Espionage and incitement are infiltrating America’s universities, a former Clinton official warned this week on CNN. Jamie Metzl, a Democrat and Atlantic Council senior fellow, exposed unsettling truths about foreign students exploiting U.S. openness during a Thursday night broadcast, as Breitbart reports. His comments demand scrutiny, not woke dismissal.
Metzl revealed on CNN NewsNight that certain groups of Chinese students are known to spy on peers and steal intellectual property, while others from a range of nations are guilty of incitement to murder, echoing recent violence in Washington. He framed China as an adversary in what is effectively a cold war, alongside Russia, Iran, and North Korea, all exploiting America’s welcoming nature. Yet, he insists most Chinese students are “wonderful,” a nod to liberal ideals that conservatives might argue misses the mark.
Metzl’s wake-up call isn’t new, but it’s bold coming from a liberal. He admitted that America is under attack via social media and foreign agents disguised as students. This isn’t diversity’s fault -- it’s naivety’s consequence.
“We are in a cold war,” Metzl declared, pointing to China’s calculated moves. Some Chinese students, he said, monitor others and report back, an espionage tactic straight from Beijing’s playbook. Conservatives have long warned about unchecked foreign influence; Metzl’s just catching up.
Intellectual property theft is another festering issue. American universities, hubs of innovation, are bleeding ideas to adversaries. Openness is great until it’s a one-way street to exploitation.
Metzl’s praise for Chinese students as “brilliant” feels like a hedge. Sure, many individuals contribute positively, but good intentions don’t neutralize security risks. The woke crowd might cheer diversity, but borders -- intellectual and physical -- need guarding.
Then there’s the chilling incitement. Metzl noted students from unspecified countries chanting calls to murder, mirroring recent Washington killings of Israeli embassy employees. This isn’t free speech; it’s a prelude to chaos.
Universities, once bastions of debate, now harbor dangerous rhetoric. Metzl’s too polite to call it what it is: a failure of progressive policies that coddle extremism. Actions have consequences, and ignoring this invites more.
Metzl, identifying as a Democrat, still clings to America’s openness as its “greatest strength.” He’s half-right -- immigrants fuel Silicon Valley’s success, but unchecked access invites predators. Conservatives know balance isn’t betrayal; it’s survival.
“We are under attack,” Metzl stressed, naming China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. These nations weaponize social media and send agents to exploit America’s trust. It’s a calculated assault on the very freedoms liberals fetishize.
Silicon Valley thrives on immigrant talent, Metzl rightly notes. But romanticizing globalization ignores the wolves at the gate. The left’s fairy tale of open borders crashes hard against reality.
Metzl’s critique of the Trump administration’s “sledgehammer” approach is a fair jab. Conservatives value precision, too -- targeted policies over blanket bans. But his scalpel metaphor risks cutting too softly when adversaries play dirty.
“The vast majority of these Chinese students are incredible,” Metzl repeated, doubling down on optimism. It’s a nice sentiment, but national security isn’t a feelings contest. Vigilance, not blind trust, protects the nation.
America must welcome talent while locking the back door. Metzl’s call for scrutiny without closing borders aligns with conservative pragmatism -- protect what’s ours without losing what makes us great.
The real zinger? Metzl’s liberal credentials make his warnings harder to dismiss. If even a Clinton-era official sees the threat, maybe the woke elite should stop chanting “diversity” and start chanting “defense.”
