Democracy Now! Audio Democracy Now! 2025-05-30 Friday
May 30, 2025
Ellen Schrecker, a historian specializing in McCarthyism's impact on academia, shares insights on today's oppressive university climate mirroring that era. Elizabeth Goytin discusses the legal implications of Trump's tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Constitutional lawyer Bruce Fein emphasizes the tension between executive power and judicial oversight. The discussion also delves into electoral integrity, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and ongoing struggles for academic freedom, revealing critical socio-political dynamics of our time.
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MIT Student President's Stand
- MIT's Indian-American class president, Megha Vimuri, described how students overwhelmingly voted to cut ties with Israel amid threats.
- She condemned MIT's research collaborations with Israeli military as support for genocide against Palestinians.
Comparing McCarthyism Then and Now
- The McCarthy era repression targeted individuals for past leftist connections, primarily communists, and was severe with widespread firings.
- Today's repression attacks entire university activities and is broader and more dangerous than the McCarthy period.
Universities Under McCarthyism
- During McCarthyism, about 100 tenured professors were fired and blacklisted, with universities largely collaborating with repression.
- Today, universities face broader attacks on entire campus activities, far beyond targeting individuals.
