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What The Reactionary Anti-Semitism Gets Right
Growing up, my South African father used to remind us American kids that “There are only two types of people in the world: Jews and anti-semites.” This used to upset us terribly. It’s patently false, we would think. Our experience shows our society to be tolerant and kind. Where in the United States is friendlier and more welcoming than suburban Atlanta? Of course, the specter of Leo Frank’s lynching always hung like a shadow in the backs of our minds. But that was a long time ago. Surely, that old hatred is dead.
But it’s starting to look like dad was right after all. From Islamists, to progressive Europe, to the dregs of the Alt-Right on Twitter, we Jews are surrounded by a resurgent tide of anti-Semitism.Which leads to the question my progressive neighbor likes to constantly ask: “Why do they hate us?”
When it comes to explaining Jew hatred, the safest course of action is probably to declare it an uncaused historical constant. After all, what can be the reason for a hatred that has spanned millenia, civilizations, classes, religions, and practically every other boundary that divides man from man?
This is not to say, of course, that all men or even all societies hate Jews. Rather, anti-semitism remains latent until there arrives an excuse to hate someone. It could be that your country is impoverished after a disastrous treaty at Versailles, or that you are terrified of counterrevolutionary activity, or that jihad must be waged somewhere.
But what, one wonders, is the underlying structure of the emergent American anti-Semitism that Claire Berlinski wrote about on Friday? Every politically-involved Jew has noticed it by now: the absolute, almost flippant hatred of Jews that so pervades Twitter users with certain red caps in their profile pictures. We have watched Milo Yiannopoulos explain away their behavior as kids trolling. We have read the invitation for Ben Shapiro’s newborn son to join his entire family in the gas chambers. Why?
However, this new anti-Semitism among Republican voters is not as sudden or mysterious as it appears to be. It can be easily understood if we take into account the political climate, the nature of the “Trump Revolution,” and the prevailing conception of tolerance that has supposedly been the Western bulwark against anti-semitism since WWII.
Here’s the first hint: In between the holocaust memes and the talk of shekels on Twitter, there is usually an accusation that runs along the lines of “putting Israel/Zionism before the United States.” Now, accusations of Jews having split allegiances are as old as Jews are; they are even in the Bible. But these claims tie into a central principle of the Trump campaign that has so vivified all these anti-semites: The idea that until now, under the progressive regime, America has always been a secondary concern of our ruling class. For the Left, leftism always comes first, and the country comes second. Trump, however, promises to Make America Great Again.
It happens to be that this claim is true.
Leftism is a universalist philosophy. In pursuit of government-mandated utopia, the needs of any individual nation come second. The Left thinks that the natural state of the human being is one of harmony with others, and that only our societal and cultural failings stand in the way of peace and love between all men. The country is essentially a construct (like gender) that stands between all of us uniting in harmony. This is why President Obama constantly apologizes to the entire world; after all, shouldn’t our shared humanity transcend tribal needs?
All it takes is one savvy businessman to realize just how grating, unnatural, and suicidal universalism is. And then there is the reaction: 2016.
So,this is the first piece of the reactionary anti-semitic puzzle. Trump’s followers are nationalists who want to put to bed the universalist notion of being a human being first — and an American, or a man, or a family member — second. At a deep level, they feel that the differences that divide us are real and can be ignored only at our own peril. But what does all of this have to do with anti-semitism?
The second piece of the puzzle has to do with the way Jews have dealt with the Holocaust. As Daniel Greenfield writes, there were two Jewish responses to the modern Jewish calamity: “Never Again,” and “Teach Tolerance.” The former was nationalist, the latter, universalist. Some Jews after the Holocaust said, “We are not the same as everyone else, and our experience has shown us we cannot trust the world to accept us. We will form our own country, where there will never be a Holocaust.” Other Jews said, “We are human beings like all others, and the only way to prevent another Holocaust is to educate people to be tolerant of other human beings.”
The first group said that the crime of Hitler was Jew hatred and Jew genocide; the second group said that Hitler’s main crime was being a nationalist, of putting German identity before his humanity. While the “never again” group sought peace through strength, the “teach tolerance” crowd asserted that strength and tribalism only further perpetuated the false notion of divisions between people.
Among American Jews, “teach tolerance” prevailed. The Jews became, after the war and long before the civil rights movement, the very first modern beneficiaries of leftist tolerance. We made sure the Holocaust got put in all the school books and that anti-semitism slowly became verboten in American life, not because Jews were different than everyone else and respected, but because we were the same as everyone else. Support of Israel was possible only through cognitive dissonance, viewing the country as a sort of humanitarian project that embodied all the “good” parts of the United States and acted as a de facto extension of US leftism in the middle east.
