Recently my alma mater, Columbia University, was back in the news because the Trump administration threatened to withhold $400 million in federal grants until the university changed some of its internal polocies. The political responses were predictable: populists were pleased about sticking it to leftist academics, faculty fulminated about threats to their intellectual freedom, the interim president lost her job over decisions she made, and a few folks quietly wondered about the wisdom of federal funding for so much educational activity and scientific research.
Because all that political stuff is far outside my influence and control, my reaction is more personal and philosophical: an event like this reinforces my policy of what I call self-patronage. I have always funded my intellectual and artistic endeavors through my own independent means, never through academic positions, think-tank paychecks, non-profit grants, wealthy patrons, crowdfunded donations, paid subscriptions, or anything other than the money I earned in my business career. As I see it, one can’t maintain true freedom of thought - the deep foundation underlying mere freedom of speech - if someone else is footing the bill.
Somewhere along the way, those who are now surprised that a new paymaster might make new demands forgot the wisdom of an ancient saying: he who pays the piper calls the tune.
(Cross-posted at Beautiful Wisdom.)
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