Ideological purity, a clicking of the heels and a salute to authority is what authoritarians like Desantis and Trump ultimately seek. On campuses the govenour controls, no hint of dissent can be tolerated, no criticisms endured. Diversity of thought and academic freedom must be stamped out as alien threats. Universities used to be centers of higher education, free thought, and academic freedom. With Desantis in power they are being transformed into factories of rigid indoctrination that stamp out pliant subjects. How convenient for authoritarian rulers and fascist wannabees. What Desantis is doing on Florida campuses is a microcosm of what will happen to many colleges and universities all over the country nationally if (god forbid) he ever gains the power of the Presidency.
Kick Hungry out of the E.U. How does Hungry qualify for EU and Nato if it is no longer a democracy? Sorry Charlie Orban, you can't have it both ways. Our collective protection, our collective abundance, cooperation and peace without allowing oppostion canidates, freedom of press, speech, assembly.
I agree about Turkey and Hungary. In many regards they shouldn't be in NATO, they're authoritarian regimes and violate human rights. On the other hand, not being in NATO would these countries become more captive to Vladimir Putin?
Or it destablizes the dictators, creates untneable social unrest for the dictator (like Ukraine's Yanacovich), and democracy is reborn, and given a chance to flourish where it otherwise will not for genearations.
We have no handle on how unregulated Social Media works for authoritarian regimes, in their countries and meddling in ours. How will Authoritarians us A.I. for next cycle of elctions to subvert Western Democracies? We should limiti them as much as possible before we find out in 2024 and beyond.
Yes there will be an avalanche of deep fake videos ready to go for the 2024 election. We will be ready and so will most social media companies, I believe.
I dont share the same faith you have in Social Media Monopolies to combat AI miss and dis inforamtion domesticall nor foreign. And they have radicalized conservative/libertarian Judges in their corner not ours.
I'm sure there are plenty of deep fake videos of Hunter Biden doing hookers and blow. They'll show him taking bribes and stuffing his back pockets full of cash etc.
I’ve wondered this also, countries can be kicked out , correct? I understand ( the rule?) the war has to end in Ukraine first...and how many think Iran, China, N.Korea, and ? Are supplying Russia...?
How to stop this...🤔
Total economic sanction is the ONLY avenue I can see.
If that’s what their population wants to be, wants to do, control you people...we are OUT!
I’d even venture the states here the same policy. If the people want to stay in those states fine, the ones who oppose that standard stay away. Many people feel they don’t care this or that decision , policy , rules ..won’t affect them. I believe this naive! That those states under Rep control/doing this right now appear to be gaining population vs people leaving .....is curious to me.
I agree it is naive, the biggest example is interstate commerce activities. We are best set up as inter-dependent on each other. Like brothers and sisters, with widely different personalities -- of the same family.
It's already happening in Pennsylvania with the State University System in the more rural locations. Slashing hunaities, and "Quasi-provatization." Quite the grift too! A quintessential example of "Boiling the Frog."
Excellent essay, as always! I hope it is picked up and reprinted in major outlets. It's too important a message not to get more airtime. I wish all of the "democratic" candidates and opinion leaders (small "d", i.e., those who care about democracy) would speak out against this danger per our academic freedoms and educational system. How hard is it to remind people that book banning is bad--just to start? That it is a sign that something is wrong here? We are now months and months after the first sign of this sickness, and no one is talking about it or any of the more recent indecencies. Except Ruth and seemingly a few others. But how do they break through??
On another issue, so happy to see protests in Israel today. Hoping we can discuss on Zoom this coming Friday.
In a perfect world ... alumni from these hundreds of American universities would be outraged -- based on the open/free-thinking values education they have benefit from -- would protest or yank their personal donations. Business leaders, also beneficiaries of the free-thinking education system would follow. This support of education would be best be driven by the business/ commerce sector. America's innovation/ economy are dependent on the existence of democracy. I applaud Ruth's leadership to elevate this topic of critical/ bellweather concern.
