more than a consideration, especially if their parents are alumni in good standing and donate to the school on an annual basis. Just think, without this common practice Delta House would never have had the Lincoln with which to mourn the passing of poor Fawn as they ventured forth on that eventful road trip.
Are you sure you have thought this through. Dr. Reich gave you all the statistics which show how undeserving students get in as legacy and this is the ticket to the highest paying jobs in the country. Why should my children not have this opportunity if they have the grades?
Linda--Just because Robert gives us a thread to respond to doesn't mean we have to be in agreement with his views.
Not sure what this is referring to, but why are you mansplaining to me that I don’t have to agree? Do nk I am not capable of knowing my own mine. WTF?
Linda--I was just referring to your response given to me stating "Are you sure you thought this through"
Linda--I hear what your saying and I agree with you but if my family has attended the institution in question and I wish to attend same and a tie exists between myself and a student with no past connections to the school I would hope my family's past would tip the scales in my favor, all other things being equal.
Nope. Shouldn't be on an application.
Don--Most apps have a space for personal impute relating to an application's personal reasons for wanting to attend that particular university. There is nothing wrong with mentioning your family's past history relating to that school.
Don, I agree with that.
Don-If the dean of student's son wanted to attend the school where is dad was a dean, I see nothing wrong with special consideration being given to the boy. Life is too restricting as it is, it seems our rules have rules.
Donald, I disagree that there should be any legacy consideration at all. If affirmative action concerning race is not acceptable when colleges and universities deliberately for generations excluded people of color, legacies should not be a category either since so many of those legacy's ancestors participated in the "whites only" policies at most of those high octane institutions and corporations. I think higher education institutions need to find ways to build their student bodies and make them as diverse as possible, ways that our racist, misogynistic Supreme Court will have to go along with. I don't know what they will look like, but I know a bunch of smart people can figure it out if they try and they get past doing things the old way.
Professor Reich, I do agree that legacy admissions should be abolished, as it seems to have become more about assuring strong endowments from the wealthy, with a presumption that anyone who had graduated from an ivy league school surely would have done well financially and would have been generous in its donations as alums. You state: “….elite universities give preference to children of family members who attended that same university — and, not incidentally, are more likely to be wealthy.” However, the preference is given to legacy families who in fact are wealthy and not to ones who are not. I have evidence to support this, though admittedly it is only one case, but it’s a personal one. My great-grandfather, who attended Brown, went on to get a law degree from Harvard. His son, my grandfather, attended Harvard and graduated Phi Beta Cappa in 1879 (I have his key). Both men became US Congressmen from MA. My father graduated from Harvard, Summa Cum Laude, but his family’s fortune disappeared in the Great Depression, and he never fully recovered from that. Although my parents divorced, I am certain he was unable to give any money to Harvard. I am uncertain about any contributions his father or grandfather might have made to Harvard. My brother and I grew up quite poor on a tight budget (our mother had to forego her full scholarship to college because she had to find work to support her family during the depression). There was simply no money saved for us to go to college (but like you, we were able to do so through scholarships, loans, and work). My point is that my brother applied to Harvard, thinking it made sense to follow in our family’s footsteps, and then he figured he would tackle scholarship and loans to make it work. My brother was highly qualified: a straight A student with high SATs, Honor Society, class president, etc. But he was not accepted by Harvard (probably because our father didn’t give Harvard money and the fact that our family had none to speak of). But he was accepted at Dartmouth (he is 3 years older than you and I are, Robert). And he did receive scholarships and loans and went on to get the equivalent of a master’s at King’s College at Cambridge University. He was no slacker, my brother, and Harvard, who supposedly cared about legacy, should have accepted him. My brother was fine with the way it ultimately turned out, though going to elite schools with no money to spare had its own challenges, but it does illustrate an important point regarding legacy acceptances. There is definite discrimination against the underprivileged (a type of diversity, white or not) when it comes to these moneyed institutions.
Ruth--I still feel past considerations aren't a negative point to take when looking at admission standards. Keep legacy as something to be reflected upon remembering all the while that issue has no color.
the 2025 plan IS about conservation. Conserving the wealth of the 1%.
This is truly terrifying.
And our planet!
...... and our planet!
Hence the war on public education; if the only education the hoi polloi can get is watching PragerU "educational" videos, legacy admissions won't be needed: only the children of the 1% will be even remotely qualified to go to any university, much less a prestigious one.
Ding, ding, Maureen. I think yours is the winning comment!
Sadly, your right.
Wha'd'ya'wan'na bet the Яepubлиkan will come up with some kind of nonsense claiming that dismantling legacy college admissions is a "woke" conspiracy to destroy families and undermine "family values," while being unfair to new college enrollees who will have a benefit removed that their forebears had. They may even come up with a catchy meme to rebrand it, like they did in calling the inheritance tax the "death tax," knowing their supporters will simply respond to the new meme as thoughtlessly as they predictably respond to other catchy memes - without a single moment of reflection or critical thought. Face it. Their supporters don't necessarily >have< a college education! It makes them a lot easier to manipulate by Яepubлиkan that >do< have a college education. And remember, the Яepubлиkans just >love< the undereducated!
The war on education is another example of corporate rule corruption brought on by Citizens United, and other related SCOTUS rulings.
We all want our children to have an excellent public school education. When the people demand fairness but our government doesn’t respect nor respond to our will, it couldn’t be more clear that the interests of the Oligarchy are being served, not the will of the people!!!
The We the People Amendment, HJR54, will overrule SCOTUS and overturn Citizens United! It will greatly increase the power of the people by establishing that only we are entitled to constitutional rights and powers! And that money in politics must be regulated!!!!!!!
Please help us restore our broken system at movetoamend.org. Nothing is more important because we can and we must fix this root problem of our time, and time is running out.
thanks for the link
My pleasure. Thank you for caring, and doing!
However, they will still get accepted to "hoi polloi" universities...
Where they may even learn to read, write, & do simple sums.
No one can escape it (public education, that is)...!
= )
...says a guy who was lucky to have an education or from the elite cast in India who cares nothing about others? Which is it?
Even the comment itself is a teaching moment! Huzzah!
(Note, however, that education - unlike a sense of humor - is not a private possession: it is a public good; "elite casts" in a foreign country can't change the fact thereof, regardless of their evolutionary challenges. Go Bears!)
Legacy admissions are unquestionably distasteful but I wonder if natural selection will kill the practice.
I frankly fail to see the attraction of an Ivy League education anymore. When I see the prominent graduates of "prestigious" schools who are in the news these days -- Ted Cruz (Princeton, Harvard law), Josh Hawley (Stanford, Yale law), Ron DeSantis (Yale, Harvard law), judge James C. Ho (Stanford, U. of Chicago law), Samuel Alito (Princeton, Yale law) Clarence Thomas (Yale law), and Sam Bankman-Fried (MIT), to name the first few who come to mind -- I have to conclude that either these institutions are all failing in some significant respect or that they are simply favorite stepping stones for ambitious people with control issues. I used to think the Ivy Leagues were the gold standard, but if I were applying to college today I'd be looking elsewhere.
The problem is that too many companies & institutions look at these schools in their resume & make that a primary criterion in hiring or accepting them. They advance precisely because these universities are in their background, & other people see that & conclude that only if they make it into these schools they have it made regardless of their actual talent, skills or character. The incompetence or bad character of these people in high positions only confirms the importance of these schools in getting ahead.
Jaime Ramirez ; 'connections' have something to do with it, too. There is a private school in my town where those who get to attend are on a special track to Northeastern, and from there, directly into high paying and prestigious jobs. If you start in the 'right' private school you will associate with "The 'right' people and have a proper 'world view'. And success. This local school accepts a certain number of local students who are native to the town and have qualifying high grades. They don't need to be wealthy.
I say, they [those at the top] don't have to conspire, because they all think alike. The president of General Motors and the president of Chase Manhattan Bank really are not going to disagree much on anything, nor would the editor of the New York Times disagree with them. They all tend to think quite alike, otherwise they would not be in those jobs.
