It seems like it's every day that I see signs that institutions are preparing for and aligning themselves with a prospective Trump presidency. Recent purges of

It seems like it's every day that I see signs that institutions are preparing for and aligning themselves with a prospective Trump presidency. Recent purges of media are another big one, especially of ones featuring marginalized groups, though thoughtful and challenging stories in general are targets - inclusive, ironically-though-quite-creatively, of something like Helldivers 2. You might not think that that example counts, but I do. It fits what is fast becoming the zeitgeist, one of monoliths flexing their ability to act with impunity, individuals left with nothing more than futile, quiet acts of resistance (which don't ultimately do much resisting). The guy at the top is doing it, after all, so for those at the top of their particular interest (market, field, etc.): why not? Who's going to stop you? Our democracy might be and remain intact, but our democratic values - particularly those of valuing forthright thought; of speaking up and across instead of down; and of not hiding our faults behind smug strength or stone walls of silence, but instead exposing them so that they may be cleansed and sutured - do seem to be in jeopardy. This is an example of choosing easy over rigorous, and that's sad, especially for MIT. We have ample evidence of how this happens in societies descending into radical nationalism, if not fascism. So, now I'm just wondering if we're the "learn from the past"-types or the "doomed to repeat it"-types. (Just as much as I'd like to know the answer to that, I'd love to hear from someone who understands what I'm trying to say here, even if they disagree.)