Everybody's doin' it!
Headline: Capital Times, 3/17/2025
Paul Fanlund opines:
To be fair, UW’s professors and administrators probably resemble many of us who feel stunned, appalled, depressed and furious at the Make America Great Again tide rolling across our government.
What has changed at UW-Madison, at least in my view, is that there now seems to be greater reluctance to speak out than ever before. After being underfunded and criticized for years by Republicans in the state Legislature, there is a real threat of financial carnage from Trump.
Subtly and incrementally, a keep-our-heads-down attitude seems to be permeating campus. In private conversations, campus contacts of all sorts seem less likely to speak out with attribution for fear it might draw the ire of far-right critics.
To fully understand this change, let’s go back in time.
Related reading:
New York Times, 3/15/2025
When a political leader wants to move a democracy toward a more authoritarian form of government, he often sets out to undermine independent sources of information and accountability. The leader tries to delegitimize judges, sideline autonomous government agencies and muzzle the media. President Vladimir Putin of Russia has done so over the past quarter-century. To lesser degrees, Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey recently have as well.
The weakening of higher education tends to be an important part of this strategy. Academic researchers are supposed to pursue the truth, and budding autocrats recognize that empirical truth can present a threat to their authority. “Wars are won by teachers,” Mr. Putin has said. He and Mr. Erdogan have closed universities. Mr. Modi’s government has arrested dissident scholars, and Mr. Orban has appointed loyal foundations to run universities.
President Trump has not yet gone as far to impede democracy as these other leaders, but it would be naïve to ignore his early moves to mimic their approach. [emphasis added]
Other Regent posts:
2024
Next podcast on UW Regents/Joe Gow brouhaha should be titled, "Pot Calling the Kettle Black". (1/3)
2023
2020
2019
UPDATE: Just so you know, the UW Board of Regents is still full of members of the Scott Walker donors' club. (5/26/2019)
2018
Ray Cross is smiling but most people who read this article are not. (7/5/2018)
UPDATE. The leaky Ray Cross. (2/27/2018)
2017
UPDATE. Your UW Board of Regents: Totally owned by Scott Walker. (10/8/2017)
Scott Walker omits key fact in press release announcing traditional student representative to UW Board of Regents. (4/30/2017)
Dear UW System Board of Regents appointee, Is writing campaign contribution checks a kitchen table thing, too? (4/18/2017)
Michael T. Jones: UW Regents appointee, high-powered lawyer, big GOP donor, recuser-to-be. (4/18/2017)
UPDATE: UW System Board of Regents campaign donation table gets even redder as of June 1. (3/30/2017)
2016
Ray Cross sez he's gotta wear shades. (5/16/2016)
More specifically, Lapdog Cross has the support of Walker appointees and GOP donors. (5/11/2016)
Meet Ray Cross, cuddly little furball. (5/10/2016)
Ray Cross lobbies for additional 'no confidence' votes. (5/7/2016)
Meet the deleter, Alex Hummel: Communication is his game. (4/18/2016)
Regents leadership Ray Cross consulted are members of GOP donors' club. (4/7/2016)
UW Board of Regents rubberstamps Walker's tenure policy changes with 'task force' flourish. (3/10/2016)
Education Committee chair of Board of Regents of University of Wisconsin System has donated $10,400 to Scott Walker. (2/5/2016)
UPDATE: Just so you know, the UW Board of Regents is still full of members of the Scott Walker donors' club. (5/26/2019)
2018
Ray Cross is smiling but most people who read this article are not. (7/5/2018)
UPDATE. The leaky Ray Cross. (2/27/2018)
2017
UPDATE. Your UW Board of Regents: Totally owned by Scott Walker. (10/8/2017)
Scott Walker omits key fact in press release announcing traditional student representative to UW Board of Regents. (4/30/2017)
Dear UW System Board of Regents appointee, Is writing campaign contribution checks a kitchen table thing, too? (4/18/2017)
Michael T. Jones: UW Regents appointee, high-powered lawyer, big GOP donor, recuser-to-be. (4/18/2017)
UPDATE: UW System Board of Regents campaign donation table gets even redder as of June 1. (3/30/2017)
2016
Ray Cross sez he's gotta wear shades. (5/16/2016)
More specifically, Lapdog Cross has the support of Walker appointees and GOP donors. (5/11/2016)
Meet Ray Cross, cuddly little furball. (5/10/2016)
Ray Cross lobbies for additional 'no confidence' votes. (5/7/2016)
Meet the deleter, Alex Hummel: Communication is his game. (4/18/2016)
Regents leadership Ray Cross consulted are members of GOP donors' club. (4/7/2016)
UW Board of Regents rubberstamps Walker's tenure policy changes with 'task force' flourish. (3/10/2016)
Education Committee chair of Board of Regents of University of Wisconsin System has donated $10,400 to Scott Walker. (2/5/2016)
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