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Opinion
The Great American Whack-Off
Academic Freedom Meets the Fragile Phallus of Power
The Great American Whack-Off (n.): A uniquely 21st-century phenomenon in which fragile egos wield executive power like a blunt object, targeting anyone who refuses to kneel — or fundraise.
Trump, ever the insecure autocrat, yet again whacks off with his pen, spurting out executive tantrums aimed at anyone who won’t kneel. Bravo for the elitist nerds at Harvard for grabbing a legal towel and fighting back.
This week, in yet another episode of governance-by-grudge, the Trump administration revoked Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students. The Department of Homeland Security’s decision affects nearly 7,000 scholars — scientists, artists, future innovators — who now face the possibility of visa cancellation and removal proceedings.
Their crime? Studying at an institution that dared to defy Trump’s increasingly punitive and politicized vision of higher education.
In a letter to the campus community, Harvard President Alan Garber didn’t mince words. He described the action as “unlawful and unwarranted,” framing it as retaliation for…
