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Related: About this forumMATT DAMON SLAMS TRUMP AND BANKERS At MIT Commencement Speech, June 3.
Actor and activist Matt Damon Slams Trump and Bankers, and Emphasizes World Issues to Be Solved at MIT Class of 2016 graduation ceremony. For Friday's MIT commencement event Damon returned to his hometown, Cambridge, Mass. where he attended Harvard but didn't graduate and filmed the acclaimed movie "Good Will Hunting" (1997) with Ben Affleck and Robin Williams in which he portrayed an unrecognized genius who worked as a janitor at MIT, the Mass. Institute of Technology.
valerief
(53,235 posts)appalachiablue
(41,171 posts)Ben and I shot a movie here. It was then we knew for sure we could never have gotten in. I mean, youre workin on some crazy stuff in these buildings, stuff that would freak me out if I actually understood it. Im going to tell you about one thats been on my mind simulation theory. So the basic idea, as I understand it, is that we could be living in a massive simulation run by a far smarter civilization, like a giant computer game, and we dont even know it.
What if this, all of this, IS a simulation? I mean its a crazy idea. But what if it is? And if there are multiple simulations, how come we have to be in the one where Donald Trump becomes the Republican nominee for president? [laughter, applause] Can we like transfer to a different one? Now, then again, what if it isnt a simulation? Either way, my answer is the same.
Either way, what we do, matters. What we do, affects the outcome. So either way, MIT, youve got to go out and do really interesting things, important things, inventive things. Because this world, real or imagined, this world has some problems that we need you to drop everything and solve. So go ahead and take your pick from the worlds worst buffet:
Economic inequality, thats a problem. How bout the refugee crisis? Massive global insecurity. Climate change. Pandemics. Institutional racism.
And add to that an American political system thats failing. Weve got Congressman on a two-year election cycle who are incentivized to think short-term and simply do not engage with long-term problems.
And add to that, a media that thrives on scandal and people with their pants down anything to get you to tune in and hawk you products that you dont need.
And add to that a banking system that steals peoples money. [Applause]
Its alright, Im not running for office. By the way, while Im on this, let me just say this to the bankers specifically the ones who brought you the biggest heist in history: It was theft and you knew it. It was fraud and you knew it. And you know what else? We know that you knew it.
So yeah, you sort of got away with it. You got that house in the Hamptons that other people paid for as their own mortgages went underwater. And you might have their money. But you dont have our respect. And just so you know, when we pass you on the street, and look you in the eye, thats what were thinking. [Applause]
And I dont know if justice is coming for you in this life or the next. But if justice does come for you in this life, her name will be Elizabeth Warren.
http://www.examiner.com/review/matt-damon-ridicules-trump-and-critiques-american-politics-mit-grad-speech
SusanCalvin
(6,592 posts)Last edited Sat Jun 4, 2016, 07:27 PM - Edit history (1)
appalachiablue
(41,171 posts)an injection of pressing world issues and his own focus. But I must admit at times his formal don's attire reminded me of Erasmus or Mr. Chips!
SusanCalvin
(6,592 posts)MrMickeysMom
(20,453 posts)If the spirit of Robin Williams had time that day, I'll be it was there, too...
SoFlaJet
(7,767 posts)we want more.