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21 Sep, 9 tweets, 3 min read
Academia Is Establishing A Permanent Surveillance Bureaucracy That Will Soon Govern The Rest Of The Country mtracey.substack.com/p/academia-is-…
Wait, you mean the online left allowed their petty personal grievances and gossipy, snark-infused performance art to cloud their judgment again? I'm flabbergasted
Yeah, it's so "edgy" to suggest schoolchildren not be permanently surveilled for a virus from which they face astronomically low risk, and hauled off into isolation if they cough, even though everyone they might "transmit" to has universal vaccine access
I also no longer believe half the people who claim they're "immunocompromised" and demand that society be permanently upended on their behalf. Sure, many people do have compromised immune systems, but others seem to use that term as a kind of mystical, unfalsifiable incantation
One dirty little secret is that college surveillance protocols are often drafted and implemented by people you'd never dream of submitting to under any normal circumstances. At my new favorite place, Connecticut College, one of the presiding COVID Deans is a Queer Theory expert
If you want to be kept “safe” from COVID, there are few “safer” places than universally vaccinated college campuses. But the present level of “safety” is still deemed insufficient by students/faculty/administrators who’ve bought into this whole unsustainable maximalist paradigm
A retort you'll often hear is, "These policies aren't even being enforced! It doesn't matter"

1. At some colleges, yes they are being strictly enforced

2. Why tolerate a set of behavior modification regulations that are so inane that nobody would expect them to be enforced
Stuff like this, while it may appear ridiculous to outsiders, is the product of a newly entrenched surveillance bureaucracy that will soon become the dominant governing ideology of society. Enjoy!
Here's a common response I'm getting. Understand: a tiny fraction of people deciding not to send their kids to elite colleges will make no difference at all. The outsized influence of these institutions will persist. All you can really do is pay attention

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More from @mtracey

Michael Tracey Profile picture
19 Sep
The first time one of these parental surveillance "app" systems was demonstrated to me a few years ago, I was shocked. I guess I shouldn't have been. But it was just mind-blowing that parents would choose to actively monitor *literally every movement* of their teenage children
I like how this is supposed to be some sort of slam-dunk riposte. If I did have children, I can't fathom feeling a need to subject them to 24/7 surveillance as though they're criminals, and if I *did* feel that need I would assume something wrong with *me*
My basic view. I totally reject the idea that exerting constructive parental influence requires surveilling your kid's every movement and destroying their privacy. You have the "right" to do it, but it's crazy and probably causes more harm than it prevents
Read 4 tweets
Michael Tracey Profile picture
16 Sep
In Connecticut, The New "Permanent Emergency" Surveillance Regime Suffers A Temporary Blow mtracey.substack.com/p/in-connectic…
Was just told Tucker covered the issue tonight. No, I did not coordinate with him or anyone at Fox. Maybe instead of lashing out in anger, ask why other networks and news outlets aren't covering the instatement of a nationwide surveillance regime on the false pretense of "safety"
As predicted, other colleges have started threatening to impose extreme Australia-style lockdowns modeled on the one that was just tried at Conn College. Sacred Heart U. in Fairfield, CT sent an email making this threat, implicitly blaming (vaccinated) students for new "cases"
Read 8 tweets
Michael Tracey Profile picture
15 Sep
Newsom appeared to be on the ropes and then the GOP decides to rally around a dopey flame-throwing talk radio guy. Failed CA recall is a good metaphor for the systemic stupidity of the GOP
Larry Elder "won" by getting millions of dollars in free media and dramatically expanding his media profile, thanks to the also systemically stupid conservative media boosting him for weird inverted Identity Politics reasons
LA County trended GOP in 2020 so don't try to argue that it would've been intrinsically impossible for a Republican to win an off-year state election in CA. This became less possible because a blinkered talk radio personality made the race a referendum on the national Culture War
Read 4 tweets
Michael Tracey Profile picture
14 Sep
Told ya. Due to an increase in asymptomatic "cases," Brown University just imposed a suite of new restrictions -- including prohibitions on student social gatherings and going to bars/restaurants. Once again, they'd already mandated vaccination. The "permanent crisis" continues
This in particular is extremely creepy. In other words, "don't try to make friends"
The consistent pattern with these institutions is they choose to impose a wholly unnecessary and invasive surveillance "testing" regime, and then when the surveillance inevitably turns up meaningless "cases," they blame the students for having engaged in normal social activity
Read 4 tweets
Michael Tracey Profile picture
13 Sep
Update: with the help of students I made it onto campus. Shortly after beginning my remarks, security arrived and directed me to leave. So a huge group of us moved to a different “off campus” area. Had a great exchange for ~2 hours despite being pelted with two eggs (both missed)
Here’s some of the ensuing YikYak commentary. There were also about a thousand different people filming/streaming so I assume plenty of clips will be circulating out there somewhere
The first egg pelting attempt appeared to be a drive-by, from someone in a moving car. Missed by a long shot. The second was someone on foot who pelted me at point blank range, but still missed 😂

I told her she should join the local Little League and practice her aim some more
Read 8 tweets
Michael Tracey Profile picture
12 Sep
Lockdown Chronicles: Why I'm Going To Connecticut College mtracey.substack.com/p/lockdown-chr…
The mass quarantine happening right now has implications far beyond the College itself

So at the urging of many students who are clearly not in a position to speak on their own behalf, I will be delivering remarks at Tempel Green on the New London, CT campus tomorrow at 4pm EST
This situation is a surprisingly important test case in what happens if we allow a "permanent crisis" to take hold. Since my article was published, students have told me that they fear the social/disciplinary repercussions of advocating for themselves

Read 9 tweets

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