Yale Fascism Scholar: I’m Leaving U.S. for Canada ‘To Send a Warning to Americans’

CABRERA A prominent Yale ░░░░░░░░ who studies fascism is ░░░░░░░░ the U S amid ░░░░░░░░ Trump Administration s crackdown ░░░░░░░░ universities and colleges Jason ░░░░░░░░ author of How Fascism ░░░░░░░░ The Politics of Us ░░░░░░░░ Them is departing the ░░░░░░░░ Ivy League school to ░░░░░░░░ in Toronto telling a ░░░░░░░░ website the reason is ░░░░░░░░ Entirely because of the ░░░░░░░░ climate in the United ░░░░░░░░ This comes as the ░░░░░░░░ Administration threatens to withhold ░░░░░░░░ for preeminent institutions like ░░░░░░░░ which capitulated to the ░░░░░░░░ over so called security ░░░░░░░░ And as grad students ░░░░░░░░ Columbia and Tufts are ░░░░░░░░ scholars now detained by ░░░░░░░░ enforcement after their involvement ░░░░░░░░ pro Palestinian protests or ░░░░░░░░ Professor and Author Jason ░░░░░░░░ joins us now Professor ░░░░░░░░ for taking the time ░░░░░░░░ us You cited the ░░░░░░░░ political environment in this ░░░░░░░░ as why you re ░░░░░░░░ Why you re heading ░░░░░░░░ Canada Is it impeding ░░░░░░░░ from teaching what and ░░░░░░░░ you d want to ░░░░░░░░ Stanley Oh absolutely not ░░░░░░░░ has to this extent ░░░░░░░░ its scholars unlike Columbia ░░░░░░░░ forced for example Katherine ░░░░░░░░ a prominent law professor ░░░░░░░░ early retirement So it ░░░░░░░░ nothing to do with ░░░░░░░░ it has everything to ░░░░░░░░ with my children and ░░░░░░░░ desire to send a ░░░░░░░░ to Americans that is ░░░░░░░░ with the work I ░░░░░░░░ been doing CABRERA You ░░░░░░░░ about Columbia submitting to ░░░░░░░░ White House s demands ░░░░░░░░ the threats to withhold ░░░░░░░░ funding I mean some ░░░░░░░░ what they agreed to ░░░░░░░░ new rules for protests ░░░░░░░░ security officers that can ░░░░░░░░ arrests new leadership to ░░░░░░░░ certain academic programs like ░░░░░░░░ East studies You called ░░░░░░░░ s capitulation a warning ░░░░░░░░ how so Stanley Well ░░░░░░░░ Americans don t really ░░░░░░░░ some of the details ░░░░░░░░ put that a department ░░░░░░░░ before has the federal ░░░░░░░░ intervened to put a ░░░░░░░░ into receivership much less ░░░░░░░░ excellent department like the ░░░░░░░░ of Middle Eastern Studies ░░░░░░░░ Columbia University And it ░░░░░░░░ not new leadership they ░░░░░░░░ going to appoint perhaps ░░░░░░░░ non academic someone who ░░░░░░░░ obviously going to intervene ░░░░░░░░ academic affairs They re ░░░░░░░░ serious about this Receivership ░░░░░░░░ only meant for when ░░░░░░░░ in a department dislike ░░░░░░░░ other so much they ░░░░░░░░ t be in the ░░░░░░░░ room together And needless ░░░░░░░░ say this crackdown Columbia ░░░░░░░░ capitulation to this is ░░░░░░░░ grave sign about the ░░░░░░░░ of academic freedom In ░░░░░░░░ to say hauling people ░░░░░░░░ the street and sending ░░░░░░░░ to Louisiana prisons like ░░░░░░░░ did at Tufts University ░░░░░░░░ co authoring op eds ░░░░░░░░ the student newspaper CABRERA ░░░░░░░░ I mean it s ░░░░░░░░ it s Columbia Georgetown ░░░░░░░░ University of Minnesota I ░░░░░░░░ we keep learning of ░░░░░░░░ and new cases of ░░░░░░░░ students or other academics ░░░░░░░░ detained by ICE And ░░░░░░░░ ll note that these ░░░░░░░░ people who are here ░░░░░░░░ They have permanent residence ░░░░░░░░ re you know on ░░░░░░░░ visas Secretary of State ░░░░░░░░ Rubio said last week ░░░░░░░░ these cases are just ░░░░░░░░ beginning What is the ░░░░░░░░ this administration is sending ░░░░░░░░ detaining these scholars and ░░░░░░░░ prioritizing this sort of ░░░░░░░░ crackdown Stanley The message ░░░░░░░░ that they re going ░░░░░░░░ do a kind of ░░░░░░░░ terrorism against our country ░░░░░░░░ re going to target ░░░░░░░░ one by one so ░░░░░░░░ those who are in ░░░░░░░░ will shut up essentially ░░░░░░░░ universities are filled with ░░░░░░░░ already They re ceasing ░░░░░░░░ make public statements They ░░░░░░░░ not banding together Right ░░░░░░░░ they are targeting non ░░░░░░░░ for you know writing ░░░░░░░░ student newspapers I m ░░░░░░░░ or I suspect they ░░░░░░░░ start pulling people s ░░░░░░░░ targeting U S citizens ░░░░░░░░ various reasons and exploiting ░░░░░░░░ ignorance Generally you know ░░░░░░░░ don t know about ░░░░░░░░ other s workplaces exploiting ░░░░░░░░ s Americans ignorance about ░░░░░░░░ freedom And they re ░░░░░░░░ they re trying to ░░░░░░░░ I fear they will ░░░░░░░░ in destroying America s ░░░░░░░░ education system which is ░░░░░░░░ far the best in ░░░░░░░░ world.”