The GW Hatchet, our award-winning student newspaper, has another interesting article this week on the establishment of a new group on campus, the Internationalist Students’ Front, an anti-fascist, anti-nationalist organization. They are advocates of internationalism, a position similar to the prior world socialist movement. The addition of such groups are a good thing for our university in bringing diverse and passionate views to our campus debates. However, it is worrisome that the first organized effort of the group is reportedly to ban a book on campus.
Sophomore Sheng Zhang explained that the group is defined by “internationalism” which “means that we stand in solidarity with every single struggle against oppression in the world.” He said that the group was founded after his effort to host an event on the Kurdish people failed due to any organization with a focus that covered such a topic. Senior Alaina Taylor adds that the group wants to advance new ideas and perspectives on historical events, including U.S. atrocities.
That is all for the good.
Then I read the first effort of the group would be book banning. The group wants Gelman Library to ban two books. Only one is referenced in the article. It is “The Alleged ‘Nanking Massacre’: Japan’s Rebuttal to China’s Forged Claims” – a book that contests the historical (and well established) allegations of Japanese atrocities in World War II.
It is a uniquely poor way to start a group on offering different perspectives of historical events by trying to prevent students and faculty from reading alternative perspectives. Like Holocaust denial, the denial of war atrocities by the far right in Japan is based on pseudo-historical analysis. It is painful for many to read such denials. However, as an academic institution, our faculty and students research such views as part of their studies and discussion. Sometimes we buy books to gain perspective of fringe or discredited views. The denial itself is a legitimate matter of study for some academics.
As we discussed with the Antifa movement, resisting oppression often seems to readily translate into barring the speech of others. It would be a far better focus for the group to work to raise their voices rather than to silence others.
On the group’s Facebook page is heavy on pictures of communist leaders and jargon but its members insist that it is not a communist organization as opposed to anti-imperialist. I would not be bothered if it were a communist organization. The issue is not ideology but tolerance of opposing views and works.
Banning books, that was a bad idea in the 30’s. I can’t see how it’s any better an idea today. Some folks just don’t learn.
I wonder if these neo-Marxists comprehend that their ideology killed far more people than any other ideology in all human history.
OT – some pre (albeit politicized) Xmas Cheer
Hmmm. JT said:
“They are advocates of internationalism, a position similar to the prior world socialist movement.
. . . the group’s Facebook page is heavy on pictures of communist leaders and jargon but its members insist that it is not a communist organization as opposed to anti-imperialist.
The addition of such groups are a good thing for our university in bringing diverse and passionate views to our campus debates.
I wonder if JT would be happy if Neo-Nazis started a little claque at GW, so that they could bring their diverse and passionate views to campus debates? And no this isn’t a Godwin’s Law thing, because IIRC the Commies and World Socialists have murdered MORE people than even the Nazis..
I wonder what sort of joy a local branch of the Kymer Rouge at GW would bring forth??? Didn’t they go around bashing in the heads of lawyers and teachers with whatever blunt instrument was a available??? And JT is both a teacher and a lawyer.
Yeah, just what GW needs – more commies.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
There is seriously something wrong with these SJWs – rejecting Enlightenment values – a cult-like devotion to censorship.
And the males in this cult debase themselves publically!
“Op-ed: Harvard student publicly confesses to discussing attractiveness of women”
“Hanrahan recounts a harrowing tale from early last school year:
During Orientation Week in August of 2016, I was out late drinking in Harvard Square with two classmates. The topic switched to the women in our class. Over the drunken hum of the bar’s collective conversation, one guy proposed the “hottest” girls in our class. The other did the same. They both then asked me to rank the girls in our cohort in the order I wanted to get with. My alarmed heart bolted blood to my cheeks. I crossed my arms, unable to speak. “Are we making you uncomfortable?” one asked me. I cannot remember my exact response. But it was not: “Yes. Objectifying women, even though it seems harmless to you, demeans them and creates an environment that makes sexual assault more likely.” Instead, I uncrossed my arms, I shook my head, and yes, I discussed which girls were hot.
