Matt Damon ridicules Trump, critiques US political system at 2016 MIT Commencement Speech

Jun 3, 2016

Matt Damon Returns to MIT for Graduation Speech

On June 3rd, 2016 Matt Damon came back to MIT where he had filmed parts of Good Will Hunting 20 years ago—a film based on a screenplay he and Ben Affleck wrote. This time it was to give a commencement speech to the MIT graduates of the class of 2016. (The entire speech of 23 minutes is included in a video player below.) A few days later I wrote an article about his courageous and stunning conclusion here.

His remarks speak for themselves in this excerpt of 2:55:

Here is a transcript of this excerpt of his speech:

“Ben and I shot a movie here. It was then we knew for sure we could never have gotten in. I mean, you’re workin’ on some crazy stuff in these buildings, stuff that would freak me out if I actually understood it. I’m going to tell you about one that’s been on my mind — simulation theory. So the basic idea, as I understand it, is that we could be living in a massive simulation run by a far smarter civilization, like a giant computer game, and we don’t even know it.”

“What if this, all of this, IS a simulation? I mean it’s a crazy idea. But what if it is? And if there are multiple simulations, how come we have to be in the one where Donald Trump becomes the Republican nominee for president? [laughter, applause] Can we like transfer to a different one? Now, then again, what if it isn’t a simulation? Either way, my answer is the same.”

“Either way, what we do, matters. What we do, affects the outcome. So either way, MIT, you’ve got to go out and do really interesting things, important things, inventive things. Because this world, real or imagined, this world has some problems that we need you to drop everything and solve. So go ahead and take your pick from the world’s worst buffet:

— Economic inequality, that’s a problem.
— How ‘bout the refugee crisis?
— Massive global insecurity.
— Climate change.
— Pandemics.
— Institutional racism.
—And add to that an American political system that’s failing. We’ve got Congressman on a two-year election cycle who are incentivized to think short-term and simply do not engage with long-term problems.
—And add to that, a media that thrives on scandal and people with their pants down — anything to get you to tune in and hawk you products that you don’t need.
—And add to that a banking system that steals people’s money. [Applause]”

“It’s alright, I’m not running for office. By the way, while I’m on this, let me just say this to the bankers — specifically the ones who brought you the biggest heist in history: It was theft and you knew it. It was fraud and you knew it. And you know what else? We know that you knew it. So yeah, you sort of got away with it. You got that house in the Hamptons that other people paid for as their own mortgages went underwater. And you might have their money. But you don’t have our respect. And just so you know, when we pass you on the street, and look you in the eye, that’s what we’re thinking. [Applause] And I don’t know if justice is coming for you in this life or the next. But if justice does come for you in this life, her name will be Elizabeth Warren.”

Matt was obviously well-received by the students. I’m glad he urged MIT graduates to go work on solving the real problems he mentioned. It’s a good list. They are unsolved. And they form an important part of the set of problems constituting our great global crisis—a singularity in human history that forms an existential threat to civilization itself through both nuclear war and through an overshoot-and-collapse as envisioned by the MIT study The Limits to Growth.

For a speech like this, he is qualified beyond being an actor. He won an Oscar as a writer for best screenplay for “Good Will Hunting,” which he wrote when he was in his early 20s. His history of doing charitable work includes the ONE Campaign, H2O Africa Foundation, Feeding America, and Water.org. He discusses his pursuit of clean water solutions for reducing extreme poverty and saving lives here. He also grew up next door to progressive activist Howard Zinn who he knew well and who served as a mentor to him.

Will Matt Ever Run for Office?

With his commitment to progressive causes; with his A-level communication skills; with his ultra-high name recognition; with his intelligence as a writer; and with his inherent likability, my hope is that Matt Damon will run for high public office in the United States. After all, Matt has spoken out on education here; confronted a libertarian journalist on education policy here; spoken on economic issues involving debt and taxes here; and spoken on Sarah Palin here. He has an interest in politics. If he wants to really make a difference in all of these areas about which he cares a great deal, maybe he’ll jump into the system to change it, given his critique of our system as “an American political system that’s failing.”

If grade B actors like Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger can hold high offices, then Matt Damon—a grade A actor in an action hero’s body—certainly could as well—and do so with credibility and effectiveness.

Why?

The greatest qualifier for high office, as Yanis Varoufakis, the former Finance Minister of Greece has said, is only being willing do it begrudgingly, out of a sense of sacrifice and duty, not out of a need for glory and recognition. That’s because only then can the public be reasonably sure that the person is in it, not for personal gain, nor for personal fame, but for the common good. I say #RunForOfficeMatt

In any case, it’s refreshing to see him reaching out to the next generation to urge them to “go out and do really interesting things, important things, inventive things. Because … this world has some problems that we need you to drop everything and solve.”

Absolutely. Good advice for the class of 2016. And for all of us.

Here is the entire 23-minute speech: