250 - Norman Finkelstein: Trump, Israel, Gaza, and the Criminalization of Dissent

Norman Finkelstein received his PhD from the Princeton University Politics Department, and is best known for his research on Israel and Palestine.  Norman also appeared on episodes 192, 218, 228, and 244, where he addressed the facts and fictions generated by the Israel-Hamas War, October 6th, allegations of genocide and apartheid, Hezbollah, the Holocaust, and more. In this episode, Robinson and Norman discuss Trump, the current state of Gaza, the fate of Palestine, wokeness, Bernies Sanders, Chuck Schumer, antisemitism, free speech, and other topics. Norman’s most recent book is I’ll Burn That Bridge When I Get to It! Heretical Thoughts on Identity Politics, Cancel Culture, and Academic Freedom (Sublation Media, 2023). Norman’s Website: https://www.normanfinkelstein.com OUTLINE 00:01:11 Norman’s Predictions for the War 00:10:12 Trump and the End of the Ceasefire 00:14:29 Why Didn’t The Democrats Strike a Ceasefire in Israel? 00:25:50 A Jeremy Corbin Witch Hunt? 00:29:52 On Wokeness and DEI 00:54:01 Bernie Sanders and the Working Class 00:57:16 Bernie Sanders, Chuck Schumer, and Anti-Semitism 01:04:17 Is Trump a Slave to Money, Power, and Putin? 01:11:02 Is Chuck Schumer’s Definition of Anti-Semitism Terrible? 01:19:52 Free Speech and Academia 01:24:34 How Norman Feels About Being Academically Canceled 01:27:45 On Noam Chomsky’s Deceptiveness 01:29:42 More on the Cancelation 01:34:13 How Should We Define Anti-Semitism? 01:43:45 What Should We Do With Holocaust Deniers? 01:47:14 On W.E.B Du Bois 01:58:31 On Race and IQ 02:01:35 Suppression of Free Speech 02:09:02 How to Prevent Another Holocaust 02:18:18 Chuck Schumer is Wrong About Media Echo Chambers 02:22:01 How to Fight Violent Hate 02:35:58 On Chuck Schumer’s Backstory and the Holocaust 02:40:05 Cleaning the Augean Stables of Gaza Scholarship 02:46:21 What Changed on October 7th 02:48:59 Gaza Is Already Rubble: What’s Next?