rant · moment 7 of 24

The Columbia Physics Student's 'We Built the Modern World' Rant

from No Fat Nazis · #126

Audio-only archive episode — no video to seek.

5 min

Discussion of Julian von Abele, a Columbia physics student who went viral for a rant claiming Europeans built the modern world, including his alt-right fanbase buying his physics book; Tim and Ray riff by parodying the rant themselves and debate whether white people invented civilization, colonialism, and exploitation.

In this bit9 moments
  • 13:20Physics major at Columbia went on a rant about Europeans building the modern world.
  • 13:50Tim notes the student's name, Julian Von Abellie, is a perfect alt-right name.
  • 14:22Video plays: student rants that Europeans invented science, industry, and saved billions from starvation.
  • 15:05Tim compares the student's performance favorably to Ray's bombing at a winery gig with a Black audience.
  • 15:38Tim recalls a stand-up bit about nationalism where the comedian says he didn't invent anything, just got drunk.
  • 16:13Student is clearly drunk and making his point with no nuance.
  • 16:56Tim argues the claim that only white people invented useful things is insane, citing algebra from Baghdad.
  • 17:21The last thousand years of Western civilization were built on exploitation, mercantilism, slavery, and colonialism.
  • 18:07Tim notes that nobody has done enough work to dismantle the systems of oppression white people put in place.
Mentioned here

ColumbiaJulian Von Abell

All 24 moments in this episode →