Not long afterward, African Americans joined us in the fight to make sure everyone else declared us the same as everyone else. Soon after came homosexuals, illegal immigrants, the mentally handicapped, transexuals, etc. You know how this story goes.
Throughout this process, there have always been nationalist or tribal voices. Malcolm X is an obvious one. Rabbi Meir Kahane is another. These men endeavored to bring the American public around to the idea that, in fact, Jews are not African Americans, Whites are not Jews, and that there is more to being a Zionist than believing in democracy. They thought that our tribal and national identities are undeniable fact and must be dealt with as such. But since that upset the fundamental principle of leftism, that we are all human beings first, they were always viewed as radicals by the majority of Americans.
Until, perhaps, now.
On both the Left (Black Lives Matter) and the Right (the “white genocide” crowd) we have seen a sudden uptick in nationalistic, tribal rhetoric. It is almost as if a large swath of America woke up one morning and realized that love is not, in fact, all you need. To whit: many African Americans have been the beneficiaries of leftist “tolerance” for decades, and their culture has been left in ruin and their people impoverished. They decided, quite logically, that their own interests should come before the universal leftist interests. Almost simultaneously, some number of white people realized that, for decades, they have been told they are the oppressor and made to scrape and bow in the name of the same universalist goal (only through reparations will the societal rift be mended), and if the nominal beneficiaries of those efforts reject its benefits, why should they continue to pay in? They, too, begin to play the game of racial tribalism. The actual liberal (if any remain) is aghast at such roadblocks to universalist utopia, but everyone else is so busy suddenly rediscovering their own identity that they haven’t noticed.
Thus, we see the two pieces of the reactionary anti-semitism joined. The Trump movement — or, at least parts of it — has inspired others to abandon universalism in the name of nationalism (so they suddenly see the United States and Israel as separate entities), while there is already a cultural shift away from tolerance to tribalism (so Jews are suddenly unmasked as not being true Germans Americans).
The anti-semites on Twitter are equal-opportunity tribalists. They ask, “Why is the special dispensation for Jews any different than the politically correct forced tolerance of other minorities that have been forced down our throats for years?”
And the answer is, it’s not.
You see, the conservative answer to this anti-semitism should be to encourage it. You’re right, Twitter anti-semites. You have been educated in a false paradigm. People are not, in fact, all the same. The United States should come first. Your cultural identity should be your primary concern, before the financial or emotional needs of other groups’ members. But this does not need to result in racism or anti-semitism. You see, back before the liberal regime and the inception of the universalist lie, there were actually groups of people who were different from one another, yet lived side-by-side in peace. Once upon a time, humanity was focused not on the ridiculous utopian ideal of homogeneity, but the idea of true tolerance, of being able to respect someone different than you without feeling the need to destroy them.
You, Twitter anti-semite, don’t know any of that. You think that with the fall of liberal universalist tolerance, all must revert back to hatred and violence and vying for power. Decades of liberal thought have taught you that it is either universalism or chaos.
It is time to break the spell. It is time to learn how to be both American and human, that you and I can live in one nation, under God, in peace and prosperity.
Published in Culture, Politics
Jewish integration into non-Jewish society is younger than anti-Semitism by at least a millenium.
Very thought provoking post and am enjoying reading the comments.
One comment of my own – the Jewish community which most thoroughly rejected tribalism for nationalism was the German Jews of the late 19th and early 20th century. The catastrophic failure of that effort would seem to say something about the nature of anti-Semitism.
If I understand your point correctly, I would reply that people in their groups, such as Christians, Jews, and Muslims, are going to be different, and it is denying reality to claim that they are in all ways the same. However, the American idea is that despite those real differences in abilities, history, interests, talents, they should and do have the same political rights and duties.
I think there is a religious component to anti-Semitism, but at least based on the evidence of American Jews, there is also some fault on the part of the Jewish community and culture.
You can’t be a willing outsider of the prevailing culture, take advantage of said culture’s benefits, decry the majority populace of said culture, work against the spread of said culture, and then be surprised when that majority group begins to react in a similar, guilt-by-association way. Are all Jews soulless liberal hacks? Of course not. But far too many are, and dumb, impressionable people are going to respond to that.
I don’t know the way to fix any of it. Both sides are idiots. I’m just glad I’m neither Jewish nor a poor, rural white.
There are lots of people who decry the prevailing culture (including myself) and work against its spread. They are not all Jews. So why Jews are blamed is still a mystery to me. It has been a mystery to me since I was a little tyke. The keys to a lot of mysteries have been revealed over the years of my life, but not this one.
