Never depend upon institutions or government to solve any problem. All social movements are founded by, guided by, motivated and seen through by the passion of individuals. Margaret Mead
During the research phase of my book The Tall Poppy Syndrome – The Joy of Cutting Others Down I noted that movements, politics, and the press were considerable cutters in TPS. One of my blogs included all three in one case study (see James Bennet, The New York Times editorial-page chief, Becomes a Victim of the Tall Poppy Syndrome (TPS). Movements, Politics, and the Press as cutters). Another thing I noticed about movements was that they had a specific target for toppling but caused a lot of collateral damage.
Social movements are collective, organized efforts by individuals or organizations to address political or social issues. The primary focus is to create social change or resist parts of the society, focusing on issues like human rights, the environment, and political reforms. Common methods employ protests, demonstrations, strikes, and lobbying to achieve their goals.
The Women’s Suffrage Movement began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and campaigned to secure voting rights for women. Pioneers like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton led the fight in the United States, resulting in the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which granted women the right to vote. This movement laid the foundation for broader struggles for gender equality.
The Labor Movement, which gained momentum in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, fought for workers’ rights, better working conditions, and fair wages. This movement led to the formation of labor unions and resulted in significant improvements in workplace safety, the establishment of minimum wage laws, and the reduction of working hours.
The Civil Rights Movement in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s sought to end racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans. Led by figures like Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X, this movement fought for equal rights and opportunities for Black Americans. Key events included the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the March on Washington. The movement culminated in landmark legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
The modern Environmental Movement emerged in the 1960s and 1970s, focusing on pollution, conservation, and climate change. It led to organizations like Greenpeace and the passage of landmark legislation such as the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act in the United States. Rachel Carson was in my book chapter “Tall Poppy Hall of Fame” as a champion of the movement and a victim of TPS.
Hamas, an acronym for Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiya (Islamic Resistance Movement), was founded in 1987 during the First Intifada. It emerged as an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, with Sheikh Ahmed Yassin as its spiritual leader. Hamas was established as a resistance movement against Israeli occupation, combining Palestinian nationalism with Islamic fundamentalism.
In its early years, Hamas gained popularity among Palestinians through its social welfare programs, providing education, healthcare, and other services to communities in Gaza and the West Bank. This grassroots support helped the organization build a strong base.
Hamas adopted a militant stance against Israel, refusing to recognize its right to exist and engaging in armed resistance. The group’s military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, carried out numerous attacks against Israeli targets, including suicide bombings during the Second Intifada (2000-2005).
In 2006, Hamas participated in the Palestinian legislative elections, winning a majority of seats in the Palestinian Parliament. This victory led to tensions with the rival Fatah party, culminating in a violent conflict in 2007 that resulted in Hamas taking control of the Gaza Strip.
Since 2007, Hamas has been the de facto governing authority in Gaza. Its rule has been marked by ongoing conflicts with Israel, including several major military confrontations (2008-2009, 2012, 2014, and 2021). These conflicts have resulted in significant casualties and destruction in Gaza.
Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by several countries, including the United States and the European Union. This designation has complicated international engagement with Gaza and efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The pro-Palestinian Movement (activism) on US campuses began gaining momentum in the 1980s and 1990s, primarily focused on broader Palestinian rights and statehood issues rather than specific support for Hamas. Organizations like Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) were founded in the early 2000s to advocate for Palestinian causes.
After 9/11, there was increased scrutiny of pro-Palestinian activism on campuses, with some groups accused of supporting terrorism. The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel gained traction on many campuses during this period.
Many university administrators and critics argue that BDS, especially academic boycotts of Israeli institutions, threatens the free exchange of ideas that is fundamental to higher education. Some critics view BDS as an inherently antisemitic movement that seeks to delegitimize Israel as a Jewish state and targets Jews who support Israel’s existence.
Social media during the 2010s allowed pro-Palestinian student groups to organize more effectively and spread their message wider. There was a notable increase in campus protests and BDS resolutions at student governments nationwide.
