I hold a graduate degree. I have a certain affection for academia. It's with great sadness that I watch a once-great institution shamble down the path to perdition.
Hopefully we find a way to renew it, or else to do basic science outside of it
It is a politico-religious movement. Of course people that side with that movement find value in funding people to produce texts in its tradition and educate students in its ways of talking. I don't.
In defense of Paul, I'm reminded of work highlighted by the twitter account Real Peer Review (once banned and now reincarnated). It highlights various bits of so-called scholarship that looks like political ideology dressed up in fancy words and financed by taxpayers. "Decolonizing math" and things like that. Some recent examples:
I wouldn't expect taxpayers to finance my church. I'm not sure why I'm on the hook to fund this particular non-falsifiable dogma that I vehemently disagree with.
How could someone deny white supremacy? White supremacy is everywhere. It is watching us right now. It is reading along with you as you read this. This morning, I had white supremacy on my toast.
Wait a minute.... my toast is made of.... white bread.
Hopefully we find a way to renew it, or else to do basic science outside of it