The Brian Lehrer Show Fighting Fascism with Education
Sep 26, 2025
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers and author of Why Fascists Fear Teachers, dives into the pivotal role education plays in safeguarding democracy. She discusses the widespread misunderstandings of fascism and authoritarianism, arguing for the importance of teaching their histories. Randi highlights how teachers cultivate critical thinking to resist authoritarianism and addresses the tactics used against public schools. She also offers strategies for discussing controversial topics in classrooms and reflects on her departure from the DNC to advocate for working-class issues.
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Fascistic Behaviors Versus Labels
- Weingarten uses 'fascistic behaviors' to describe consolidation of power and dehumanization of 'others' rather than naming individuals fascists.
- She links oligarchy, inequality, and nostalgic myth-making as components that enable authoritarianism.
Norwegian Teachers' Quiet Resistance
- Weingarten recounts Norwegian teachers wearing paperclips and teaching secretly under Nazi occupation to resist dehumanization.
- She emphasizes teachers preserved community and continued instruction despite arrests and beatings.
Critical Thinking Threatens Authoritarianism
- Authoritarians fear critical thinking because it undermines control; Putin reportedly said 'wars are won by teachers.'
- Schools build pluralistic communities where students learn to understand differences, not just tolerate them.
