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Jung & Naiv
Jung & Naiv

#795 - Philosoph Jason Stanley über Faschismus in den USA

November 27, 2025 • 3h 28m

Summary

⏱️ 12 min read

Overview

Philosophy professor Jason Stanley discusses his journey from Yale to Toronto, driven by concerns about rising fascism in America under Trump. Drawing on his family's history as German-Jewish refugees and his expertise in propaganda and fascism, Stanley analyzes the fascist characteristics of MAGA, the global far-right movement's connections, threats to democracy, and the weaponization of language. He also addresses Israel-Palestine, antisemitism accusations, and strategies for resistance.

Fleeing America: A Personal Decision with Political Implications

Jason Stanley explains his decision to leave the United States for Canada with his Black-Jewish children, citing fears about Trump's regime and concerns about their safety. He discusses the deep connections between MAGA and Germany's AfD, including shared rhetoric like "remigration." Stanley emphasizes that his move wasn't simply fleeing but rather establishing a base in Toronto to build an institute for journalists and activists fighting global fascism.

  • Stanley left the US for Canada with his children due to Trump, choosing Canada over Germany because of AfD's rise
  • He sees dangerous connections between Trump/Vance and AfD, with terms like 'remigration' appearing in US government language
  • Over 70% of Toronto residents come from elsewhere, making it a multiracial democracy with universal healthcare
  • Stanley, Timothy Snyder, and Marcy Shore are building an institute in Toronto for journalists and activists from democratically backsliding countries
" Ich habe mehr Angst vor AfD als ich vor Trump habe. "
" Wenn es ein 10% Chance gibt, dass sie Regime-Kritiker wie am Fernsehen anfangen anzugreifen, warum sollte ich nicht sicher sein? "
" Wenn man nach Kanada geht und einfach emiratierst und einfach mit deiner Familie rumhängst, dann solltest du kritisiert sein. Aber was das bedeutet, hängt davon ab, was du in Kanada machst. "

Germany's Incomplete Reckoning and AfD's Threat

Stanley argues that despite Germany's reputation as world champion of Vergangenheitsbewältigung (working through the past), the process was incomplete. Nazi-era professors retained positions, wealth from Jewish dispossession was never returned, and now AfD attacks the very historical memory that supposedly defined postwar Germany. He expresses more fear of AfD than Trump for his Black-Jewish children, seeing dangerous continuities with the past.

  • After WWII, the same professors who didn't resist Nazis kept their positions, unlike the complete faculty purge after GDR reunification
  • Wealth obtained through Nazi Party membership and Jewish dispossession was never confiscated, creating lasting inequality
  • 54% of Germans support either AfD or CDU, and Merz uses AfD rhetoric about daughters and threats
  • AfD attacks Holocaust memory itself—when they say Germany shouldn't talk about it anymore, that's an attack on Jewish history
" Deutschland ist groß wegen der Aufklärung und Blut und Boden, Bürgertum. Da frag ich mich natürlich... Wenn man diese Ideen der Faschisten ernst nimmt... dann sollte doch nach deren Logik quasi Deutschland auch kulturell führend sein in der Welt. Wissenschaftlich führend sein in der Welt. Und trotzdem mit ihrer Politik, mit ihrem Rassismus, Antisemitismus, mit ihrer Zerstörungswut schaffen sie das Gegenteil. "
" Immer wenn ich hierher komme, wird es gesagt, wir haben schon darüber gesprochen. Auch unter Leuten, die meine Politik teilen. Wir wissen das alles, das ist schon. "
" Wenn man diese Geschichte angreift, wenn man sagt, wir sollen nicht mehr darüber reden, das ist ein Angriff auf jüdische Geschichte. "

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