In this episode of Conversations with Peter Boghossian, Peter speaks with Dr. Howland who traces how historical atrocities resurface in today’s progressive rhetoric. From the psychology behind Nazi youth and post-Holocaust Europe to the ideological alignment between liberal activism and Jew hating narratives, the discussion spans generations of hatred cloaked in “righteous” causes. 

Jake shares how witnessing the wreckage of post-Soviet Eastern Europe - marked by crumbling infrastructure, cultural amnesia, and the lingering shadows of totalitarianism - shaped the course of his scholarly life. His experience serves as a sobering prelude to today’s rise in Jew hatred. Their conversation culminates in insights about scapegoating, identity politics, and moral confusion. Peter draws out Jake's insights about victimhood culture, the legacy media’s complicity, and the dangers of ignoring history’s warnings. What happens when critical thinking is replaced by propagandistic slogans  and moral clarity is abandoned for righteous activism? We know the answer. Nothing good.

Howland reminds us that confronting these challenges demands honesty and intellectual rigor, not obsequiousness and ideological surrender. At UATX, Howland and colleagues are doing just this by equipping students to think clearly, carefully, and critically and to be forthright in their speech. Peter and Jake understand that the stakes —freedom and humanity—are too high to ignore.

Guest: Jake Howland, Ph.D., Author, Holocaust Scholar, Provost at UATX Find Jake Howland Online: www.uaustin.org/people/jacob-howland Jake Howland LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-howland-7565938/