Washington and Lee University Offers Course on ‘How to Overthrow the State’
“How will you attain power? How will you communicate with the masses? How do you plan on improving the lives of the people? How will you deal with the past?”

Listen to this article
|
For months now, Washington and Lee University in Virginia has been struggling over whether or not to strip Lee’s name from the school, based on his association with the Confederacy.
Yet the same school is now offering a course on how to overthrow the state. How’s that for irony?
Jordan Davidson writes at The Federalist:
This Virginia University Offers Course On ‘How To Overthrow The State’ And Write Your Own Manifesto
Want a formal education that includes an in-depth analysis and application of Marxist principles? Look no further than the prestigious Washington and Lee University.
Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia is offering a course titled “How to Overthrow the State?” according to Breitbart News.
A course description on the university website describes the “Writing Seminar” as a way to “place each student at the head of a popular revolutionary movement aiming to overthrow a sitting government and forge a better society.”
“How will you attain power? How will you communicate with the masses? How do you plan on improving the lives of the people? How will you deal with the past?” the course description asks.
Class material will primarily focus on Marxist and revolutionary figures such as Franz Fanon, Che Guevara, and Mahatma Gandhi to “explore examples of revolutionary thought and action from across the Global South.”
We are not interested in getting anyone fired, and we believe in academic freedom. Still, you can’t tell me that leaders at Washington and Lee don’t comprehend the significance of such a course, as the American left is burning American cities and toppling historic statues.
Former House Speaker and historian Newt Gingrich opined on Twitter:
Washington and Lee University’s course on “how to overthrow the state” is one further sign of the insanity taking over higher education. The alumni should rise up and show how to overthrow a crazy college administration.
— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) September 4, 2020
Tyler O’Neil of PJ Media notes that this comes in the footsteps of not only riots, but the 1619 Project:
Amid Riots, Washington and Lee University Offers a Class on ‘How to Overthrow the State’
This fall at Washington and Lee University (removal of Lee pending), students will learn reading writing, arithmetic — and “How to Overthrow the State.” As antifa riots have continued in Portland for almost 100 nights, students at the Virginia university named after George Washington and Robert E. Lee* will study Marxist revolutions in the Global South, complete with role-playing regime change.
Writing Seminar 100-18, “How to Overthrow the State,” will award each student three credits toward graduation…
While there is nothing wrong with studying Marxist revolutionaries like Che Guevara, it does seem a bit unnerving that a university class would encourage students to emulate them and to “overthrow the state” — especially amid violent riots and looting in cities across America…
Washington and Lee students will take a crack at “rewriting history,” just like The New York Times‘ “1619 Project.” That effort in Marxist critical theory preaches that various aspects of American society, such as capitalism, are oppressive and racist. Indeed, the Smithsonian briefly taught that even things like science, the nuclear family, the Judeo-Christian tradition, and politeness itself are oppressive aspects of a “whiteness” culture.
The professor who is teaching this course has apparently received some push back and possibly harassment. We do not wish to be any part of that. The school released this statement:
The W&L History Department wishes to express its solidarity with and support for our colleague, Matt Gildner, who has been the target of a harassment and intimidation campaign that threatens academic freedom. Please see our statement below. pic.twitter.com/e7gv0tV4lY
— W&L History (@GeneralsHistory) September 5, 2020
How nice that advocacy of insurrection gets defended by the administration. What about defending critics of Black Lives Matter rather than administratively joining the mob?
Featured image via YouTube.

Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
These imbiciles need their throats cut. Plain and simple. The, what do you call it, not a university, not a college, not even a school? How about the’Den of Vipers?’ Good enough, but anyway, needs to be burnt to the ground and afterwards the ground where it once stood needs to be salted so that nothing will ever grow there again.
I am retired Federal Agent and live in rural Va and the last thing a bunch of college kids want to do is try to overthrow the state. They are playing a game that will get deadly but hey everyone is a Facebook tough guy until they get on the two way range. I keep telling people that if the young, white, left thinks they can pull this off they are dumber than I thought. The problem is the children on the campuses that are victimized by professors who place no value on life. They might pull this off in an urban area but it ends badly in a rural area. I do not agree with violence however I have seen enough equal and opposite reactions to hypothesize how this ends.
Defund Washington and Lee.
No more student loans backed by the taxpayer.
Or we could make the course feel more real by using loaded guns. They have to lead their troops into battle, if they screw up they’ll probably get shot by rival marxists. It could be a win win situation for America.
WLU is private
I’m so glad I didn’t take that job there several years back.
Defund them …
A federal investigation for 18 U.S. Code § 2384 seditious conspiracy is clearly warranted and would generate an interesting discussion.
Um, no. The first amendment clearly bars any such investigation. The Supreme Court has been very very clear that advocacy of anything is 100% protected speech, and any law purporting to restrict it is void.
Leave a Comment