I see that the Left, desperate for revenge for the scalping of Harvard's president, is resurrecting this old smear piece from The New Republic that falsely claims the master's degree I earned from Harvard as a non-traditional student is somehow not a real Harvard degree.
They are free to make the argument that Harvard Extension School is not as prestigious as the other graduate programs—that’s fine. They are also free to make the argument that Harvard Extension School should not grant degrees at all—that's something they can take up with Harvard president C̶l̶a̶u̶d̶i̶n̶e̶ ̶G̶a̶y̶ Alan Garber.
But the facts are indisputable. From the HES website: "We are a fully accredited Harvard school. Our degrees and certificates are adorned with the Harvard University insignia. They carry the weight of that lineage. Our graduates walk at University Commencement and become members of the Harvard Alumni Association. As one of 12 degree-granting institutions at Harvard University, we teach to the largest and most eclectic student body."
At root, what's happening is that the people who populate the left-wing managerial class live for status and prestige. Their credentials are their whole world. They are the kind of people who ask "where did you go to college" at parties, well into middle age. They always manage to name-drop this person or that school, sizing up how useful you might be to them.
I have never been that way. I find it soulless and dishonorable. As my classmates from Georgetown went into finance, consulting, and graduate programs, I became a documentary filmmaker and traveled the world. Now I live in a small town in Washington State, amongst teachers, nurses, firefighters, tradesmen, soldiers, and homemakers. Not a single person in my immediate social circle works in journalism, academia, or the intellectual professions, which is welcome, as I get to live a normal life and my value does not depend on the whims of the left-wing press.
By contrast, the highly-credentialed people who work at places like The New Republic make fast-food wages and console themselves with status games. They cannot cope with the fact that an extension school graduate toppled the president of Harvard. It undermines their whole claim to legitimacy, status, and prestige. Imagine how frustrating it is: They have dutifully repeated the regime narrative, hoping to check the boxes and move up the ladder—and then some uncouth outsider, who attended night school, wins the game.
I've spoken about my experience with Harvard many times, including in the thread below. Besides the formal aspects of that education, it provided me a window into how my opponents operate, giving me another practical edge. My critics can say what they will, but they should understand that I operate on a different set of principles than they do; I will not be shamed by their condescension.
Ultimately, I do not measure myself by my credentials, but by my victories. And on that count, I am doing fine.
They are free to make the argument that Harvard Extension School is not as prestigious as the other graduate programs—that’s fine. They are also free to make the argument that Harvard Extension School should not grant degrees at all—that's something they can take up with Harvard president C̶l̶a̶u̶d̶i̶n̶e̶ ̶G̶a̶y̶ Alan Garber.
But the facts are indisputable. From the HES website: "We are a fully accredited Harvard school. Our degrees and certificates are adorned with the Harvard University insignia. They carry the weight of that lineage. Our graduates walk at University Commencement and become members of the Harvard Alumni Association. As one of 12 degree-granting institutions at Harvard University, we teach to the largest and most eclectic student body."
At root, what's happening is that the people who populate the left-wing managerial class live for status and prestige. Their credentials are their whole world. They are the kind of people who ask "where did you go to college" at parties, well into middle age. They always manage to name-drop this person or that school, sizing up how useful you might be to them.
I have never been that way. I find it soulless and dishonorable. As my classmates from Georgetown went into finance, consulting, and graduate programs, I became a documentary filmmaker and traveled the world. Now I live in a small town in Washington State, amongst teachers, nurses, firefighters, tradesmen, soldiers, and homemakers. Not a single person in my immediate social circle works in journalism, academia, or the intellectual professions, which is welcome, as I get to live a normal life and my value does not depend on the whims of the left-wing press.
By contrast, the highly-credentialed people who work at places like The New Republic make fast-food wages and console themselves with status games. They cannot cope with the fact that an extension school graduate toppled the president of Harvard. It undermines their whole claim to legitimacy, status, and prestige. Imagine how frustrating it is: They have dutifully repeated the regime narrative, hoping to check the boxes and move up the ladder—and then some uncouth outsider, who attended night school, wins the game.
I've spoken about my experience with Harvard many times, including in the thread below. Besides the formal aspects of that education, it provided me a window into how my opponents operate, giving me another practical edge. My critics can say what they will, but they should understand that I operate on a different set of principles than they do; I will not be shamed by their condescension.
Ultimately, I do not measure myself by my credentials, but by my victories. And on that count, I am doing fine.
I'll add, for good measure, that The New Republic's specific claim in this piece is simply false. In fact, the photo that accompanies the article is from an event during which I discussed my experience at Harvard Extension School at length. The idea that I was somehow hiding it is laughable—debunked by The New Republic's own photo selection.
Hell, I'll say this, too: The media perception of me is infinitely amusing. To them, I'm the scary, right-wing Bond villain. But in reality, I was on the Left most of my life. I directed films for PBS. I was a vegetarian for 28 years. I studied yoga in India. Life is complex.
Community Notes settles it. The New Republic is trash.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