There are a lot of influential, socialist Jews. People generally categorize the social groups that surround them. Cuckold white liberal is a stereotype. Violent black nationalist is a stereotype. Socialist Jewish fat-cat is a stereotype. All of these have some truth to them. None of them are very useful except as mockery.
Which is usually how they’re employed by the alt-right. Rude jokes anger conservatives, but they trigger liberals, and triggering liberals has seemed to be one of the most effective ways of combating their cultural influence. Normally, I probably wouldn’t suggest the tactic, but these aren’t normal times.
By prevailing culture, I meant classical American patriotism. It’s seen as regressive, racist, backward, the root of all modern evil, and the direct descendant of Western Imperialism, the root of all ancient evil. The liberals use shame like a cudgel against American exceptionalism. They’ve largely won those battles.
There is little recourse now except to shame them back. Sadly, the age of Reagan-esque, respectable politics is dead. Here’s to hoping it makes a comeback.
“Are all Jews soulless liberal hacks? Of course not. But far too many are…” What a question, and what an answer.
I’m curious to know who is your idea of a Jewish soulless liberal hack. It would help me to evaluate your description of what you think is wrong with American Jews.
There’s nothing wrong with “American Jews”.
There is something very, very, very wrong with people like George Soros.
The latter comment seems to contradict the former one.
I really don’t understand this line of thought. Jews as willing outsiders of prevailing culture? I don’t see that at all. American Jews intermarry at a very high rate. There is, outside of the small number of extremely Orthodox, no real Jewish culture outside of American culture. There are a few holidays and perhaps some who follow dietary laws, but not much else that puts Jews outside the mainstream culture.
I don’t know why you would say that Jews “take advantage of said culture’s benefits.” They contribute as much as anyone to the culture. So of course they participate in its benefits. Who doesn’t?
I don’t know why you would say that Jews “decry the majority populace of said culture.” I don’t hear Jews denouncing white Christians (the majority). Sure, some white Christians deserve decrying. But I don’t hear Jews denouncing white Christians as such.
I don’t know why you would say that Jews “work against the spread of said culture.” They actively participate in it at all levels and in all professions.
Molto, this is anti-Semitic bilge, and it is disgusting. If you have something to say about George Soros, say it. Say it without adding, “You know, he’s one of them there Jews, you know.” George Soros is no evidence of anything about Jews, or Hungarians, or any other group.
Thank you, MwtA. I was spluttering trying to figure out how to deal with his contradictions. We are not “willing outsiders”; we are Americans like everyone else. Societies have repeatedly condemned us. At one point they criticized Jews for being mainly merchants. What in the world were they supposed to do when they weren’t allowed to own land? Sheesh.
“God Bless America”? “The Best Years of Our Lives”? “Saving Private Ryan”? All created by Jewish Americans. When it comes to the culture, “they” are us, and we are them.
Their ethnic group: Jonah Goldberg, Charles Krauthammer, David Horowitz, Mona Charen.
My ethnic group: Chris Matthews, Maureen Dowd, Michael Moore, Bill Maher.
When it comes to being American, I’ll take Jonah over any Irishman on that list.
Now, now, you have some good folks, too. Um.m.mm.m….
Yep.
Well, we do have George M. Cohan, but everyone thinks he’s Jewish…
Stop trying to find reasons why I’m anti-Semitic and read what I wrote.
“Jews as willing outsiders of prevailing culture?”
Liberal Jews definitely do not engage in the American culture as I earlier described. They’re trying to destroy it, in rhetoric and action. Because they are liberals. Liberals do that.
“I don’t hear Jews denouncing white Christians”
Really? Because I hear and read it all the time. Go take a look at any liberal publication.
“I don’t know why you would say that Jews “take advantage of said culture’s benefits.” They contribute as much as anyone to the culture.”
Mark Zuckerberg has contributed nothing. George Soros has contributed nothing. Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein have contributed nothing. All of them work against the culture of America.
Now, sure, there are plenty of whites, blacks, Hispanics, and everyone else who works against the culture. And you won’t be surprised to find out the alt-right hates them too. And this thread wasn’t about Hispanics, blacks, whites, and everyone else. It was about Jews.
You can hate the perception of Jews, but that won’t stop the anti-Semitism. Understanding the perception might not either, but at least it would give you a fighting chance.
Molto, we don’t have to go looking for a smoking gun when you stand there waving it around.
Also, the woe is us, we have been the victims of so much attitude gets old after a while. It’s annoying when JaMarcus acts like he personally felt the lash of the slavers whip, and it’s annoying when a wealth, upper-middle class American Jew acts like he personally lived through Auschwitz.
Every culture on Earth has suffered indignities. No one is above reproach or mockery by virtue of the indignities their ancestors faced.
