Posted on 03/08/2022 12:19:19 PM PST by nickcarraway
In January 1937, the University of Lausanne (UNIL) awarded Benito Mussolini an honorary doctorate. A group of Vaud politicians on Tuesday called for the academic title to be revoked.
Mussolini was awarded the university honorary doctorate “for having conceived and realised in his homeland a social organisation which has enriched sociological science and which will leave a profound mark on history”. The award was made to coincide with the university’s 400th anniversary.
The academic title sparked criticism at the time - and continues to do so.
On Tuesday a leftwing group of politicians filed a motion in the Vaud parliament calling for the title to be officially revoked. The issue is set to be discussed next week.
Close ties to Vaud and Lausanne
Mussolini’s connection with Switzerland dates back to 1902 when he first travelled to the country as a young unemployed teacher looking for work. He survived as a labourer and frequented Socialist circles, where he began to get noticed as an orator and journalist.
In Lausanne he was arrested for vagrancy. Canton Bern also expelled him after inciting Italian workers to strike. The federal police kept an eye on him, considering him a dangerous agitator.
In 1904 he returned to Lausanne, where he enrolled at the university’s Faculty of Social and Political Sciences. He later returned to Italy in November of that year, thanks to an amnesty that prevented him being sentenced as a draft-dodger. Mussolini maintained close ties with canton Vaud and its capital, and with certain members of the Italian community.
"Regrettable"
The issue of the honorary doctorate is “regrettable” and creates “unease”, according to the new university rector, Frédéric Herman.
“All I would like to say is that UNIL's values are the opposite of fascism. What is important is to be able to look at your past. Like any institution, we are fallible, and in this case, we failed,” he told Swiss public radio RTS.
But the rector says withdrawing the award posthumously is complicated. The university has set up a group of internal experts to examine the question. It should complete its work by the spring in order to have a clear institutional position, says Herman.
Why? Mussolini was clearly the most influential person of the 20th century. It is his political philosophy that is behind all governments in Europe today, the EU and even the American deep state.
Not mentioned is that Mussolini took classes in the University of Lausanne under Wilfredo Pareto. Pareto was a brilliant economist and philosopher, and extremely influential on Mussolini, up to a point. So there is a much more profound connection here than the article says.
Its very worthwhile to get into Pareto. Much of what he pioneered in economics is now in standard economics and mathematics texts, but his social philosophy is food for thought.
This is true. We are all fascists-corporatists now.
To be fair, Mussolini wasnt the first in all that, but he certainly was influential. He was taken very seriously in the 1920’s-30’s.
Rockefeller and FDR were huge fans before the war. FDR was trying to implement Mussolini programs and laws here.
Oh please, please let this be true. This will help me tremendously. I already begin to feel so much better now. Thank the lord. Been praying for this. Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Big hairy deal. When will the Catholic Church get around to excommunicating former altar Boy Adolph Hitler?
“a social organisation which has enriched sociological science and which will leave a profound mark on history”
Well that much remains true. Sociology has gotten plenty of material to study from the fascists, and they certainly left their mark on history. Not a good mark, but the award didn’t specify that.
I don’t think the Catholic church normally excommunicates dead people. It’s not as if Hitler is likely to show up and ask to take communion at this point...
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