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In a recent Federalist article written by Samuel Mangold-Lenett, I was intrigued by his premise that although Republicans are addressing anti-Semitism in Congress, they won’t be successful without fighting anti-White racism. Although on first reading, that seemed to make sense. But it won’t work.
We can look at this argument first by addressing the anti-racism agenda over the last few years. Most of the time, its advocates are unclear, redundant, misinformed about history, and have no basis for their argument. For them to suggest that anti-racism can be eliminated by anyone is unrealistic. The fact is, this country has made great progress in the area of racism, and more can be done, but the idealistic demands of the anti-racist cadre simply cannot be achieved. In fact, they make it clear that anti-racism cannot be overcome, because it is inherent in our DNA. We can fight the ridiculous arguments they make (which are usually racist), but I see no strategic way to stop the anti-racist agenda.
A big part of the problem is that we are caught in the miasma of “Oppressed/Oppressor.” And although some “oppressors” who are usually identified as white are willing to accept this label without question, many of us who are called oppressors know that we are not. But those who think they are oppressed, whether they have had to endure racial slurs or other kinds of discrimination, are not interested in becoming un-oppressed (or some would call it “free”). There are many benefits to being oppressed or a victim; they can blame others for their life dilemmas and are freed from responsibility for improving their situations. Any difficulties they encounter are other people’s fault. They have too many perks in taking on the “oppressed” role to give it up.
Shifting now to look at anti-Semitism, we have different issues, at first glance.
Our first, most obvious example, is the war in Israel. Hamas fits the stereotype perfectly as the oppressed, and they do everything they can to reinforce that image. And Israel has been hugely successful until the recent conflicts over the Supreme Court. But simply because they are mostly Jews, they have earned the disdain and hate of the Palestinians. I’d propose there is another example in Israel of Oppressed/Oppressor, as the Leftist Supreme Court has abused its power but is seen as the Oppressed/ and the Netanyahu government is seen as the Oppressor, trying to rein in its power. The fact that they haven’t addressed the Supreme Court’s overreach effectively only exacerbates their problems.
But what about the rise of anti-Semitism in the United States?
Prior to October 7, there were increased anti-Semitic actions in this country. Overall, Jews had found their place quite comfortably in the United States, participating in all kinds of careers, organizations and activities. In the past, when Jews became complacent about their roles in society, that environment was a breeding ground for a society that is unhappy and struggling—and Jew-hatred--and ours has been struggling for several years. Cultural upheaval, economic stress, invasions on the border have all bred insecurity in the larger population. And our citizens have little to no recourse to turn things around and thus feel helpless and disgruntled. Republicans blame Democrats. Democrats blame Republicans. But there is another group that can be held responsible for all of it: the Jews.
I suspect that the declines in America are the root cause of the violent rise of anti-Semitism. It didn’t happen overnight; incidents have been increasing for the last couple of years. The seemingly sudden rise of anti-Jewish and pro-Palestinian protests was opportune for those who feel oppressed. So, the war in Israel has been a convenient mechanism for people to act out their anger about the state of their lives.
Hamas serves as the avatar for all of those who feel misunderstood and who are struggling. Israel is the embodiment of the elites in our own country who continue to limit our freedoms and demand that we make more and more sacrifices.
So, how do we reframe this image of Jews and the rest of society and transform the Oppressed/Oppressor model?
First, we must explain that we are not the same as Hamas and Israel. Their struggle is horrendous, but it is not our country’s struggle. The people in this country have more freedoms than most countries in the world, including our ability to hold protests. The Jews, rather than oppressing others, have made many contributions to the U.S. and the rest of the world, particularly in medicine and technology, and we should be grateful to them, not resent them.
We must educate people on how they are being caught up in a collection of old tropes, that are as old as civilization. Negative stereotypes, most of which are untrue, only hurt those who indulge in them and those they try to victimize.
Finally, Jews need to speak up. We can no longer try to look the other way, downplay anti-Semitic words and actions, or join in the rancor. We must be forthright, that we will no longer tolerate being made into second-class citizens.
Anti-Semitism is only related to anti-racism because it labels people negatively and divides them from each other. As explained earlier, anti-racism is a vague, incoherent campaign that is nearly impossible to understand and impossible to eliminate.
Anti-Semitism, however, has a long history of tropes and behaviors. Unless we address it head-on, it will be a catalyst to damaging our country and our future.
Discussion (79)
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I think that guy is spot on in saying anti-white racism shares the same root as anti-semitism.
Allow me to make my case:
There is a very Jewish screen writer responsible for several shows that I have more (or less) enjoyed - Amy Sherman-Palladino. She is best known for Gilmore Girls (my least preferred of her work), but also Bunheads and most relevant - The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
Really enjoyed the first couple seasons - a proud 1950’s woman who divorces her husband after finding out he’s cheating on her and finds out she has a knack for stand-up comedy. She is very well-to-do, her father is a tenured professor, her mother comes from old money, and they are VERY Jewish. It’s worn all over them. It is purposeful and explicit and part of Mrs. Maisel’s identity.
