“This ruling simply confirms what we have observed so often. When given access to the facts, regular people on the street can make clear, reasoned decisions that uphold constitutional values. It is rare, however, to find persons in positions of power who will not bow to political pressure.”

Welcome to the land of Democracy.

Thanks for the laudatory words ;-). You’re right, I am afraid of the results of this trial, both for the university system and for society as a whole. This is a pattern of action / behaviour that we, as a species, have seen before and it is a dangerous one – a “self-licking ice cream cone” to quote a few friends of mine.

I have seen an increasing trend towards, as you put, “ideological septic tanks” – right, left, centre or out in cloud coocoo land – and I am profoundly disturbed by it. As to what we can do about it, I’m not sure – keep writing, teaching and doing our work in opposition to insanity is part of it. I think that it is also critical to hold the principle of agree to disagree and to spread that.

Cheers,

Marc