~Gore Vidal
Yes, Laurie, it's all about connections, this advantage of legacy being 1 form of it.
There's this talk about "privilege" (I really think a better, less triggering word is "advantage"). The advantage of (family, business, political) connections is among the less talked about but more important privileges, others being wealth & looks (beauty, attractiveness).
Very good point.
Jamie maybe it’s time to activate “another way”! Your comment got me to thinking about Black Wall-street…pre Tulsa Riots. Maybe we need to engineer a Inclusive Ivy League community to work around, and create just as valuable connections in the education to job pipe line!
Shockingly, many of those grads--Republicans in the public eye-- graduated at the very top of their class.
Can an institution really impart ethical values to young adults? Are most grads as ethically bankrupt as some? Is there an overwhelming factor pervading culture that selects for the greedy and self-focused to succeed?
It seems more likely that these once hallowed institutions are 'favorite stepping stones for ambitious people' who have, by whatever cause, no ethical boundaries.
Maryk ; We have certainly seen the evidence of that theory.
I think it's all part of the mishmash of money/republican/ivy league schools/money lalala. The rich, in general, don't seem to have much of a conscience, no care for anyone else, and all their focus on making money. It's not the schools per se, it's the mindsets of the people who are admitted because of money, and this legacy thing we are talking about. Now, without affirmative action, there won't many students going there who would offer different views.
Federalist Society wines and dines and explains the step-ford wife offerings to young Ivy League boys which is appealing to narcissists. They are handed the slender book of Jesus’s sayings only, out-of-context and historical cultural norms (why wash another person’s feet?). That becomes their “Bible” and memorized future stump speech throw-outs for the good people in Iowa to Texas. The society finds college girls and starts the prep for the role of good Senator’s wives gazing with loving eyes at their husband which is appealing to many girls...parties and primping Barbie-style. Only as a woman matures does that step-ford wife realize what they gave up (Reagan’s wife comes to mind) and alcohol becomes their crutch. Only a mature man can walk with Michelle Obama. Bill Clinton finally acknowledged that Hillary was smarter than he; intellectually, but also as a loving adult. (He actual does seem to gaze lovingly at her, now. Maybe he has matured). I used to think they were so much smarter than me. I don’t think that anymore.
Ryan, I have been thinking the same thing - So many prominent people in politics who don't care about other human beings or the environment received their education from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc. This article touches in on these connections, which looks like a virus of heartless narcissism borne from entitlement and having opportunities handed to them.
Ryan, I agree. I always thought that they must be a lot smarter than me. Who knew? They had me fooled.
We don’t have time for natural selection to take care of it. That requires generations. We maybe have two more before desperation causes authoritarian regimes to commit nuclear holocaust.
Don't forget Trump. (Wharton - Penn)
What the Supreme Court inadvertently did was pick off the race cover story behind which all of these legacy admissions were hiding. It is a very interesting and important new development. And a huge criticism of Ivy League college admissions. Rightly so! Thanks for noting this important topic.
Once upon a time, I represented school districts. If our kids could block and tackle, they could get into Ivy League schools, even with substandard SATs and mediocre grades. Few, if any of our excellent students could get into Ivy schools, even if they were legacies, unless they were athletes.
Sports are almost a religion at this point. I guess it's about the money too.
The worship factor with sports is mystifying to me. Sure kids can learn team work, etc. But it's just a game. A money grubbing game. Money that could be applied to all manner of improving the human condition. Or the Earths.
SPOT ON! , Laurie, !
Very interesting. I didn't know that Ivies were that focused on athletics. Non Ivy U. of Chicago doesn't even have a football program (unless I am badly out of date).
Division 3.
Not exactly Ivies, Daniel. But a look at the division did have a surprise for me. U. of Chicago, the "Maroons" is on the list. A nice glimpse through an old lens.
Once upon a time, they were in the Big 10 but de-emphasized football. Many members of my family went to Northwestern, which has probably eclipsed Chicago.