There is nothing wrong with this.
Here is where I was thrown for a loop - she gets a job at a department story where she has to punch the clock in and out. She takes so much pride in this because it means she’s surviving and making it on her own! And she goes into a blue-collar bar and makes it central to her comedy routine. And it lands flat. Because her audience doesn’t have alternatives, they punch clocks because there’s so few alternatives they can attain without risking their livelihoods on which their f Sami lies depend. But Maisel is living in a penthouse apartment paid for by her dad, uses her parents for babysitting so she can head out to punch a clock to feel independent and then do stand up to make her way in the world with so little risk to herself beyond her dignity.
Now, the point the writer was trying to make was very in-the-now - privilege. It was all about highlighting HER privilege over others. I was quite shocked, because the show has been very adamant that this very privileged woman isn’t just white, she’s JEWISH. Why would a Jewish writer make such an explicit connection in the minds of her audience?
So here’s the thing. Anti-white racism is explicitly tied to PRIVILEGE. You cannot do anything about anti-semitism without dealing with that because, as a group, Jews are largely better off than any other demographic in America by EVERY metric the progressive intersection CRT proponents measure by. They are bettter educated, they are better off financially, they have lower rates of police interactions and jail time, they have better family outcomes.
By every metric under CRT, Jews are the most privileged demographic in the US. So if you want this to stop, it is tied to what is driving anti-white racism in this country which is the CRT privilege metrics of intersectionality. That’s what Joseph Cox’s post of pictures was getting at. It’s an attempt to undermine the intersectionality politics.
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But you can’t just excuse yourself as an exception to the privilege matrix against whites on this alone. White people’s children are being raped in English villages, their children being plowed down by cars, their schools shot up by far leftists whining about the privilege of our mealy mouthed brats. And when they say “America is for Americans! England for the English!” They are decried as dangerous and extreme evil nationalists, racists, and anti-semites.
So no, you are wrong, they guy you are criticizing is absolutely right.
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"Colonization" is just another avenue of attack on our own civilization. Building on existing, old-time anti-semitism attacking Israel for being Western fits that narrative well. Recall how enthusiastically the left went after South Africa back in the day--they were white, western, and unlike the Soviets or Chinese who were major human rights abusers. the South Africans were not a threat to us. It was safe to trash them unlike the communist giants. It was not that apartheid was just but that the enthusiasm with which this went to the top of the charts for lefties when there so many other candidates for human rights scrutiny were overlooked.
The "Palestinians" were offered territory in 1948 and again four decades later with the intercession of President Clinton. They opted instead for the myth that there had once been a Muslim Arab nation called Palestine and chose endless futile violence against Israel instead of an opportunity for peace and rapid regional prosperity. The self-created disaster that is "Palestinian" society looks like something that an oppressor would have imposed which makes it easier to sell the narrative of Israeli injustice.
The notion of Arab Muslims as victims of the West requires a lot of forgetting. Islam is the world's oldest imperial project and Western loons don't seem to realize they are actually supporting the idea that Muslims always have the right to reclaim whatever their armies once held (e.g. Spain, Portugal, southern Italy, Sicily, Corsica, Malta, Greece, Moldova, Serbia, Albania, northern India, parts of Ukraine, Hungary and of course Israel and Detroit and Minneapolis).
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So let me take your comments in order:
First of all, I have no way of knowing what the writer was trying to say; she could have had multiple purposes and I'm not a mind reader. She could have been saying that when any person is naive or stupid enough to make a point of her special situation, she will be rejected.
Second, I don't think most Jews go around parading their privilege. Many have worked very hard to get where they are--in fact, most Jews I know fit that category. If people resent their good fortune, that is on them. I won't apologize for working hard and having a certain degree of success--and I would never brag about it. Other people have qualities that far exceed mine.
Finally, I didn't get Joseph's comment (please know he is a friend). You said he said:
So if you want this to stop, it is tied to what is driving anti-white racism in this country which is the CRT privilege metrics of intersectionality. That’s what Joseph Cox’s post of pictures was getting at. It’s an attempt to undermine the intersectionality politics.
What does that mean, and what should be done?
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Joseph Cox’s post had a series of pictures with the last being a shot at intersectionality. Whoever made this “meme” understands why American leftists are all about the Palestinians, which is the privilege matrix of intersectionality. The Palestinians are more oppressed than the Israeli Jews, therefore they are more in the right than the Israeli Jews.
The meme writer is pointing out that their “privilege” has not existed in these other countries where they were the “oppressed minority” by intersectionality rules… no one defended them in those situations. And so Israel is for the Jews and they will defend it against the Palestinians.
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