I am obviously no Trump fan, but this essay, by a much-admired scholar, drops the mask and captures well the narrow-minded illiberalism that (in my experience) pervades Harvard. prosyn.org/67gKlPI. 1/
“The stain [of working in the Trump administration] extends beyond political operatives and covers economic policymakers as well.” No “honorific titles …, no named lectures, no keynote speeches” at Harvard if you worked on Trump trade or tax policy! 2/
Indeed, everyone who serves high up in the Trump administration, according to Rodrik, is “necessarily tainted by the experience.” Sorry, Secretary Mattis. No Kennedy School appointment for you after “propping up a shameful presidency.” 3/
Rodrik’s argument will confirm for many the argument implicit in this question: “Who is it, really, who denies the legitimacy of their political opponents?” claremont.org/crb/article/wi… 4/
This is certainly true: “Like other organizations, universities have the right to determine their practices in accordance with their values.” But so is this: washingtonpost.com/opinions/elite…