You clearly did not read what I wrote, which is par for the course where this site is concerned.
Because I totally said I hate all Jews and that all Jews are liberals….
Whoa, stand down everyone. Take a breath.
Molto, there is one thing you don’t understand about Jews who identify with Judaism. There is a connection that we have to our past that no other cultural or religious group has. That’s a fact, whether you agree with it or not. I feel deeply the pain of the Holocaust, even though I lost no one from my family. But I lost a “landsman” and that matters. Also, to tell me how I should feel about anything raises my hackles; it is not your place to tell any person how he or she should feel.
When you make extreme comments like the following, to make your point, you lose credibility. I don’t like any of the people that you mentioned, but to say that they have “contributed nothing” is unfair. Even making sweeping comments about liberal Jews is unfair; you don’t have to like their politics but they are still human beings who identify as Jewish, and at some level I am called to defend them on that count.
I won’t defend Soros, though; he lost his landsman card when he bragged about helping the Nazis in the camps.
I’m re-reading iWe’s book, and here’s a pertinent quote. He is referring to mention of the father of Abraham, and why he’s important:
“Because to be a Jew means to be connected to thousands of years of our ancestors, and to be their link in the chain to the future. By giving a name that comes from our past, we proclaim that our lives, and our mission, do not stand alone.”
Liberal Jews do what liberals do. Liberal Christians do exactly the same things. Conservative Jews do what conservatives do. What does being Jewish have to do with any of it?
Go take a look at any conservative publication. It probably has plenty of Jewish input. The Weekly Standard, or National Review, for example.
So I guess he stole his billions from white Christians. No one enjoys Facebook. And Soros? Jews, like everyone else, have whatever wealth they have because they did contribute to the culture and the economy, and were paid to do so.
The hubris in this comment is mind-boggling. These people don’t agree with you as to what the culture should be so they are “working against the culture of America?” I don’t agree with them on pretty much anything, but if these two Jewish senators work against the culture so do all liberal Christian senators. But of course, they are only working against your personal view of the culture, not their own. By their lights they are working for the culture. This is not being anti-American.
So, if you want to castigate liberals, go for it. But leave Jews out of it. Liberal Jews are no different from liberal non-Jews. The alt-right hates Jews much more than they hate liberals as such. I’ve been on some of their websites. The conspiracy theories are ubiquitous, blaming Jews for everything from both Kennedy assassinations to 9/11 and whatever else has ever gone wrong in the world.
Working to get the alt-right to stop undeserved hating is about the last thing on my list of projects.
It implies that people are more similar than they are different.
Perhaps it’s because I’m not a member of any ethnic group, but this kind of thinking makes no sense to me. It would be like saying blacks must defend Obama because the color of his skin is similar to theirs. Which is fine, I guess. But why should I care about that? I’m not a member of your club, so I don’t care about protecting the club.
Of course. I’m sure the black nationalist feels the same. And the white nationalist. And every other type of nationalist.
Unfortunately for me, I’m not allowed in any of those groups. I’m not black, I’m not white, I’m not Jewish, I don’t speak Spanish, and I don’t identify as some other gender. So those groups and their special little identifications and histories mean about as much to me as the dirt under my feet. Less, even, because at least the dirt is useful to me. Most of those groups are actively against me.
Facebook is a content aggregate, not a creator. It depends on the users to create the content with which it gains it’s value. By definition, it provides nothing except the hosting. Said hosting is used to censor conservatives and push liberal propaganda. Said hosting could be (and is) provided by a myriad of other sources.
Facebook might provide some small net benefit (this is highly arguable). Zuckerberg doesn’t provide anything but misery.
Oh, see I thought I was talking to a conservative, who recognized the value of objective truth and thinks liberalism is objectively bad.
I see I was mistaken…
MV
So those groups and their special little identifications and histories mean about as much to me as the dirt under my feet. Less, even, because at least the dirt is useful to me. Most of those groups are actively against me.
This has to be one of the most repellent things ever written on Ricochet. Gee, why are they against you? And where do the rest of us sign up?
You dug yourself a hole and you just keep on digging. But there’s something in it for the rest of us.
Hell can’t be much further.
I doubt that your “unfortunately” is sincere. Phrases like “special little identifications” are condescending. I don’t ask you to care about any of these groups, Molto. Some respectful behavior might be helpful. I flagged this part of your post, by the way. You might find my post of today helpful. We can act respectfully, since we are all part of this community, without respecting. BTW, nothing stops you from joining the Jews if you are willing to convert. But you might not be very welcome.
My point is that people are not objectively evil just because they don’t agree with me. They see things differently; they may be stupid; they may have different visions of the good life. But if they think I’m evil because I disagree with them they are mistaken.