The Uncomfortable Question Remains: What, if anything, Will You Choose to Do About it?
By Michael Fedor, President of Fedor & Co.
There’s a public, performative, and potentially calamitous march underway in the latest culture war in America. This time the conflict is against reason, knowledge, and the institutions that uphold both.
The first salvos in this new culture war are squarely aimed at institutions of higher education. And they’re not just rhetorical. They’re legal, financial, and increasingly personal. Politicians are actively working to strip certain colleges and universities of their tax-exempt status. Others are pushing punitive excise taxes on the endowments these institutions spent decades building—funds meant to support scholarships, research, and public service. And some presidents are being shown the door by their boards while others are getting out “while the gettin’s good.”
Higher ed is being cast as the villain in a tired, cynical story about right versus wrong, conservative versus liberal, and the shrinking American pie of opportunity. Never mind that the politicians behind the curtain have already carved out their own considerable slices through the stations and offices they hold.
At the same time, there’s a rushed and reckless campaign underway to defund or dismantle hundreds of state and federal programs designed to create opportunity, relieve suffering, and build human potential. These aren’t obscure or outdated efforts. These were bipartisan programs—Pell Grants, rural broadband, apprenticeships, workforce retraining, community development, public-private partnerships—that helped some small towns survive and students thrive.
Today, that funding is evaporating. Quietly. Systematically.
If you work in public service, education, or nonprofit leadership, you’ve felt the shift. You’ve seen the chilling effect creep into the very sectors meant to equip Americans to think critically, collaborate courageously, and pursue better futures.
These trends are not just policy choices. They are signals. Warnings. We are living through a moment of supreme consequence—a moment when the infrastructure that supports intelligent exploration, civic discourse, and social mobility is being dismantled. The consequence of this could be highly detrimental to a democracy where informed and critically thinking citizens are the glue that holds the whole thing together.
And so we must ask the uncomfortable, urgent question:
What is the future of education in a society where a vocal minority is hellbent on devaluing knowledge and critical thinking?
Higher Education as a Scapegoat
Higher education in particular has become a lightning rod. And yes, there is valid criticism—tuition inflation, administrative bloat, campus culture clashes, research bias, and academic leaders unwilling to speak hard truths. Institutions must be accountable. They must evolve, listen, and lead with greater transparency. They must recognize their culpability in their current plights and enact the sorts of genuine reforms that demonstrate they understand the outrage by portions of the public over their high price tags and seemingly unquenchable thirsts for more — be it more students, more funding, or more prestige.
But accountability is not the same as antagonism.
We cannot allow political theater and public frustration to erode our long-term commitment to investment in education and knowledge. Because when we do, it’s not just universities that weaken—it’s the civic foundation of our democracy that begins to crack.
Let’s be clear: the American dream of continuous economic expansion available to all who work hard enough is fading. Not because the idea is flawed. We seem to have lost our bearings on how to stay on the path. Colleges and universities, once home to the greatest minds in economic innovation and social experimentation, have no cogent argument about what should or could be next to power the American economy. And rather than admit their own failure of imagination or courage to devise answers, political leaders have found it easier to scapegoat institutions and immigrants as the cause for America’s economic malaise.
Not a Victimless Crime
A widespread divestment from public education—favoring a “survival of the fittest” model that abandons local school districts and public research institutions—would spell disaster for Generations Z and Alpha as they strive to compete in the mid-21st-century economy. These young people already face a relentless onslaught of toxic messaging that erodes self-esteem and sabotages their capacity for genuine human connection.
Hostile foreign actors like China and Russia have eagerly exploited the same digital platforms to spread propaganda, discouraging belief in personal growth or the collective good. In place of inspiration or purpose, Gen Z and Gen Alpha are fed illusions: get-rich-quick fantasies, influencer lifestyles, and short-form distractions that stoke grievance, fear, and a false sense of inadequacy.
Many of them are adopting precarious economic habits—living paycheck to paycheck, juggling side hustles and gig work, and struggling to find meaning or alignment in low-wage, low-fulfillment jobs. Bombarded by algorithm-driven snippets of outrage and envy, they are led to believe there is always someone to blame for their condition—but rarely a path forward.
Perhaps most troubling is the growing inability to distinguish fact from fiction, truth from manipulation. The digital chaos has dulled critical thinking at a time when it is needed most.