Fascists shun modernism, in favor of traditionalism. They see universities as a hot bed of modernism, so they want to turn the clock back by controlling them. Many of our business leaders have adopted the fascist mindset, so they mostly agree with the fascist platform about higher education. Sadly, many in the business community would prefer a fascist cartel economy, over our current neoliberal economy. It has been suggested that our neoliberal system is just a stepping stone toward a cartel system. It would be a business paradise but not a democracy.
👏👏👏👏👏👏 Sophie Scholl, White Rose. Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed. We know how it looks. It will heat up now. Jason, as a small boy, had dinner with Paulo. Ilse, made it out. I wish I knew why these things matter to me. Be safe Ruth. Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Jung called it Synchronicities. We are born with an imprint.
Northwestern took a bold move/ statement against hazing, bullying and alleged racism this week. There is a struggle at hand, as you mention, Ruth -- education is at the forefront.
I have to wonder with the SCOTUS ruling regarding affirmative action with university admissions last week -- will there be an impact to the quality of university sports programs? How will that be managed?
Thank you Ruth. Education is the weather vane. I noticed that in Chile, the university officials were called rectors. Were their universities public domains or religious? Was Chile a separation of church and state country?
In the long defense of firemen burning books, Beatty, the Captain in "FAHRENHEIT 451" explains to Montag that: "You can't build a house without nails and wood. If you don't want a house built, hide the nails and wood. If you don't want a man unhappy politically, don't give him two sides to a question to worry him; give him one. Better yet, give him none." The "anti-wokeists" are the firemen of our times. They use the same pathetic arguments for stifling free thinking and to drive our imaginations into a dark, white nationalist corner. As Professor Ben-Ghiat points out, this is far from new nor is it just an American problem. BUT--in 2023, it is definitely our problem.
It is ALL abt control & scapegoating is distraction (dangerous & painful as it is) to further somebody's control of the masses w/ minorities suffering the consequences.
Thank you, Ruth, for yet another clarion call in opposition to the authoritarianism that is sweeping the country. I am a retired Ohio public school Educator, with over 40 years experience in Ohio Public Schools. If you haven’t already heard about or seen in the media what is happening in Ohio, please read the quoted summary from a major group opposing what is happening in Ohio Education, “Honesty for Ohio Education”. Here is a quote from today’s email newsletter:
“The newly signed 2024-25 biennial budget includes significant impacts on public education:
State Takeover of Public Education: Creates the Department of Education and Workforce (DEW), shifting oversight and control of the State Board of Education (SBOE) and the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) to three governor appointees; strips SBOE and ODE of significant roles and duties, leaving both in an limited advisory role; Senate signaled the takeover would be finalized by early October
Universal Public Funding of Private School Vouchers: Expands eligibility for publicly funded private school vouchers to all Ohio K-12 students; families earning up to 450% of the federal poverty level will qualify for full vouchers (students in grades K-8 will receive $6,165, grades 9-11 receive $8,407); families earning above 450% will qualify for less based on income
Publicly Funded Partisan Thought-Centers in Ohio Universities: Cleveland State University, Miami University, The Ohio State University, University of Cincinnati, and University of Toledo must create “intellectual diversity” centers that center conservative political views and perspectives about the US Constitution and Western Civilization values
Science of Reading: Provides $162M for DeWine-backed “science of reading” program over the next two years; includes training, instruction, and material for educators; restricts districts from using other approaches to literacy...”
The Ohio Gerrymandered, GOP, General Assembly is careening full speed ahead in Autocratic bills on all fronts! Tragically, many Ohioans are woefully unaware of what is happening! Most statistical polls show that a majority of Ohioans oppose these changes.
"University of Toledo must create “intellectual diversity” centers that center conservative political views and perspectives about the US Constitution and Western Civilization values."
In other words they want to have fascism be given an equal platform to be heard, in the name of fair and balanced. It's time to outlaw the cancer of fascist speech.
Great points, Jan! I agree. That's where a movement needs to happen. I hope Ruth is able to/continues to have meetings with business leaders. I remember her commenting to us that she was either doing so or hoping to do so...
