An important associated story is how Turning Point, rather than being a vehicle for “free speech” and open debate, is a Koch network funded platform generated to infiltrate campuses, promote campus conservatism, and put professors on watchlists. Same strategy, different prong.

This is the public face and attempted scaling of a decades long strategy by corporate donors to exert influence on hiring decisions. See, for example, Charles Koch Foundation & Florida State University / George Mason University. Conservative strategists know that there is no united front here.

An important associated story is how Turning Point, rather than being a vehicle for “free speech” and open debate, is a Koch network funded platform generated to infiltrate campuses, promote campus conservatism, and put professors on watchlists. Same strategy, different prong.

Except first they came for the university encampments against genocide and last time around it was Standing Rock. It might take Kimmel for people to come around, but the idea that Kirk provided a venue for free speech on university campuses only flies for people who haven’t set foot in a seminar.

Okay, but universities too, right? Because these sites for open debate and critical thought were the first to be attacked and threatened with defunding if free speech wasn’t silenced under financial threat. Yes for independent comedy, but yes as well for independent research.

First, they came for the encampments against genocide (but the universities aren’t its students or professors). Then they came for Hollywood (which isn’t its actors or writers). Who will be left to protect the administrators when they come for them?

The wealthiest Americans who run some of the largest companies of our era are doing the cultural equivalent of dumping toxic chemicals directly into the drinking water with zero repercussions. bsky.app/profile/seth...

As we look back from the wreckage, we’ll always have the Daily archives.

Also muzzles foreign Americanists who won’t cross borders to access archives / conferences. Unless you’re a 1776er, you don’t cross the border.

Matches quality of interview with Christopher Rupho on The Daily today. Not looking for a hit piece, genuinely interested in listening but expect an interviewer ready to challenge misinformation and hypocrisy when American higher education is on the line.

Halfway though listening for any challenge whatsoever on misinformation or hypocrisy. As with attacks on media, there are extreme stakes here and this is an absolute failure. To be clear, I wasn’t at all looking for a takedown - I was looking for a frank conversation and not a platform.

*and/or* a longer game of nation to nation negotiations focusing on deregulation in the interest of an inner circle of benefactors (not “America” and its people).