Three prominent researchers warn about the current existential threat in the United States

Helmut Schwarz has been reading about what happened to science during the rise of Adolf Hitler, almost a century ago.

The German chemist just received the Frontiers of Knowledge Award from the BBVA Foundation in Spain, due to his contributions to the field of catalysis. For him, there are parallels between the situation in Nazi Germany and Trump’s United States.

“From 1900 to 1932, a third of all Nobel Prizes went to Germany, more than to the U.S. and the U.K. combined,” he tells EL PAÍS. He and two other scientists sat down with EL PAÍS in Bilbao, where they received their awards.

“When Hitler came to power,” he continues, “German science — which led the world — completely disintegrated. But Hitler thought that wouldn’t be a problem,” he continues. Now, Donald Trump’s administration views universities — supposed hotbeds of progressive ideology — as the enemy. He wants to bring them under his control. “In my opinion, the threat isn’t immediate, but it’s very important in the long term,” Schwarz adds.

  • Nangijala@feddit.dk
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    18 hours ago

    Amen, my friend. My spouse keeps telling me to have patience wait for the consequences to hit these clowns. I am just very impatient because I don’t want them to succeed in ruining more things for other people before they get what’s coming to them.

      • Nangijala@feddit.dk
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        6 hours ago

        If he were to reply to your comment I know he would say “I’m not optimistic. I’m realistic.” Haha He’s great. Genuinely one of the best people I have ever met. Everywhere he goes he makes friends, inspires people and helps them improve themselves. So effortlessly kind and accepting of others. And he always believes things will be made right even if a situation is bleak. The shit he deals with on the daily in his job has broken most people, but not him. His psyche is made of titanium, I swear. No matter what type of day he has had or what he is carrying in silence, he always has emotional bandwidth to be there for others. I love him so much.

    • okamiueru@lemmy.world
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      18 hours ago

      It takes a lot longer to rebuild the town than it took to burn it down. It’s sad that the consequences will take decades to fix if the course is corrected. The US has at this point suffered a lethal dose of radiation, it’s dead, but doesn’t know it quite yet.

      • Nangijala@feddit.dk
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        16 hours ago

        Yeah, thats why I’m so impatient for this shit to end NOW. I don’t want to see innocent people have their futures utterly annihilated for years to come. It is so frustrating.