cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/27204942
By Areeb Ullah Published date: 14 March 2025 13:31 GMT
"The university was also told to begin the process of placing Columbia’s world-renowned Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies department under academic receivership. This process requires an outside chair, who could be appointed by the government, to run the department for five years. "
"Other demands listed by the White House include a mask ban on campus, giving “full law enforcement authority” to campus security by allowing them to “arrest and remove agitators”, and reforming the admissions process for its undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. "
Do not bend the knee cause the demands will not stop.
Shut down the university completely instead. Shut it down and let the world know it was because of this crackpot dictator. This will cause outrage and outrage is what is needed right now.
Outrage from the streets, all the way to the capital, all the way to Oval Office, all the way to hidden bunkers, to drag this traitor into the open and divested of everything.
you’re right, unfortunately, we live in a time when people won’t take action until they either experience the consequences personally or they’re pushed beyond a breaking point.
perpetual gradual harm reduction and backsliding is imperceptible and slow enough to be normalized. but sudden changes cannot be ignored and often radicalizes people in response (or at least forces them to ‘take sides’ in a battle).
one of the major challenges of liberatory movements is not enough people join the cause and instead wait things out. these so-called centrists and moderates only have this option because they have socioeconomic privilege compared the most oppressed groups.
therefore we must then consider strategies to capture their support, including shocking their sensibilities with outrage, or even potentially stoking fears that they could be next. “what if they close my alma mater too or what if my kids’ college gets shutdown also?” etc etc
I hope Columbia University learned what happened last time they capitulated to Trump.
They’ll do the same thing everybody else has been doing. Capitulate harder.
Capitalists have a habit of bending the knee to capital. Most can be bought, and have no virtue beyond the all-mighty dollar. Who would’ve thought?
And Russia Apologists have a habit of apologizing for Russia.
It’s just a matter of time 😉
