Jonathan haidt, welcome to hardtalk. Thank you so much, steve. It is a pleasure to have you here. Now, of course, your home base is new york university, across the pond in the United States. Right now, that university along with many others in the us is in ferment, with students occupying certain grounds within the university. Mm hm. Youve written a lot over many years about the intellectual atmosphere on campus in america, so i want to begin by asking you what you make of these protests. So, of course, the right to protest, were all in favour of. The key issue for me is intimidation. This is what began in 2015 a change in the nature of campus life, so that people who are making a political point are doing it not with persuasion but with intimidation. And ive done a lot of writing about how it was the arrival of social media that allowed people to intimidate others, threaten any dissenters with mob reactions. So my previous book, the coddling of the american mind, was about this strang
We begin this hour with a shake up in russias military hierarchy. Russias Defence Minister, sergei shoigu, is being removed from his post and will become the new secretary of russias security council. Hes a long standing ally of Vladimir Putin and has served as Defence Minister since 2012, Playing A Key role in russias invasion of ukraine. His replacement will be andrei belousov, an economist and the deputy Prime Minister. Earlier, our russia editor Steve Rosenberg explained that at the kremlin, reshuffles are unusual. Whoever the russian government ministers are, whoever s sitting around that cabinet table, there is one man and one man alone in russia who calls the shots, and that is Vladimir Putin. Hes the man with all the power. Having said that, a Government Reshuffle in russia is interesting, particularly when key ministers like the Defence Minister is being changed. They dont happen too often. The foreign minister, hes been in his post for 20 years. Mr shoigu, he has been Defence
And they dehumanise people like that. Across the road, a very different tune. Siren records is the local mecca for those searching for rare vinyl. Ask them about politics in here and manager heidi kaye will tell you that america failed to deal properly with the January 6th Riots and that trump cant be allowed a comeback. We dont need more division. We just need to get on with the business of the country. And im done, personally, with the novelty of trump, and thats putting it lightly. One concern is that trump is going to win and this country will be under a virtual dictatorship for at least the next four years. The other concern is biden will win and there will be another revolt, some sort of january 6th part two. Of course, donald trump has always been a politically divisive figure, and with the trial under way at the moment, thats just become accentuated. And in a town like doylestown, you really feel that. As if to emphasise the rifts, doylestown s cinema is showing the new film ci
Celebrations broke out in gaza as news of the potential breakthrough reached palestinians. But earlier in the day civilians in Eastern Rafah began to flee after the Israeli Military dropped leaflets warning them to evacuate ahead of a limited Ground Operation against hamas. 100,000 refugees have been told to move to what israel is calling an expanded humanitarian zone near khan younis, but gazans say the area is already overcrowded. Jordans King Abdullah ii is in the us on a state visit. In a meeting at the white house on monday, jordanian Officials Say the king told President Joe Biden a Ground Invasion into rafah would lead to a new massacre and risk spilling over into the wider region. In new york the un Sectetary General Antonio Guterres told reporters that Israel Invading Rafah would be intolerable. Our special correspondent fergal keane has more details. They havent had reason to dance for a long time. But they havent forgotten how. Even amid uncertainty about israels position, h
In the us is in ferment, with students occupying certain grounds within the university. Mm hm. Youve written a lot over many years about the intellectual atmosphere on campus in america, so i want to begin by asking you what you make of these protests. So, of course, the right to protest, were all in favour of. The key issue for me is intimidation. This is what began in 2015 a change in the nature of campus life, so that people who are making a political point are doing it not with persuasion but with intimidation. And ive done a lot of writing about how it was the arrival of social media that allowed people to intimidate others, threaten any dissenters with mob reactions. So my previous book, the coddling of the american mind, was about this strange, new and really kind of frightening morality that came to us right around 2015 it wasnt there in 2013. And so im starting this way because this is the backstory to whats happening today. Yeah, but what youve already said is important becau