In my many letters to the editor in my local paper, over the past six years, I have explained the mechanism of fascism, the warning signs and how it's being sold. The GOP target audience totally ignores these letters, as they feel that they would never support fascism. It's a massive case of unconscious incompetence, because they are supporting it. Nearly every GOP voter I've met, seems to have an over abundance of arrogance. With this arrogance seems to come a requisite inability to admit they are wrong. They've abandoned what's left of our democracy.
Kindness & pursuit of "common-ground" only occasionally pierces the amygdala rooted/appalling societal wide problem of willful ignorance @ the level of individuals ... .
All that I seem to be able to do to curtail such none-sense/irrationality & belligerence is to nicely/mildly/neighbourly call it out & its inappropriateness & then ask for cordiality over divisive partisanship which works most of the time. When it doesn't then I ask the person(s) to leave/take their aggressiveness elsewhere or ask that our gathering end. When it's politicians, one can only shame & organise against them. They only say & do whatever is harmful bc they believe it's their MO to re-election.
Is it not time to start to plan how we can stop this “red”tide? We need the brightest marketing strategists to develop visuals that will awaken if not shock America with true stories of how these countries, Germany, Hungary and Chile have slowly had free speech strangled into silence via fear, and physical harm. They have to show how Florida’s burgeoning new right wing laws will slowly extinguish free speech and respect for those who are not white right leaning Christians.
If we can open their eyes we may begin to open their minds.
The new "Divided States of Fascism"
Ideological purity, a clicking of the heels and a salute to authority is what authoritarians like Desantis and Trump ultimately seek. On campuses the govenour controls, no hint of dissent can be tolerated, no criticisms endured. Diversity of thought and academic freedom must be stamped out as alien threats. Universities used to be centers of higher education, free thought, and academic freedom. With Desantis in power they are being transformed into factories of rigid indoctrination that stamp out pliant subjects. How convenient for authoritarian rulers and fascist wannabees. What Desantis is doing on Florida campuses is a microcosm of what will happen to many colleges and universities all over the country nationally if (god forbid) he ever gains the power of the Presidency.
I say give Russia back Hungry and Turkey.
Kick Hungry out of the E.U. How does Hungry qualify for EU and Nato if it is no longer a democracy? Sorry Charlie Orban, you can't have it both ways. Our collective protection, our collective abundance, cooperation and peace without allowing oppostion canidates, freedom of press, speech, assembly.
Grant Ukraine, Sweedon, Finland Nato membership.
I agree about Turkey and Hungary. In many regards they shouldn't be in NATO, they're authoritarian regimes and violate human rights. On the other hand, not being in NATO would these countries become more captive to Vladimir Putin?
Or it destablizes the dictators, creates untneable social unrest for the dictator (like Ukraine's Yanacovich), and democracy is reborn, and given a chance to flourish where it otherwise will not for genearations.
We have no handle on how unregulated Social Media works for authoritarian regimes, in their countries and meddling in ours. How will Authoritarians us A.I. for next cycle of elctions to subvert Western Democracies? We should limiti them as much as possible before we find out in 2024 and beyond.
Yes there will be an avalanche of deep fake videos ready to go for the 2024 election. We will be ready and so will most social media companies, I believe.
I dont share the same faith you have in Social Media Monopolies to combat AI miss and dis inforamtion domesticall nor foreign. And they have radicalized conservative/libertarian Judges in their corner not ours.
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/july-5-2023
I'm sure there are plenty of deep fake videos of Hunter Biden doing hookers and blow. They'll show him taking bribes and stuffing his back pockets full of cash etc.
I do worry about corrupt MAGA Trump judges.
LBJ said better to have your enemies inside the tent pissing out than outside the tent pissing in.
I’ve wondered this also, countries can be kicked out , correct? I understand ( the rule?) the war has to end in Ukraine first...and how many think Iran, China, N.Korea, and ? Are supplying Russia...?
How to stop this...🤔
Total economic sanction is the ONLY avenue I can see.
If that’s what their population wants to be, wants to do, control you people...we are OUT!
I’d even venture the states here the same policy. If the people want to stay in those states fine, the ones who oppose that standard stay away. Many people feel they don’t care this or that decision , policy , rules ..won’t affect them. I believe this naive! That those states under Rep control/doing this right now appear to be gaining population vs people leaving .....is curious to me.
