Show Caption From the robed procession to the conferring of degrees to the keynote speech meant to inspire students to reflect on their lives and contributions to society, graduation ceremonies are a grand and cherished tradition. But increasingly, those ceremonies — and in particular the spee...

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.Democracy, for most of its existence, has managed to coexist with oligarchy, but only on the condition that oligarchs exert their influence quietly. Citizens, including ordinary Ame...