SOURCE: Z
::: Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth:::
SOURCE: Z
On June 14, President
Donald Trump held a military parade to mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S.
Army. The Parade also marked Flag Day, and his 79th birthday. The symbolism is
undeniable. Critics have noted that the parade’s unmistakably authoritarian
flavor evokes Soviet
theatrics more than democratic celebration, and accuse
Trump of acting more like a monarch than a president.
Today, scholars from more than 30 countries,
including 28 Nobel Laureates, are taking on the similar risks by signing a
modern version of this letter which offers a similar warning: The signs of
authoritarianism, and its more militaristic sibling fascism, are here.
This
is not hyperbole. We are once again witnessing the coordinated rise of
authoritarian forces in global democracies. According to the V-Dem Institute’s
2025 Democracy Report, 72% of the world’s population now live
under autocratic rule—nearly 3 out of 4 people.
The
world is lurching toward autocracy, with alarming speed. And this trend is not
just occurring in the United States. Israel—long described as the only democracy in
the Middle East—has recently seized humanitarian flotillas in international
waters. Palestinians in Gaza are being bombed, displaced, and
starved. In Hungary, freedom of the press and civil rights
have been fundamentally denied for years. In India, religious minorities are experiencing
rising violence and a sustained clampdown on dissent under Prime Minister
Narendra Modi. In El Salvador, President Nayib Bukele is defying
constitutional, political, and legal constraints. And in Turkey, President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan is
“purging the judiciary, cracking down on the media, and jailing political
opponents.”
Across the U.S., masked officers are
conducting immigration raids, detaining people of color in churches and workplaces. Protesters for migrants’ rights in Los
Angeles were met with Marines and National Guard troops. These scenes bear
disturbing similarities to those from a century ago, and they should alarm us
all.
History offers a powerful warning
In 1925, when
Mussolini was solidifying his power grip on Italy, the philosopher Benedetto
Croce authored the Letter of the Anti-Fascist Intellectuals, signed
by cultural figures such as Luigi Einaudi, and Eugenio Montale. By then, it was
already dangerous to dissent publicly. Yet Croce and his peers knew that
silence in the face of tyranny is not prudence. It is surrender.
As Italian citizens, we feel the responsibility of that legacy.
Italy, which has yet to fully reckon with its fascist past, has served and
continues to serve as a laboratory for the far right. That history compels us
to speak up. So we wrote A Renewed Open Letter Against the Return of Fascism. In
one month, it has been signed by more than 400 scholars who understand that
being silent is to be complicit.
The
letter emerged as a response to the events of early 2025, when multiple
authoritarian tactics were brutally deployed in the U.S. and beyond in a “flood the zone” approach, designed to
overwhelm resistance. Prestigious universities, law firms, trade unions, and even
elements of the political opposition capitulated or sought accommodation with power. Many
clung to the illusion that silence might spare them.
But we
must reject the false promise of compromise. The pulsion of authoritarianism is
to accumulate power, not to come to terms with the opposition. Ultimately,
complying leads to complicity.
We must not sleepwalk towards the collapse of
democracy
The over 400 scholars
who signed the letter do not agree on everything. In fact, they often debate
theories, methods, and ideologies. But they are united in their commitment to
democracy: the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary and the press, the
autonomy of scientific and cultural institutions, and the dignity of every
human being. They also agree on this: we are sleepwalking towards the collapse
of democracy.
We must convince
people of conscience that masked agents abducting civilians without due
process, the neutering of legislatures, the dismissal of international human
rights law, and the erosion of judicial independence cannot be accepted.
History teaches us that tyrants typically consolidate their power by mocking
intellectuals. Then, they escalate through violence.
However, we are
optimistic that once we acknowledge the signs of fascism, we can defeat it
again.
Silence does not
always stem from ignorance. Often, it grows from fear: of repression, of losing
status, of standing alone. And beneath that fear lies a corrosive belief that
resistance is futile. That we are outnumbered. That we cannot win.
This is the lie that
allows authoritarianism to spread, one silenced voice at a time. But history
tells a different story. Authoritarianism can be defeated. Not by waiting it
out, but through bold and united mobilization that speaks truth to power.
When hundreds of
scholars—many who have dedicated their lives to studying the fall of
democracies—warn that fascism is returning, they are not being dramatic. They
are being precise.
We know what fascism
looks like.
We have seen it
before.
And we know we must
all act now to stop it.
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In an egregious attack on both academic freedom and Palestinian rights advocacy, Columbia University has entered into an “agreement” with Katherine Franke to leave her teaching position after an esteemed 25-year career. The move — “a termination dressed up in more palatable terms,” according to Franke’s statement — stems from her advocacy for students who speak out in support of Palestinian rights.
Her ostensible offense was a comment expressing concern about Columbia’s failure to address harassment of Palestinians and their allies by Israeli students who come to campus straight from military service — after Israeli students sprayed Palestinian rights protestors with a toxic chemical. For this, she was investigated for harassment and found to be in violation of Columbia’s policies. The actual cause of her forced departure is the crackdown on dissent at Columbia resulting from historic protests opposing Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Franke’s fate was sealed when former Columbia president Minouche Shafik threw her under the bus during her cowardly appearance before Congress.
SOURCE: Z The following message purporting to be from Liz Cheney, is a hoax. She didn’t write it. It’s an excellent and important message,...