Pushing the envelope

“Cultural relevance”, “diverse backgrounds”, “gender”, “inclusion”, “implicit bias”, “hate speech”, “exclusion”.

What have all these things got in common? They’re on a list of terms staff at the National Science Foundation in America have been looking for in current research programmes to see if they violate President Trump’s executive orders.

According to an article in the Washington Post: “Scientists who receive NSF funding were already put on notice… to cease any activities that do not comply with the executive orders.”

Meanwhile Elon Musk’s team was able to go into the US Aid department over a weekend, take away security passes, and get confidential information relating to thousands of people.

Suddenly the fact all our data is on computers feels like less of a convenience, and more of a concern. Big brother really is watching you and can completely upend your life.

But the other concerning thing is that this is a test.

If an unelected official with no oversight can do this in one department, what’s to stop them doing it in another?

It’s called the Overton Window: what do we feel is acceptable? At what point do we say something is too extreme and you have to stop or lose power?

And this is what is being tested in America at the moment.

How much do you care about activities overseas?

How much do you care about a group’s civil rights?

How much do you care about the US constitution?

A few days ago I was watching Horrible Histories with my kids and there was a segment on Martin Luther King. As I watched, I thought: how have civil rights been walked back so soon?

Traitors host Alan Cumming was on The View a couple of weeks ago and he said: “What kind of country are we in where we are take rights away from people?”

I know actions are being taken. There are protests and there are lawsuits.

But what’s worrying is how quickly and easily this has happened. And that it’s been allowed to continue.

Because the question is: what and who is next?