For generations, the promise of postsecondary education—whether through a trade school, community college, or research university—was that it sharpened the intellect, broadened perspectives, and prepared citizens not just for the workforce, but for thoughtful participation in democracy. These institutions were meant to challenge parochial worldviews and equip young minds to lead, create, and contribute.
But as public trust in education is politicized—colleges and universities cast as villains for society’s ills, and many institutions appearing aloof or unaccountable—the result may resemble the script of a political thriller. The stakes are not theoretical. When fanaticism replaces truth, and discomfort is treated as oppression, history shows us what follows.
First, trust in public institutions decays. Civil discourse fractures. People retreat into ideological bunkers. And into that void, unchallenged ideologues rise. They dismantle norms. Rewrite rules. Seed division. And in the darkest moments, use power not to serve, but to subjugate.
America stands at such a crossroads now. How we respond—whether by reinvesting in education or surrendering it to disillusionment—will shape the character of our nation for generations.
Leadership Must Be Clear, Bold, and True
What we need now is leadership. Not the royal “we.” We the people—those of us unwilling to let our country be run on blame, shame, and disinformation – to step up to the enormous challenges of this moment.
We don’t need performative leaders, careerists clinging to safe titles, or survival-mode managers just trying to ride out the storm.
We need bold, clear, creative leadership—grounded in civic responsibility and moral clarity to lead in all aspects of society – government, business, nonprofits, and educational institutions.
Leadership that will ask:
- What should education cost in a just society?
- What research is worthy of public investment?
- What are our true intentions and desired outcomes in recognizing our beautiful diversity?
- What are the ethical boundaries of endowment building while still seeking taxpayer support?
- What constitutes a worthy expenditure of public dollars for the greater good of all?
- What must replace unbridled consumerism to refuel and expand the American dream?
- What kind of nation are we building—and for whom?
A Call to Civic Builders
The greatest chapters of American achievement were written by people who were never content with the status quo. They were driven by intellectual and moral curiosity about what we could become.
From capturing electrical charge on a kite string to pioneering space travel, from emancipation to the codification of civil rights—every great leap forward resulted from public investment in research, education, and the thirst for knowledge.
Our founding documents preserved in bomb-proof cases — The Declaration, the Constitution, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the Amendments that codified our attempts to undo the original sin of slavery — are not relics of a closed-minded nation. They are enduring proof that America was built by people unafraid of new knowledge and deeper understanding of the human condition.
So let’s be clear: the future of education—and of our civic fabric—requires leadership that transcends partisan talking points and dares to get real about what people need to thrive in the 21st century.
Leadership that says:
- Education is not the enemy—it’s the engine of opportunity.
- American prosperity need not be cast as a finite pie of winners and losers, takers and givers.
- Government isn’t broken beyond repair—it’s waiting for principled reinvention.
- Progress isn’t partisan. Progress is possible if we’re willing to challenge old thinking, overcome fear, and build new ideas together as one people.
What Comes Next
I’ve spent my career at the intersection of education, government, and public purpose. I’ve seen what’s possible when courageous leaders step up and say: We can do better. We must do better.
But I’ve also seen those same leaders burn out, get pushed out, or walk away—tired of the politics, the performative nonsense, the betrayal of public trust.
To those leaders, I say: Don’t retreat.
Now is the time to gather, not scatter.
To speak truth, not soften it.
To build coalitions, not silos.
To lead forward, even when the path is uncertain.
This is not the moment to go quiet.
It is the moment to go louder—with clarity, integrity, and courage.
I remain committed to this kind of leadership.
Whether in a college, a nonprofit, a civic organization, or a movement that hasn’t yet been born—Fedor & Company is actively seeking to collaborate with leaders who understand the stakes and want to shape what comes next.
Over the next 30 days, we’re launching a campaign to identify and connect with leaders across education, research, business, and civil society who recognize the urgency of this moment—and are ready to build a bold path forward.
If that’s you, take the brave first step to start the conversation with a comment or share of this post. Send me a direct message. Let me buy you a cup of coffee, and let’s talk about where bold ideas and real courage might take us.
We need more builders. More steady hands. More fierce hearts.
Let’s not just mourn what’s being lost.
Let’s organize for what must be built.