Hanrahan is up-front about his moral failure to say something to his friends that night: “At the time, it was easy for me to discard my act of cowardice as inconsequential. The desire to be included made the risk of speaking up too great. During many similar ‘inconsequential’ comments at the pub and locker rooms throughout my life, I know I’ve taken the easy way out.”
“My silence lies on a continuum of complicity,” Hanrahan writes, “complicity that allows sexual assault to occur.”
Entire op-ed here: http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/39937/
No woman will date him and his father probably hangs his head in shame.
Beta Male
Darren – just occurred to me — maybe dude is using reverse psychology – a wolf in lambskin and he gets laid by female snowflakes. =)
I would bring in a ninety six year old woman from Nanking who got raped by the Japs back in WWII. Have her talk to the dumb snowflakes.
Here is what happens to real activists who helped end child labor and gave us an 8 hour day: Palmer Raids, wikipedia: “The Justice Department launched a series of raids on January 2, 1920, with follow up operations over the next few days. Smaller raids extended over the next 6 weeks. At least 3000 were arrested, and many others were held for various lengths of time. The entire enterprise replicated the November action on a larger scale, including arrests and seizures without search warrants, as well as detention in overcrowded and unsanitary holding facilities. Hoover later admitted “clear cases of brutality.”[15] The raids covered more than 30 cities and towns in 23 states, but those west of the Mississippi and south of the Ohio were “publicity gestures” designed to make the effort appear nationwide in scope.[16] Because the raids targeted entire organizations, agents arrested everyone found in organization meeting halls, not only arresting non-radical organization members but also visitors who did not belong to a target organization, and sometimes American citizens not eligible for arrest and deportation.[17]”
Somehow I don’t imagine this ever happening to this elite, class protected group of people. They seem like they would like to be the ones making the illegal arrests. I have zero respect for people like this. Activism used to mean helping those who were being hurt. Now it’s just another check mark for their resume.
Jill, excellent post. You are right – these folks are not working for positive change.
The only way I can get through the mounting craziness of these times is regular exposure to humor – an antidote =)
FWIW – this is one of the most hilarious pieces I’ve read about Liberals (aka The Resistance)
“The Year of the Headless Liberal Chicken”
https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/12/08/the-year-of-the-headless-liberal-chicken/
How about da year of da sex assault guys gettin busted? Da Weinstein, da Conyers da Spacey da T rump and many more of these bad fellas.
Autumn, that article is LOL hilarious and a must read for Isaac and Natacha, et al.
TBob – isn’t it – I had to stop reading periodically to wipe the tears of laughter away.
However, it would be wasted on the diehard libs who lack any sense of irony.
Harvard student debases himself publically – these snowflakes are insane – rating women leads to sexual assault? Betcha that moron is on FB which was created to rank women at Harvard
“Hanrahan recounts a harrowing tale from early last school year:
During Orientation Week in August of 2016, I was out late drinking in Harvard Square with two classmates. The topic switched to the women in our class. Over the drunken hum of the bar’s collective conversation, one guy proposed the “hottest” girls in our class. The other did the same. They both then asked me to rank the girls in our cohort in the order I wanted to get with. My alarmed heart bolted blood to my cheeks. I crossed my arms, unable to speak. “Are we making you uncomfortable?” one asked me. I cannot remember my exact response. But it was not: “Yes. Objectifying women, even though it seems harmless to you, demeans them and creates an environment that makes sexual assault more likely.” Instead, I uncrossed my arms, I shook my head, and yes, I discussed which girls were hot.
Hanrahan is up-front about his moral failure to say something to his friends that night: “At the time, it was easy for me to discard my act of cowardice as inconsequential. The desire to be included made the risk of speaking up too great. During many similar ‘inconsequential’ comments at the pub and locker rooms throughout my life, I know I’ve taken the easy way out.”
“My silence lies on a continuum of complicity,” Hanrahan writes, “complicity that allows sexual assault to occur.”
http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/39937/
Autumn – there is a new study that says calling snowflakes snowflakes depresses them. I think we are making progress. 🙂
Paul – great news – maybe they will have themselves committed en masse =) Exposure to Styxx or H@rd B@stard, etc might hasten the breakdowns…
Autumn – maybe if we can get them on anti-anxiety drugs they will calm down some. 😉 Then they will realize that everything is not a trigger. God, I am so glad I am not in college now, I would be setting off fire alarms all across campus. 🙂
Autumn,
I read this also. It was hilarious! I’m glad you posted it here!
