Thought Control, Teaching Only "Right Thinking," Purposefully Ambiguous Terms

Thought Control, Teaching Only “Right Thinking,” Purposefully Ambiguous Terms

Arkansas becomes the second state, after Oklahoma, to mandate the posting of the Ten Commandments in every public-school classroom and government building in the state. The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits the government from establishing a state religion or favoring one religion over another. The version of the Ten Commandments to be posted are taken from Christian versions of the Old Testament. MAGA Republicans (are there any other kind these days?), with a less than subtle white Christian nationalist platform, have argued that there is no prohibition against acknowledging a national religion, as long as other faiths have a right to practice without discrimination. But then, what does “establishment” mean?

We are watching a MAGA minority pushing to mandate a very rightwing version of political thought and beliefs as the only proper vision to be taught in any school or other institution where any federal money is spent… which pretty much covers most public schools, all state colleges and universities, especially major research universities – like Harvard and MIT. Using a set of 2023 Supreme Court rulings against affirmative action admissions based on race – Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina, the Trump administration has declared that any DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) policy used directly or indirectly by an educational institution, or even a private employer receiving federal funding, is illegally discriminatory.

DEI remains an ill-defined term, but in Trumpland, it is applied with the subtext of “discriminating against whites,” combined with a vitriolic campaign against protesters who support Palestinian rights. Trump calls those protestors as “antisemitic.” The Trump administration has targeted public libraries, even within our military academies, with books that focus on historical minority group members depicted as heroes or present views inconsistent with proper evangelical Christian teachings… and those books have been removed by the thousands. Purging “antisemitism” is the justification for the cutting of federal funding and the insistence of direct federal approval of teaching materials, curriculum, admissions policies and personal information about any protestors or faculty members who support them.

Despite the fact that until Trump assumed office, official US policy supported Palestinian rights (and a two-state solution) for decades. But somehow, those protestors peacefully touting support for those Palestinian rights and against the violence in Gaza are “terrorists,” and any college or university that tolerates such protests, is labeled as antisemitic which justifies the federal actions noted above. The photograph above is of Jewish protestors who are firmly committed to free speech and do not want to be associated with the Trump crackdown. They do not want to be an excuse for the imposition of authoritarian “right thinking” and the repeal of true free speech.

Clamping down on law firms, universities and other institutions that have taken positions against Trump’s repressive anti-free speech policies (while insisting such efforts are somehow supporting free speech), seems to be taken out of the textbook of every authoritarian regime: Control thought, punish offenders harshly and quickly, and impose a uniform vision on everyone. There are no authoritarian regimes anywhere that tolerate open criticism of the incumbent government. Here’s how Dana Goldstein, writing for The Morning, April 17th, NY Times newsfeed summarizes the Trump position:

“The Trump administration has set out its case in a series of executive orders and memos. It believes that when schools allow transgender students to play on the sports teams or use the bathrooms of their choice, they are violating the rights of girls under Title IX. And it believes that D.E.I. programs violate the Civil Rights Act, which prevents discrimination based on race, color or national origin… The Trump administration has also argued that teaching about concepts like white privilege is discriminatory toward white students. Those concepts, however, are central to ethnic studies courses, which are increasingly common in K-12 schools in liberal states…

“And here lies a major paradox: For decades, many liberals have argued that the federal government should play a bigger role in K-12 education. They have called for national curriculum standards and greater financial support… Conservatives, including Trump, have often said that the federal government should allow states to chart their own educational paths… Now, however, the American tradition of local control of schools is what allows liberal states and districts to push back against a more muscular federal approach.” Positions totally reversed?

This toxic act of repression is now the cornerstone of the Department of Homeland Security/ Department of State immigration policies, particularly as applied to student visas… and, believe it or not, to conditions the Trump is demanding in exchange for good trade deals from our traditional allies. “Recent trade negotiations between the US and the UK require the government to make a tough decision. At a time when the British economy is in crisis – and its citizens in dire need of a boost – will [PM] Sir Keir Starmer choose to put economic value over and above the protection of British values such as truth, tolerance and diversity?

“As reported by The Independent , sources close to the US vice-president, JD Vance, have indicated that the British government will have to repeal its hate speech laws and protections for LGBT+ people in order to get a trade deal over the line – in the name of the Trump administration’s quest for ‘freedom of speech’… To my mind, this begs the bigger question of whether we are now in a position of accepting ‘hate speech’ as ‘freedom of speech’ – and whether this is really the only path to economic sustainability.” Zoe Kalar, writing for the April 16th The Independent. Given that Nazi and extreme rightwing propaganda are illegal in the European Union, is this going to be a part of our failing tariff policy with our EU allies too? Even mega-repressive China is beyond delighted.

I’m Peter Dekom, and the battles fought in the courts, the ability of the Supreme Court to implement its rulings, whether Congress will assert its constitutional mandate and whether the midterms will remain full and fair elections will determine whether the United States of America can claim to be a democracy… or whether even the USA can be crushed under its own internal repressive boot.