US Universities Use Counterterror Tools for Free Speech
When the State Department (and Congress, fueled by groups like AIPAC, which poured $11.7 million into federal spending in 2023 alone) frames Palestine solidarity as 'terrorism,' it’s hardly surprising that universities adopt the same playbook. These fusion centers, post-9/11 relics designed to share intelligence on actual threats, are now apparently concerned with signs and chants. One might
wonder if the same level of granular surveillance was applied to, say, fraternity hazing or rampant sexual assault on campus, or if this particular scrutiny is reserved for inconvenient political speech. This isn't about campus safety; it’s about silencing dissent. Universities are essentially deputizing themselves into the anti-free speech brigade, ensuring that the next generation understands
exactly whose voices are permitted and whose are placed on a watchlist. After all, what’s a little domestic surveillance when you’re safeguarding the sanctity of quarterly endowments and geopolitical narratives?