I don't really buy this for higher education in general, there's too much diversity in funding and ownership, and it's much cheaper to build and pay for your ow

I don't really buy this for higher education in general, there's too much diversity in funding and ownership, and it's much cheaper to build and pay for your own school (which the Kochs have done). Public education I think there is much more evidence of systematic undermining. But that could be more about misguided ideological libertarianism rather than an actual desire to undermine the country. That's the trouble with ideology - empirical evidence can't sway you until it's too late. I also have had a much better experience with ex-military types than not, in terms of their management abilities, and a fairly representative mix of political ideology too (they're not all conservatives).