Dem
47
GOP
53
Columbia University just agreed to pay the Trump administration $220 million in protection money, so Donald Trump will temporarily refrain from destroying the university. University administrators are praying he will move on to the next victim and won't come back for more. They should know better.
For a while, it looked like Harvard would stand tall, refuse to pay protection money, and fight Trump in court, a battle it would clearly win (at least in the lower courts, where the law and the Constitution still play some role in rulings). By delaying as long as possible, Harvard might be able to drag it out until past Jan. 20, 2029, so the Supreme Court won't get to rule on it while Trump is still in office.
But now it is looking like HACO. There is reporting that Harvard is preparing to pay $500 million in protection money for the privilege of being allowed to continue to exist. When an organization with as much money in the bank as Harvard ($53 billion) and a law school full of brilliant law professors who would love to argue the case feels it must pay half a billion dollars just to continue to exist, we are deeply into fascism already. It is true that Harvard can afford to pay $500 million in protection money, and maybe Trump won't come back for seconds, but Harvard appeared to be willing to make a stand that universities should not have to kowtow to the current administration. But it appears that is now incorrect.
From the report, the amount is not in question, just how it will be paid, to whom, and what power the government will get over the university going forward. For example, will government officials get to determine which protests and speakers will be allowed on campus henceforth? Will government officials be able to interfere in hiring, student admissions, or what is taught in classes?
Some previous cases that have been settled have not involved money. Penn apologized for allowing a trans woman on the women's swim team and agreed to policy changes, but didn't have to pay up. If Harvard caves, it may end up being forced to change its policies and also pay up. That would be the worst of all possible worlds for the institution and would set a precedent for all other universities. If Harvard gives in to blackmail, will there be any university that can stand up to it? (V)