In 1972 Ira Levin wrote The Stepford Wives, a satirical novel about young wives in a fictional Connecticut suburb who are so submissive that they resemble robots and zombies. Even independent women who move to the town turn into mindless adherents of a cult-like docility.

Never mind the book or movie. The term "Stepford wife" entered common use to describe a wife who conforms blindly to a stereotype.

Which brings me to the “Stepford” students of American academia.

Midge Decter wrote a book in 1975 Liberal Parents-Radical Children detailing the generational gap brought about by the turmoil of the anti-war movement. Standard liberals still harbored patriotism, a belief in merit, a fear of quotas, and a general optimism about American culture and destiny and the law. Many of their children became destructive and violent and criminal dissidents who defied all authority and law. Today, many are the professors and journalists who promote the Marxist ideology that permeates the media and academia.

Millennial liberal parents spawn “progressive” Stepford children who cannot be described as real radicals or revolutionaries. In fact, while they support the more violent expressions of perceived group grievances, they mostly sulk in safe spaces after the agonies of seeing a red hat or a picture of Vice President Pence, or being called by a proper gender pronoun.

Like a programmed choir, the Stepfords detest capitalism; see moral equivalence between victims and perpetrators of terror; are alarmed by spurious climate change data; are convinced that racism and oppression are systemic in America; believe that open borders and sanctuary for illegal immigrants are the only moral choices; and all those who challenge or debate these issues are deplorable. Only group identity matters.

When a more conservative professor challenges their assumptions or invites another conservative to the campus, the Stepfords revolt, and, obtunded by their hypocrisy deny the basic freedoms of speech and assembly to anyone outside Stepford groupthink.

The Stepfords are smug and evoke Marxist theories without a clue about the millions of innocents that communism dislocated, tortured and executed. In fact, they find convoluted ways to attribute all evils to America and Donald Trump. And they are convinced that meritocracy is another form of racism because successful people are beneficiaries of “white privilege.”

Most parents pay inordinate sums in tuitions in the hope that a good liberal arts or science education will implement their children’s strengths and enlarge their vistas.

 I recently met a very thoughtful, intellectual and well-educated young man who is on his way to a very prestigious university. He asked his parents how much his education will cost in four years. With tuition, housing, books, clothes, travel and spending money the estimate was $400,000.00 for four years.

He asked to skip college and be given that money to live and invest and possibly start a business. His parents almost fainted at the thought.

 I considered it a credible and admirable proposal. He is an insightful and original and independent thinker.

Alas, like the courageous and independent heroine of the Ira Levin novel, once he is immersed in college, bowing to peer and academic pressure, he could become a compliant and docile adherent of Stepford politically correct cant and cult.

Image credit: YouTube screen grab (cropped)