Summary
Highlights
Allison McFarland, Director of the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs at UBC, welcomes the audience and acknowledges the traditional, ancestral, and unseated land of the Musquam people. She thanks the Lind family for their support of the Lind initiative, which hosts public conversations on pressing political and social questions, fostering open inquiry and critical examination of diverse perspectives.
Dr. Nojang Katami, an assistant professor of political science and a UBC alumnus, is introduced as the moderator. His research focuses on democratic theory, resistance, and revolution. The featured guest speaker, Hassan, a prominent political commentator and widely followed Twitch creator, is introduced for his unique blend of commentary, activism, and community building, and his perspective shaped by experiences with democratic backsliding in Turkey and the United States.
The speaker, Hassan, humorously expresses his unpreparedness for a 15-minute speech. He then launches into a critique of American dominance, asserting that 'America bad' is a lesson many Canadians, excluding Albertans, have learned, viewing the U.S. as a parasitic force. He praises Canadians' value of dignity and sovereignty, contrasting it with American foreign policy.
Hassan argues that the liberal international order is collapsing, attributing it not solely to Donald Trump but to systemic issues. He highlights that developing nations have long experienced American domination and bloodshed. He discusses how America's appetite for instability now targets 'middle powers' like the EU and Canada, caught between American hegemony and the rise of regional powers like Russia and China. He advocates for these middle powers to develop their own sovereignty.
The speaker asserts that the destruction of international agreements by the U.S. signals a critical juncture. He urges the masses, especially workers, to organize and develop sovereignty in their workplaces and universities to preserve national sovereignty and make it costly for the U.S. to continue its global domination. He cites the example of Minneapolis, where community organization led to a retreat of ICE occupation, demonstrating the power of peaceful resistance against fascism and oppression stemming from imperialistic destabilization.