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Why a professor of fascism left the US: ‘The lesson of 1933 is – you get out’
(www.theguardian.com)
this post was submitted on 16 Jun 2025
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Lol, you think this is going to end with just calmly standing in a crowd?
Statistically if the crowd is big enough it should end. But I kinda think if Trump kicks the bucket or lets Steven Miller have any more power, that getting out with my family will be necessary.
Probably not, but that's the most that's been asked of this lady so far and she couldn't even muster the courage to do that. Running away before you make any attempt to fight for all the people who made you who you are is some weak shit.
Lol she's an academic who has undoubtedly contributed to the body of historical knowledge on the this topic and has written this article which will reach tens of thousands of people, but you're calling her a coward who won't help fight fascism.... What have you done, exactly?
You're right, I should move to Canada and tell you guys how to do stuff that I'm too afraid to do myself. That's the most helpful thing that I could do.
You sound naive. She studies dictators and she grew up in a neighbourhood of holocaust survivors. Teachers and their students are already being taken by ICE and it may become harder for targeted groups to find safety. This is not a question of "standing in a crowd".
I know what the situation is. Run away then if that's your plan, see how that works out for everybody else. But then, if you're the kind of person who would run then you never cared much for them to be begin with, or at least your care didn't translate into meaningful action on their behalf which is the same thing from a functional perspective.
Again, being aware of your own limitations and doing what you can is preferable to faking it, and falling apart when it counts.
Not everyone can be a super tough guy like you surely are.
It's not about being tough physically it's about deciding not to run away. I've seen pictures of 100 year old men, blind people, and folks in wheelchairs at these protests. If they can do it then an able bodied middle aged woman can too. She's choosing not to because she's afraid and that is the definition of cowardice whether you like it or not.
She has children. It's interesting that if you thought a full on dictators/ death camp regime was coming (as she does) you would either abandon your children or put them in harm's way, but judging other people for making a different choice does not make you seem all that righteous.
No one else in America has kids huh? Her kids are the only ones that matter in this equation. Get the fuck out of here with that GOP "but think of the children" logic
I notice you not saying you have kids.
Let me know in a few years when you understand, because all your "fuck saving your own kids from the fascists, you should be in the street not on the news living out history lessons" bravado is a real tell for "I have absolutely no idea what it's like to have kids".
Your extreme lack of empathy and insistence on everyone doing it your way makes me surprised you aren't a conservative yourself.
I have two kids but that doesn't make any difference. You don't need to have kids to understand that running away from fascists doesn't work. Being a parent doesn't change any of the facts on the ground. If anything it makes adopting my point of view more urgent.
You're making an emotional appeal to our natural instinct for survival. Well, history tells us that the longer we wait and the fewer of us stand and fight the harder it will be to win so how does your admonition to empathize with this woman help increase the chance that my kids will survive? The answer is that it doesn't. Every person that leaves makes it that much more likely that I'll have to be one of the people to die fighting fascism in America or that my kids will be casualties in that war. Instead of asking me to empathize with her why aren't you asking her to empathize with the people who can't leave? Those are the people I have empathy for. Not some privileged academic who didn't even stick around long enough to hold up a sign at a protest.
You're jumping through an awful lot of hoops to try and paint obviously cowardly behavior as something else. My question is why? I'm the one advocating that we should all fight for those of us who can't fight for themselves. This lady could fight but chose not to because she was afraid of what might happen to her and her family. Which one of those attitudes do you think is more necessary right now? Which one of us would you rather have in your local community? You may not like the blunt nature of my comments but in case you haven't noticed we're well past the point that polite conversation is part of the required solution. I certainly don't know everything but I do know that this lady isn't going to show up when shit hits the fan in your town, but someone like me might. Maybe you should spend some time thinking about that fact.
With her particular specialty and the attacks on education, I would put her in the grouping of likely to be targeted. Once that happens, it is probably too late to leave.
As far as going to protests, I've seen those pics too and they are truly inspiring to see! I have imagined that all have a support system, though I could be wrong. I'm currently unable to stand or walk for long periods and hoping I am able to fully recover. Until then, Im in a state we moved to as adults, haven't made any real local friends, don't have kids or other family in the area, work different hours in a different city than my S.O. We are also in a red county in a red state that posts in our neighborhood sites freely, about being violent to any non-magas. I.e., running into the protesters with lifted trucks, doing drive-bys of their 2a rights, and get cheered on from the others on there. I had to go far from home to one of our big cities to attempt to protest for a little bit just so I could feel safer with a crowd. Luckily I am still able to drive or even that wouldn't have been possible.
She is speaking up and bringing her expertise to those who can put the information to more strategic use. I will take all the help we can get.
Eh, my 78 year old aunt who uses two canes to get around because she refuses to use a walker has been to a few different protests this year in the deep red state of West Virginia. I get what you’re saying about limitations and maybe we’ll reach that point sooner or later but I don’t think we’re at the run away to save yourself part yet unless you’re an immigrant or trans.
I also understand wanting to get out before shit goes sideways but again, I don’t think we’re there yet. Maybe I’m wrong but I hope not.