Dr. Paul Gottfried’s Talk on Nazi Germany

November 02, 2017 by Enquiry Editor in Volume V Issue 8, Allison Zuckerman

Amid peaceful protests, Dr. Paul Gottfried discussed his book Fascism: The Career of a Concept last week with Professor Alfred Kelly’s “Nazi Germany” class and interested guests. Gottfried introduced his lecture with brief commentary about both liberals’ and conservatives’ use of the label “fascist” to condemn either side of the political spectrum. According to Gottfried, the use of “fascism” as a label for any movement that is not derivative of Benito Mussolini’s Italian fascist movement is simply inaccurate.

The Immortality of Wilfred Owen

November 02, 2017 by Enquiry Editor in Volume V Issue 8, Claire Anastasia Kitz, Review

Few literary commentators would dispute that Wilfred Owen was one of the greatest war poets of the last hundred years. He wrote from personal experience as a British soldier in World War I. Surprisingly, these poems were written in just over a year, and of those he fought with, few knew he had such a gift.

The First African-American Communist

October 29, 2017 by Enquiry Editor in Volume V Issue 7, Mary Grabar, Guest Contributor

Hamilton College is acknowledging the hundredth anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution with displays of crimson banners, books from International Publishers (a Communist organization), and visages of Lenin in the library.

Austrians and Czechs Move Europe Right

October 29, 2017 by Enquiry Editor in Volume V Issue 7, Steven Falco

This month, Austria and the Czech Republic held general elections. The results in both countries represent the latest step in right-wing populism’s march through Europe. On October 15, Austrians voted for Sebastian Kurz, a 31-year-old ex-foreign minister and head of the center-right OVP (Austrian People’s Party), to be their next chancellor. After his appointment to the OVP’s top spot last May, Kurz revitalized his stagnant and floundering party, bringing it from a dismal 20 percent support to 31.5 percent in the election. Discussion of migration dominated the campaign. Kurz capitalized on popular concerns about this issue, promising to close the Mediterranean Route, a major path African migrants take to reach Europe, and arguing that “on a European level we need to fight hard to put a stop to immigration.” Interestingly, the OVP’s embrace of nationalism did not prevent the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) from gaining ground; the FPO also climbed 5% to 26%, finishing just behind the second-place Social Democrats.

Call Them Idiots

October 23, 2017 by Enquiry Editor in Volume V Issue 6, Sam Benevelli

On Tuesday, October 3, the Office of the President and the Government Department hosted “Free Speech on Campus,”a panel discussion. Following opening remarks from President Wippman about the role of free speech and the First Amendment at Hamilton, Professor Rob Martin introduced the panelists.

Campus Safe Spaces

October 23, 2017 by Enquiry Editor in Volume V Issue 6, Julia Depuis

Last month, Attorney General Jeff Sessions set off controversy with his address to Georgetown University law students warning that free speech is under attack on college campuses. He lamented the loss of “academic freedom” and criticized universities for creating a “shelter for fragile egos.”