What a mess!
I agree it is naive, the biggest example is interstate commerce activities. We are best set up as inter-dependent on each other. Like brothers and sisters, with widely different personalities -- of the same family.
Totally agree
It's already happening in Pennsylvania with the State University System in the more rural locations. Slashing hunaities, and "Quasi-provatization." Quite the grift too! A quintessential example of "Boiling the Frog."
"As the GOP transforms into an autocratic entity allied with foreign far-right parties and governments,"
Hungry=Idealogy
Russia=Free reign into American minds via propaganda/trolls/bots on Social media
Hungry/Russia/China/Saudi=suppression of free speech, press, assembly
Russia= Financial corruption ( blind LLC's buying Trump properies at inflated prices and foreign licencessing deals to buy influence/loyalty)
Saudi Arabia=Oligarchy, fin$ influence, resource extortion (price of oil to cuase recessions to influence elections)
And on and on and on.
Excellent essay, as always! I hope it is picked up and reprinted in major outlets. It's too important a message not to get more airtime. I wish all of the "democratic" candidates and opinion leaders (small "d", i.e., those who care about democracy) would speak out against this danger per our academic freedoms and educational system. How hard is it to remind people that book banning is bad--just to start? That it is a sign that something is wrong here? We are now months and months after the first sign of this sickness, and no one is talking about it or any of the more recent indecencies. Except Ruth and seemingly a few others. But how do they break through??
On another issue, so happy to see protests in Israel today. Hoping we can discuss on Zoom this coming Friday.
In a perfect world ... alumni from these hundreds of American universities would be outraged -- based on the open/free-thinking values education they have benefit from -- would protest or yank their personal donations. Business leaders, also beneficiaries of the free-thinking education system would follow. This support of education would be best be driven by the business/ commerce sector. America's innovation/ economy are dependent on the existence of democracy. I applaud Ruth's leadership to elevate this topic of critical/ bellweather concern.
Fascists shun modernism, in favor of traditionalism. They see universities as a hot bed of modernism, so they want to turn the clock back by controlling them. Many of our business leaders have adopted the fascist mindset, so they mostly agree with the fascist platform about higher education. Sadly, many in the business community would prefer a fascist cartel economy, over our current neoliberal economy. It has been suggested that our neoliberal system is just a stepping stone toward a cartel system. It would be a business paradise but not a democracy.
Great ideas for action, Jan!
👏👏👏👏👏👏 Sophie Scholl, White Rose. Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed. We know how it looks. It will heat up now. Jason, as a small boy, had dinner with Paulo. Ilse, made it out. I wish I knew why these things matter to me. Be safe Ruth. Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Jung called it Synchronicities. We are born with an imprint.
Northwestern took a bold move/ statement against hazing, bullying and alleged racism this week. There is a struggle at hand, as you mention, Ruth -- education is at the forefront.
I have to wonder with the SCOTUS ruling regarding affirmative action with university admissions last week -- will there be an impact to the quality of university sports programs? How will that be managed?
Thank you Ruth. Education is the weather vane. I noticed that in Chile, the university officials were called rectors. Were their universities public domains or religious? Was Chile a separation of church and state country?
In the long defense of firemen burning books, Beatty, the Captain in "FAHRENHEIT 451" explains to Montag that: "You can't build a house without nails and wood. If you don't want a house built, hide the nails and wood. If you don't want a man unhappy politically, don't give him two sides to a question to worry him; give him one. Better yet, give him none." The "anti-wokeists" are the firemen of our times. They use the same pathetic arguments for stifling free thinking and to drive our imaginations into a dark, white nationalist corner. As Professor Ben-Ghiat points out, this is far from new nor is it just an American problem. BUT--in 2023, it is definitely our problem.
Great point
It is ALL abt control & scapegoating is distraction (dangerous & painful as it is) to further somebody's control of the masses w/ minorities suffering the consequences.