Jill, Glad you enjoyed it!
I came across it on Assange’s twitter. Went to the authors site, read some more and promptly subscribed to his blog. = 0
From the article:
[GW Senior Alaina] Taylor said she hopes the organization can begin to change attitudes on campus away from the dominant U.S.-centric narrative on events like the Iraq War.
“A lot of people understand that people in their government will do bad things to them, but a lot of the time they don’t extend that to fully understand the scope and full scope of what the U.S. government is willing to do to people abroad,” she said.
*********************
Kids say the darnedest things. Maybe, she could also squeeze into her little manifesto what the US government is willing to do 𝒇𝒐𝒓 people abroad. You know, for like balance, you know, and avoiding awks like being called a h8ter! Skurt, dudes.
If you are against oppression, don’t engage in it. Stopping free speech and freedom of thought is one of the necessary conditions of oppression.
Stand in the breech. Analysis is important but take a real risk with it and your life. Go up against the unjust powerful with your speech and your actions. Don’t ape them by being one very fine little Nazi yourself!
This group sounds like a jobs program to me. That’s a real shame because there is so much injustice in the world. We need people who will help out, not just get a job by scoring points with certain types of employers, usually employers who help make the world unjust.
I don’t see how it is “a good thing” to add idiotic views to a campus. They should not be prevented, of course, 1st am and all … but to say it is a good thing is misguided … it is essentially calling for miseducation.
The issue is not ideology but tolerance of opposing views and works.
That is an absurd statement. Their lack of tolerance of opposing views and works is rooted in their ideology.
What Olly said.
What Nick said that Olly said…
The Irony is not lost to us.
Turley posts about one small group of people located at a single institution while 200 of the foremost pioneers, engineers and technologists of the internet plead with the Senate to stop Trump’s team from acting on a “factually inaccurate” report by the FCC Chair. The Chair, Ajit Pai, who is described by critics as Verizon’s puppet has called for a vote ending net neutrality on Thursday without allowing any opportunity for public comment.
The oligarchy shores up its power while attention is deflected to side issues. It’s no surprise that tech monopolists didn’t sign the letter exposing the FCC report’s flaws.
Please list all of the historical damage done by a lack of net neutrality over decades of the WWW’s existence.
Negative consequences and the fallacies in Pai’s arguments are spelled out in the letter written by the Web’s inventors. If you, goodbeavis, like me, have far less knowledge than the letter writers, our musings take a far distant seat to the projections of the letter writers. But, I understand Trump supporters dismiss knowledge as fake.
Armenian Holocaust deniers are akin to JFK assassination conspiracy deniers, 9/11 Truth deniers, USS Liberty truth deniers, MLK assassination truth deniers etc.
Who is actually controlling this new GW group? Is it part of a deep state intelligence operation?
The banning of books is never a good idea. The banning of books by a group that claims it is working against “oppression” is ludicrous, ignorant and dangerous.
A literary antifa-da? If the ending could not be so dangerous the beginning could be taken as ludicrous. JI take it there are no campus advisers or….. in any case students by defintions are there to learn, then go out in the world and gain experience but until then should be seen and better still not heard.
War crimes are often over-blown by the end of the war. The winners pile on the losers and Nanking is one of those instances. I would love to see their defense. They have been saying this since the end of the war.
One only has to remember the fake Kuwaiti who reported on the Iraqis kicking babies out of incubators, etc. And then it turns out she was the daughter of the Ambassador and had been in the US the whole time. There are plenty of atrocities that go on. Nanking has always been iffy for me. The Chinese were certainly not to be trusted on reporting about it and neither were the Japanese. Somewhere between may lie the truth.
Paul re ” I would love to see their defense.” – me too. May order the book
Autumn – hopefully, the price will drop and I can get it on Bookbub for my Kindle. 🙂
Chartered members include benson, linda, ken, and enigmainblackcom.
As I said if the ending were not so dangerous the beginning would be ludicrous. You for got the Canadian foreign exchange student Isaac Baconovich or something…