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Omer Golan Joel's avatar

Once the New Left abandoned class politics and fell into the trap of identity politics, it also abandoned all Enlightenment values in favor of medieval barbarity. Instead, it built its own religion, with its own saint, sinners, confessions, and self-flagellation. As those deemed "oppressed" by the "right people" (fashionable "academics") are viewed as perfectly virtuous, Palestinian terrorists became new saints to this new religion. Of course, as in most such faiths, Jews became the scapegoats...

I stick to my Old Left values, as set forth by the Enlightenment: universalism, humanism, and the adamant support of human autonomy, alongside loyalty to the working class. This is likely to make me a "conservative" nowadays, and if so - I will bear that title with no shame.

(Needless to say, the rotten New Left's abandonment and vilification of the majority of the US working class, which is composed mostly of White and Hispanic "cis" people, half of whom are men, enthroned Trump this week)

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Jill's avatar

There is no more "old left." Those values are gone - or at the very least are not being practiced by enough people to make it a current movement.

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Omer Golan Joel's avatar

Yes, that's why those sticking to such views, such as myself, are now considered "conservatives". Let us carry this title with pride if to be "progressive" means joining a cult nowadays.

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Jill's avatar

Conservatives? Us? Never!

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Omer Golan Joel's avatar

This is how our positions are often called nowadays. Many so-called "progressives" will probably call you a "conservative" as well.

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Jill's avatar

Those dummies can call us whatever they want. Fuck em

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Rauvan M Averick's avatar

I would love to see Einat Wilf register for this course.

I bet she’d get an A+.

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Jill's avatar

Oh man, that would be hilarious!!! đŸ¤£

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Kerry Sweet's avatar

A liberal university gets too liberal for its liberal alumni. Who’d a thought?

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Jill's avatar

I know right?!

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Noah Otte's avatar

A most enlightening article, Jill! I’m not surprised at all that Columbia University would employ a foaming at the mouth bigot like Dr. Joseph Massad given how rampant antisemitism is in the Ivy League. Just as it would make no sense and would be appalling to have a professor who was a KKK member or Neo-Nazi teach a course on black history, it is equally so with an antisemite and Israel hater like Dr. Joseph Massad. His course will be mere propaganda nothing more. Make no mistake, he teaches hate. The course you took at Columbia warts and all, was so much better and actually took a fair look at the subject. Antizionism at the end of the day absolutely is antisemitism. Is the former always a cover for the latter? No. But it often is! We all know why Dr. Massad approached that Israeli student and asked him how many Palestinians he killed. It was a veiled version of the age old antisemitic trope, the blood libel. Would he do the same if the student was a gentile? No, absolutely not! I’m so sorry you’ve lost your pride in your alma mater. But I completely understand why! I call on Columbia to do what they should’ve done 30 years ago and fire Dr. Massad for his position. Instead let’s have an actual course on the history of Zionism and Israel featuring a diverse set of writers that discusses Israel’s history as a nation warts and all. In the spirit of creating peace and dialogue, I believe the course should also include the Palestinian perspective and you could have a Palestinian guest speaker come in and talk about how they view Zionism and their experiences in the Nakba. This would be used to start dialogue and spark cultural understanding. That way, everyone has their voice heard and all perspectives are integrated. Instead of you know, the hateful, one-sided garbage Dr. Massad is spewing.

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Jill's avatar

đŸ’¯

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Not so young anymore.'s avatar

Wow this is such a great point how could this even be happening. Columbia is just rotten to the core. Can’t be saved

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Jill's avatar

I'm slowly coming to that same realization.

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Not so young anymore.'s avatar

I mean the antisemitism seems systemic. Built in. Shows up everywhere.

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Jill's avatar

Yes and my point in bringing up the past (20 years ago) is that all of it was always built in there, it's just expressing itself in different ways at different times.

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Christopher Messina's avatar

"I once proudly called this university my alma mater. Now, I feel entitled to a gift card of some kind to compensate for the devaluation of my degree."

Jill, might I suggest the reason for the devaluation of your degree is rampant Leftism. The liberal hive mind is what has produced this evil. It is hard to find out the people you thought you agreed with turn out to hate you irretrievably.

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Jill's avatar

Totally. Maybe I should have gotten my degree from Liberty University instead.

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Christopher Messina's avatar

Now that’s just the snarky bitterness talking.

I myself am annoyed the University of Chicago did not beat Hamas lovers faces into the pavement and have suspended my alumni donations.

The rot is the same and it comes from decades of neo-Marxism.

I know the betrayal is painful. It’ll be OK. Trump won. He has a great team around him.

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Jaafar SABNW's avatar

BLM and Black Culture was invented and promoted by a small group of Jews.

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Jen's avatar

Wow!! Crazy times

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Robert street's avatar

Well, why not record his lectures and display here or on X and invite a debate. If no one is prepared to support his views,whatever they are, appoint someone to defend his views.

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Jill's avatar

He should absolutely make those public. I doubt he's going to, though. It's an in-person course with no stated online option.

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