In my case, I was rejected by most of the schools of my choice. But they paid me to go to school.
Big 10. I'm from the Chicago area originally. And my father went to Chicago on the GI Bill after WW II. But the Big 10, while keeping the name, has swelled now to being more like the Big 18 or 19, including recently picking up several PAC 12 teams. Also Nebraska, Rutgers, Maryland, Penn State... It used to be such a nice little conference.
Lefty here and I agree with the issue, but I don’t see how federal or state government can restrict this practice at private institutions. Borrowing the Rs favorite term, it seems like government overreach, if even allowable. States could restrict it for their public schools, but that’s not where the problem is.
In the abstract, as long as they don't take any government money, I agree. However consider Grove City College, which passes itself off as the best "Christen" liberal arts school., that objected to "state action" 14th Amendment federal jurisdiction. A 6-3 majority SCOTUS opinion holds that when students receive federally funded grants, Title IX requirements only apply to the specific program or activity that was benefitted by the grants.
But what if students take, say Pell grants? What if the school gets federal research funds?
I was never jealous of the Little Lord Fauntleroys and other landed gentry who think their shit doesn't stink. My inferiority complex drove me to outwork them. .
Money will be spent to get these rich kids in....nothing will change.
AGAIN !, *MAMON ITIS !!*
Stop any Federal funding !!!
If Americans still believe in that “ if you work hard enough, you can make it”...then they should come out and VOTE at future elections only for candidates who support true “Advancement on Merit”, and that includes Admission to Universities ; ALL of them. “Buying” their way into University or “using the Family Name” to get in, is a total anathema to that obviously mythical belief. 🤨
We are not a meritocracy, we're a luckratocracy.
I'm not opposed to EVERY manner of hereditary bequeathment: the rich are entitled to all the colorblindness, haemophilia, Huntington's Disease and Habsburg lips their flesh is heir to, but the nation's colleges and universities belong to just that -- the nation, and that's all of us.
A degree from a prestigious university awarded to someone whose family will never have to worry about paying the rent, or the mortgage or deciding between critical medications and heating their home for the winter is just a scrap of paper that opens no doors because the door was already open wide.
Former Supreme Court Justice Breyer said that to help guide his decisions on the court, he asked himself: Would this or that decision promote democracy? I think that's a wise rule of thumb for all policies. It appears legacy admissions have demoted democracy and caused extreme imbalance.
I haven’t heard it said directly, but rich legacy applicants are a business decision in the admissions process, not just a gesture of favoritism. The process of “packaging” financial aid awards, which happens in conjunction with the admissions process, looks specifically for full-pay students; those able to bring in the full cost of attending and not drain the coffers of scholarship and financial aid awards. They are a revenue-generating decision.
I read somewhere that Harvard's endowment is now so large that Harvard could admit every new student tuition free for the foreseeable future. If that's true, it would certainly eliminate the business case for rich legacy applicants.
Ryan, I read the same about Stanford not too long ago.
Harvard Law has a policy that if a graduate can't get a good paying job, they'll refund tuition.
Exactly, but it's the result of the legacy admission practice. - remember it started in the Jim Crow era. So the majority of those white wealthy students today represent the advantage that their ancestral family received by the legacy admission policy denied the black community and others.
In the beginning, before we were even a country. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2020/1/28/lee-history-god-harvard/
Aaron Burr was a legacy student at Princeton.
I suggest also looking at the rural-urban divide? What % of admissions to elite schools are rural versus urban?
Some give a geographic boost.
