If none of us is prepared to die for freedom, then all of us will die under tyranny. Timothy Snyder

This may seem rich coming from me, the person who’s trying to move to Spain before flu season starts. I never said I was brave, and I wouldn’t criticize anyone else for not being brave. Well, not any other sub-billionaire individual. Columbia University, on the other hand, has earned my heartiest disdain.

As you probably know by now, when threatened with removal of an amount of money corresponding to 1/40 of its $16 billion endowment, Columbia threw its students, innocent civilians in Gaza, and its integrity under the bus.

In response to threats from the administration, Columbia has said it will allow campus police to arrest students who protest. Since the protesters are opposed to the resumption of the not-quite-completed genocide in Gaza, the clear implication is that Columbia doesn’t think the murder of Gazan children is a suitable cause for the constitutionally-protected right to protest, and certainly not as imperative as continuing the university’s full funding.

One of the scientists working at the University spoke up to agree with the decision, saying the University simply couldn’t continue to operate without money. $15,600,000,000 is a looooooooong way from being without money. I would not be surprised if Columbia were a much richer target than the watchdog- and inspector-laden, process- and law-following federal government for finding examples of that elusive triplet of tricksters, Wastrel, Fraudster, and Abussy.

It isn’t even as if Columbia will now get its money restored and return to copacetic cluelessness. The administration has made it clear that Columbia has been Very Naughty, and while this capitulation is a step in the right direction, there are still many Improvements to be made.

For some reason, Columbia is considered a leader, so expect the rest of the Ivy League to also adopt the slogan, Capitulate Early and Often! The poorer universities probably won’t be too far behind.

If I had had any doubts about deciding to leave the country, they have been obliterated by the incredible level of bending of the knee by every person and entity who one would have thought had the resources to Resist, Dismiss, or even Lead by Example. Most of our leaders in Congress, on both sides of the aisle, are either colluding or accommodating, especially the older, more powerful ones. So many corporations, gigantic worldwide corporations, are throwing years of policies that have worked for them and their customers out the window at the merest hint of the carrot-top’s displeasure.

Then there are the tech billionaires who have gone from Bros to Babies, a shortish but evil slide, in a historical hot second: Zuckerberg, Bezos, Pichai, Musk, Cook, and Chew. I usually try to keep the crudity level at simmer or below in these blogs, but every time I see a picture of one of these jerks I mentally replace it with a more accurate picture of him on his knees licking the President-Elect’s ass.

Shoutout to Bill Gates and Warren Buffet for bucking the trend!

So, my fellow Americans, no leaders are going to help us, just as none is helping green card holder and Columbia graduate Mahmoud Khalil. And although we can protest our own asses off, the juggernaut has been launched. I’m going to try to dodge it before it explodes my house.