A repugnant tactic of authoritarianism is categorizing people’s desire for or exercise of freedom as illness that government should suppress. An example of this was the deeming of dissidents in the Soviet Union as mentally ill to justify their detention and punishment.
Tag: Columbia University
The Donald Trump administration is offering no good reason to deport Mahmoud Khalil, who was involved in protests at Columbia University in New York City related to the Israel government and to United States government support for that government. He is not charged with a crime of violence or fraud. He is just singled out for advancing communication that challenged US foreign policy — exercising rights listed in the First Amendment of the US Constitution.
“A Hotbed for Hate: A Comprehensive Dossier of Antisemitism at Columbia University and Barnard College Since the 2016-2017 Academic Year.” This title of a new report by Alums for Campus Fairness makes it sound like antisemitism is widespread and intense at the two New York City educational institutions. That message is amplified in this second sentence of the report: “These campuses are arguably the most prominent settings for university-based antisemitism in the United States.”
However, reading through the report, you find that most the incidents presented as antisemitic activities are something else altogether — activities critical of the Israel government.