Thank you for this piece. I come from a family in which my siblings definitely profited from legacy admissions, and in their defense ....made good use of the opportunity - several Harvard graduates - and have conducted themselves subsequently with generosity. And which doesn’t completely “make it right.” I think we need to do 2 things - end Legacy admissions to the “Ivys” and make a concerted effort to support colleges & universities outside of the Ivy network that deliver an education that may be more than the equal of what their more “illustrious” colleagues are actually providing. I attended Bryn Mawr for a year, and then UC Irvine for the balance of my college career. I received a MUCH BETTER education at UC Irvine than at Bryn Mawr - better teaching and definitely better opportunities for the kinds of “extra curricular” learning that can be a HUGELY important factor in post college career trajectories. At UC Irvine I had a GIFT of studying with a Behavioral Psychologist who was displeased with the utter absence of any real studies on what happens in a "group therapy”session. He could find no studies in which that which was being “measured” was defined such it could be replicated. So he set out to create a methodology. And those of us who benefited from his work learned how to understand a system - the rewards, the punishments & the process. Those lessons have stayed with me ever since, and informed my ability to analyze any system in which mammals ... including 2-legged mammals ... are participating. And yes, reward and punishment functions much the same for humans as it does for rats & pigeons. And this “fringe benefit” of my UCIrvine education turns out to be the single most important “tool” that I took from “Higher Education.”
I highly recommend visiting any college in which you are considering enrolling, and get out into the school to talk to students. You’ll get a much better idea of what’s actually possible to learn at a particular institution by doing so. And you have a much better chance of picking a school in which the “extracurricular” learning opportunities are at least as valuable as the official curriculum.
Go Anteaters!
Ban 'em. Two kids from my son's high school were being considered for entry to Brown - my son and a kid from a super wealthy family. The super wealthy dad offered to build Brown a building. Guess who they chose?...
Agreed. AKA a bribe, plain and simple. These kids grew up with this behavior; it’s not surprising their path into Congress also has been purchased and it continues via their Citizens United proxy votes. Funny how the RW short term view on everything may have more unintended consequences for them.
Professor Reich, MIT has a a strict no legacy policy and has had for a long time. Please distinguish from the others. https://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/just-to-be-clear-we-dont-do-legacy/
America's "elite" colleges have a strong history of not allowing Jewish students, and or having explicit quotas to limit their admissions, of requiring higher marks for Jews both to get in and to stay in, and tolerating or even promoting antisemitism on campus. Explicit and implicit Anti-African policies in American colleges in general were so strong that what we now call Traditionally Black Colleges had to be created for African Americans to have someplace to attend. Other non-White groups have fared no better, and have not even been able to compensate with a "separate but equal" alternative.
Since the 60s and 70s, through required and voluntary affirmative action programs, colleges have cast themselves as The Great Equalizers of socioeconomic injustice. In practice, they still only admit disadvantaged students who get remarkably good grades despite the disadvantages they face -- that is, kids who should have gotten in anyway. They are at best just reducing discrimination slightly, not counterbalancing it at all. The White backlash against this, imagining that White Johnny and Janie didn't get in because some presumed to be unqualified Black kid did is well known.
Against this background it amazes me that today's anti-legacy sentiment seems to have legs. Legacy admissions play a significant role in preserving America's bloodline-based class stratification. 50 years hence, this could have significant ripple effects.
If you look at the number of lawyers, candidates, judges (Supreme Court included) who claim to have attended/graduated Harvard Law School and are now firmly dedicated to ending democracy, could there be a problem with legacy admissions? You think?
Fine, ban legacy admissions but that won't stop the elite from getting the best jobs. They all know each other and hire from their own gilded networks. The rest of us have zero access to those networks so despite our educational achievements, we cannot gain a foothold.
I think it would be more helpful to build a culture that values education, especially public education. We don't need Ivy League schools to have good lives and lives well-lived. Then, make a college education free or close to it. At the same time, we can address unfair hiring and promotion practices so that the in-crowd isn't constantly getting the best jobs.
Alas, if we had a country that ensured we have what we needed, regardless of the family into which we were born, we wouldn't feel the need to make billions of dollars. What if we each were valued for what we can contribute to our society and paid enough to have all that we actually need to do that job (clean air and water, healthy food, stable and extremely affordable medical care, safe places to live, access to the outdoors, time with the people we love, enough to take a vacation, vacation time, paid leave for medical and parental needs, etc)? What if we didn't value the fanciest cars and the biggest houses and instead valued hard work, kindness, and contribution to a better country for everyone? I know that is pie in the sky, but I can dream.