Thank you, Ruth, for yet another clarion call in opposition to the authoritarianism that is sweeping the country. I am a retired Ohio public school Educator, with over 40 years experience in Ohio Public Schools. If you haven’t already heard about or seen in the media what is happening in Ohio, please read the quoted summary from a major group opposing what is happening in Ohio Education, “Honesty for Ohio Education”. Here is a quote from today’s email newsletter:
“The newly signed 2024-25 biennial budget includes significant impacts on public education:
State Takeover of Public Education: Creates the Department of Education and Workforce (DEW), shifting oversight and control of the State Board of Education (SBOE) and the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) to three governor appointees; strips SBOE and ODE of significant roles and duties, leaving both in an limited advisory role; Senate signaled the takeover would be finalized by early October
Universal Public Funding of Private School Vouchers: Expands eligibility for publicly funded private school vouchers to all Ohio K-12 students; families earning up to 450% of the federal poverty level will qualify for full vouchers (students in grades K-8 will receive $6,165, grades 9-11 receive $8,407); families earning above 450% will qualify for less based on income
Publicly Funded Partisan Thought-Centers in Ohio Universities: Cleveland State University, Miami University, The Ohio State University, University of Cincinnati, and University of Toledo must create “intellectual diversity” centers that center conservative political views and perspectives about the US Constitution and Western Civilization values
Science of Reading: Provides $162M for DeWine-backed “science of reading” program over the next two years; includes training, instruction, and material for educators; restricts districts from using other approaches to literacy...”
The Ohio Gerrymandered, GOP, General Assembly is careening full speed ahead in Autocratic bills on all fronts! Tragically, many Ohioans are woefully unaware of what is happening! Most statistical polls show that a majority of Ohioans oppose these changes.
As a fellow Ohioan and former educator, I'm disgusted by this legislation. Maybe we need to make the state ungovernable.
"University of Toledo must create “intellectual diversity” centers that center conservative political views and perspectives about the US Constitution and Western Civilization values."
In other words they want to have fascism be given an equal platform to be heard, in the name of fair and balanced. It's time to outlaw the cancer of fascist speech.
Yes, Steve!
or @ least truth in labelling ...
Great points, Jan! I agree. That's where a movement needs to happen. I hope Ruth is able to/continues to have meetings with business leaders. I remember her commenting to us that she was either doing so or hoping to do so...
In my many letters to the editor in my local paper, over the past six years, I have explained the mechanism of fascism, the warning signs and how it's being sold. The GOP target audience totally ignores these letters, as they feel that they would never support fascism. It's a massive case of unconscious incompetence, because they are supporting it. Nearly every GOP voter I've met, seems to have an over abundance of arrogance. With this arrogance seems to come a requisite inability to admit they are wrong. They've abandoned what's left of our democracy.
Keep writing.
I will, and so do others.
Thank you.
Ditto
Kindness & pursuit of "common-ground" only occasionally pierces the amygdala rooted/appalling societal wide problem of willful ignorance @ the level of individuals ... .
All that I seem to be able to do to curtail such none-sense/irrationality & belligerence is to nicely/mildly/neighbourly call it out & its inappropriateness & then ask for cordiality over divisive partisanship which works most of the time. When it doesn't then I ask the person(s) to leave/take their aggressiveness elsewhere or ask that our gathering end. When it's politicians, one can only shame & organise against them. They only say & do whatever is harmful bc they believe it's their MO to re-election.
Is it not time to start to plan how we can stop this “red”tide? We need the brightest marketing strategists to develop visuals that will awaken if not shock America with true stories of how these countries, Germany, Hungary and Chile have slowly had free speech strangled into silence via fear, and physical harm. They have to show how Florida’s burgeoning new right wing laws will slowly extinguish free speech and respect for those who are not white right leaning Christians.
If we can open their eyes we may begin to open their minds.
AND organise those of like mind or @ least open ...
Wow, frightening , brilliant essay Ruth !
I'm thinking that progressive parents may need to start homeschooling their children. Stay safe, Ruth. We've got your back.
Thank you, Charlie. Would love to vote out those that are of an undemocratic mind. That would be most of the gerrymandered Supermajority!
Share with a screenshot. The showdown must start NOW. No coasting is wise.