Author Archive: Glenn Reynolds

ALL THIS FROM CUTTING OVERHEAD PAYMENTS TO UNIVERSITIES? ‘Uncertain, anxious, fearful.’ That’s the mood at 2025’s first big U.S. science meeting. Cutting overhead means more money for grants, not “downsizing.”

Plus:

In addition to fear for their livelihoods and public safety, scientists expressed fear for the longstanding prestige of the American scientific enterprise. Several speakers cited a post-World War II “social contract,” when scientists and government agreed that publicly funding basic research was a good idea and would eventually lead to economic and technological advances.

Was the public a party to that contract? You know, some of us warned during the Covid debacle that it was going to drastically hurt the image of science. Well, here you are.

CHRIS BRAY: A Shameless, Aggressive, and Dangerous Descent Into Obvious Evil. “Margaret Brennan’s bizarre response to JD Vance’s speech in Munich — free speech? but that’s the weapon the Nazis used to commit the Holocaust! — wasn’t mere ignorance or accident. It’s a maneuver. You’re going to see more of it, in an urgent wave of moral inversion.”

Plus:

Read the piece in the New Republic, and look closely at Michael Tomasky’s language, which is full of Stasi-adjacent framing: “The Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) has been declared a ‘suspected extremist’ organization by the German domestic intelligence agency.”

The security agencies have spoken! This political party is declaratively engaged in crimethink, and must therefore be shunned and suppressed!

Do people authentically arguing against fascism present the declarations of the state security apparatus as the final word that ends political debate?

There’s a lot of Stasi envy on the left.

Also: “Michael Tomasky is evil, full stop. Clumsy and stupid, yes, but casually and cheerfully evil. This is societal poison. The argument that freedom is fascism is exceptionally dangerous. Fight this. Be rude about it.”

MOST UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATORS AREN’T PARTICULARLY BRIGHT. BUT OHIO NORTHERN UNIVERSITY IS IN A CLASS BY ITSELF: With Jury Trial Pending In Termination Of Tenured Law Prof, University Sues Over His WSJ Op-Ed And Lawyer’s Press Release. “After terminating Scott Gerber without telling him why, Ohio Northern University filed a lawsuit to shut him up.”

That’s good. This will certainly keep people from talking about Ohio Northern University and the morons who run it.

A friend writes:

Gotta love the deposition of the Vice-Chair of the Ohio Northern Board of Trustees:

1. Would it concern you if the university was hiring based on race? “I don’t know.”

2. Would it concern you if you found that the university was choosing to hire only white applicants? “I don’t know.”

3. Would it concern you if you found out the school is only hiring men? “I don’t know.”

4. Would it concern you if you found out that the school is excluding LGBTQ individuals from its hiring process? “I don’t know.”

5. Would it concern you if the dean refused to hire people based on their race? “I do not know.”

6. What would you do, Mr. Keyes, if you learned the law school was refusing to hire white applicants? “I don’t know.”

7. If Dean (Charles) Rose had been dishonest during a deposition, would that concern you as vice chair of the board? “I don’t know if the dean was dishonest.” If he had been dishonest, would that concern you? “I don’t know.”

They don’t know much. And it shows.

I FIND YOUR IDEAS INTRIGUING, AND WOULD LIKE TO SUBSCRIBE TO YOUR NEWSLETTER:

BOB GRABOYES: Prometheus and the Worried Well. As my doctor buddies say, if you think you’re healthy it just means you haven’t had enough tests.

NAVAL NEGLECT:

ZERO TOLERANCE FOR INSURRECTIONISTS:

They don’t believe in consequences for them, only the opposition. Give ’em the J6 treatment. New Rules.

OPEN THREAD: Hump Day.

UPDATE: Oops, this was supposed to be sked for tomorrow. Oh well.

THE ENEMY WITHIN:

HOW’S THAT SPACE PROGRAM COMING ALONG? NASA says ‘City killer’ asteroid now has 3.1% chance of hitting Earth.

Flashback:

O it’s Elon this, an’ Elon that, an’ “Chuck ‘im out, the cad!”;
But it’s “Elon, please, a rocket!” when the rocks are lookin’ bad.
When the rocks are lookin’ bad, my boys, the rocks are lookin’ bad,
O it’s “Save us, Mr. Elon!” when the rocks are lookin’ bad.