I’m a product of public-school education (elementary through high school), and Catholic universities and public community colleges. Those experiences provided me with knowledge, tools to critically apply that knowledge, and reinforced the values learned from my family. Education has utilitarian functions – employment, etc. Importantly, education is a gift to be used in the service of others.
That was not the view of Adolph Hitler in 1925.
The question of “nationalizing” a people is among other things primarily a question of creating healthy social conditions to make possible the education of the individual. Only when upbringing and school training have taught a man the cultural and economic, but, above all, the political greatness of his own fatherland can and will he acquire an inward pride in the privilege of belonging to such a people. And you can fight only for something you love, love only what you respect, and respect only what you at least know.” Adolph Hiller, Mein Kampf, Volume 1, Chapter 2, Par 46, 1925 https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Mein_Kampf_(Stackpole_Sons)/Volume_1/Chapter_2
Donald Trump in September 2020 proclaimed a similar view at White House Conference on American History his educational vision and by extension the MAGA movement’s.
Our mission is to defend the legacy of America’s founding, the virtue of America’s heroes, and the nobility of the American character. We must clear away the twisted web of lies in our schools and classrooms and teach our children the magnificent truth about our country. We want our sons and daughters to know that they are the citizens of the most exceptional nation in the history of the world.
The Nation article 2024 Five Key Themes of Fascist Education contains the following identified by Jason Stanely:
- National greatness,
- National purity,
- National innocence,
- Strict gender roles,
- Vilification of the left.
https://www.thenation.com/article/society/fascist-education
One hundred years later in 2025, President Trump, VP Vance and 15 cabinet/department directors are putting those themes into practice throughout the American Publication education system.
Examples are
| Educational Institutions | Federal Dollars (millions) Held or Cancelled |
| Columbia | 221 |
| Brown | 50 |
| Penn | 175 |
| Cornell | 1000 |
| Northwestern | 790 |
| Duke | 108 |
| UCLA | 584 |
| Oregon Schools & CC | 73 |
| Washington Schools & CC* | 137 |
| Total | 2954 |
Sources: Colleges with federal money targeted by Trump administration;
https://www.kuow.org/stories/wa-school-officials-exhale-trump-un-freezes-billions-in-education-funding *Funds released
Recently, the Trump administration is seeking $1 billion from UCLA for antisemitism charges in exchange for releasing the $584 million for medical and grant funding. https://edsource.org/updates/trump-seeking-1-billion-from-ucla-amid-antisemitism-charges. This sounds like extortion to me – “forcing someone into giving you something through threats.” “Extortion.” Vocabulary.com Dictionary, Vocabulary.com, https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/extortion. Accessed 10 Aug. 2025.
Linda McMahon, Secretary of Education stated on March 3, 2025 – “We must start thinking about our final mission at the department as an overhaul—a last chance to restore the culture of liberty and excellence that made American education great” https://www.ed.gov/about/news/speech/secretary-mcmahon-our-departments-final-mission.
My response is education should prepare to contribute to our communities, states, country and world.
Dame McGrath Institute 2018
May we honestly say, “We will be known by the difference we make in truth, love and unity through effective compassion and service to others.”
John Marshall Kingery Sunday, August 10, 2025