The May 2021 Israel-Gaza conflict led to a surge in pro-Palestinian activism on campuses. The October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and subsequent war in Gaza has further intensified campus debates and protests. Some universities have suspended pro-Palestinian groups like SJP, citing concerns about support for Hamas.
Pro-Palestinian protests have spread across numerous campuses, with students calling for divestment from companies supporting Israel’s military actions. There’s an ongoing tension between free speech rights and concerns about antisemitism and support for designated terrorist organizations.
University administrations struggle to balance these competing concerns while maintaining campus safety and academic freedom. Although pro-Palestinian activism has increased, explicit support for Hamas specifically is less common and more controversial. Many pro-Palestinian students and groups distance themselves from Hamas while still advocating for Palestinian rights and criticizing Israeli policies.
Collateral Damage
Liz Magill (University of Pennsylvania President)resigned on December 9, 2023, after serving as Penn’s president for only 17 months. Her resignation came following intense criticism of her testimony at a congressional hearing on antisemitism on college campuses.
Key events leading to her resignation included: controversy over a Palestinian literature festival held on campus in September 2023; criticism of her response to Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel; rising antisemitism on campus and her perceived inadequate response; and her congressional testimony, where she failed to clearly state that calls for genocide of Jews would violate university policy
Claudine Gay (Harvard University President) resigned on January 2, 2024, after serving as Harvard’s president for over six months. Her resignation followed: criticism of her congressional testimony on antisemitism, similar to Magill’s; allegations of plagiarism in her academic work; and pressure from donors and alumni over her leadership during campus tensions related to the Israel-Hamas conflict
Despite initially receiving support from Harvard’s governing board, Gay ultimately stepped down, citing the controversy as a distraction from the university’s mission.
Gay is not an innocent victim. I wrote previously about her cutting down one of her faculty who was an innocent victim of TPS caught up in the MeToo movement (see Ronald Sullivan: A Preposterous Victim of the Tall Poppy Syndrome).
Nemat “Minouche” Shafik (Columbia University President) resigned on August 14, 2024, after 13 months on the job. Shafik faced significant challenges in handling pro-Palestinian protests on campus, particularly during the spring semester. This included controversial decisions to call in police to disperse protesters occupying a campus building.
She faced backlash from pro-Palestinian students and faculty for her handling of protests, while also being criticized by pro-Israel groups and donors for not doing enough to ensure the safety of Jewish students.
Shafik testified before Congress in April regarding antisemitism on campus, which sparked frustration among many faculty members who felt she didn’t adequately defend academic freedom. Just days before her resignation, three Columbia deans resigned after exchanging text messages that included antisemitic tropes.
In her resignation letter, Shafik stated that the period of turmoil had taken a considerable toll on her family.
Three deans at Columbia University – Susan Chang-Kim, the vice dean and chief administrative officer of Columbia College; Cristen Kromm, the dean of undergraduate student life; and Matthew Patashnick, the associate dean for student and family support – have resigned after exchanging disparaging texts during a campus discussion about Jewish life and antisemitism.
I suspect pride, power, and self-righteousness were the roots of their failures. They thought (biased?) they knew the correct solutions and what was best for the student body. There were no signs of empathy, compromise, or bridge-building.
When I began to assemble the negative emotions that cause people to feel justified in cutting others down, pride floated to the top. Jim Collins’s How the Mighty Fall pointed out that CEO and company pride was the most common cause and helped cement it as my number 1 cause and mainly a male trait. Last week’s blog Stolen Valor, Pride, and the Tall Poppy Syndrome involved mostly men cut down by hubris.
While reading Genesis 3, Eve’s pride and envy appeared to have justified her downfall. I begin to look at women and pride differently. Today’s blog involves mostly female pride and downfall. I had to conclude that pride is an equal opportunity beholder.
A year ago 6 of 8 Ivy League presidents were females. The Women’s Movement aided in breaking the glass ceiling. Three have been highlighted here and another female president has retired coincidently.
This brings to mind another one of my influential books – The Peter Principle – and the dictum that an “employee continues to receive promotions to work in higher ranks up to that point where he/she reaches a level of incompetence.” I determined during my research that the concept was a common cutter in the workplace hierarchy be it woman or man.
For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Genesis 3:6-7
