The International of Fools
August Bebel aptly called anti-Semitism "the socialism of fools." Leo Strauss even more aptly responded that "the fact that anti-Semitism is the socialism of fools is an argument not against, but for, anti-Semitism; given the fact that there is such an abundance of fools, why should one not steal that very profitable thunder?" Stalin, Idi Amin, Nasser: examples of those who cynically stole that profitable thunder to rally the proles go on and on. Eric Hoffer's seminal The True Believer says it best: "Mass movements can rise and spread without belief in a God, but never without belief in a devil." For anti-Semites, the Jews serve precisely the Christian function of the devil: "lords of this world," secret hand moving history ("killed the tsar and his ministers; Anastasia screamed in vain") and black-clad seducers (if not notably handsome).
And then there's Holocaust denial. Holocaust denial offends me intellectually as much or more than it offends me ethically and ethnically. It's the classic case of denying evidence you don't like because it makes your viewpoint easier to bear. It's like if someone asked me why I don't like math and I said it's because I don't believe in numbers. That's not an argument! I understand that the Holocaust puts anti-Semites in a bind. If they accept its reality, they must either sympathize with their devil or say the Jews deserved it and seem inhuman. Since both options are unpalatable to them, they choose the "see no evil, hear no evil" approach. I have more respect for a Nazi who says, "Yes, the Holocaust happened and I supported it happening, and I want it to happen again." That is a morally repugnant position but at least it's intellectually honest.
Even illogical beliefs have logical conclusions. If you're an anti-Semite and believe Jews don't belong in your country, the logical conclusion to your beliefs is that Jews should be killed or deported. If you believe Jews should be deported, you should support the state of Israel as a place to deport them. However, since almost all anti-Semites are anti-Zionists, the only remaining logical conclusion to their beliefs is that Jews should be stripped of rights and/or killed. Thus despite all finery, anti-Semitism inevitably devolves into national socialism in either "moderate" (Nuremberg Laws) or extreme (genocide) form. As for those who simply feel anti-Semitism in their gut and don't care about logic, I would only ask that they leave serious debate to other people.
Anti-Semitism was a self-designation coined by German Jew-hater Wilhelm Marr in the nineteenth-century, but now it is the hate that dares not speak its name. I will not waste my time attempting to convince anti-Semites that their beliefs are wrong, as surely I would not waste my time attempting to convince Catholics that virgins don't give birth. But I would plead that they reclaim the term "anti-Semite" for the sake of clarity and intellectual honesty. I am not saying anyone who criticizes Israel or Jews is an anti-Semite. I am saying that those who follow anti-Semitism as an ideology akin to socialism or religious fundamentalism - i.e. a complete worldview with ready-made answers to every political or societal dilemma - should be open about who they are and not hide behind euphemisms. Isn't that the behaviour of rootless cosmopolitans?
And then there's Holocaust denial. Holocaust denial offends me intellectually as much or more than it offends me ethically and ethnically. It's the classic case of denying evidence you don't like because it makes your viewpoint easier to bear. It's like if someone asked me why I don't like math and I said it's because I don't believe in numbers. That's not an argument! I understand that the Holocaust puts anti-Semites in a bind. If they accept its reality, they must either sympathize with their devil or say the Jews deserved it and seem inhuman. Since both options are unpalatable to them, they choose the "see no evil, hear no evil" approach. I have more respect for a Nazi who says, "Yes, the Holocaust happened and I supported it happening, and I want it to happen again." That is a morally repugnant position but at least it's intellectually honest.
Even illogical beliefs have logical conclusions. If you're an anti-Semite and believe Jews don't belong in your country, the logical conclusion to your beliefs is that Jews should be killed or deported. If you believe Jews should be deported, you should support the state of Israel as a place to deport them. However, since almost all anti-Semites are anti-Zionists, the only remaining logical conclusion to their beliefs is that Jews should be stripped of rights and/or killed. Thus despite all finery, anti-Semitism inevitably devolves into national socialism in either "moderate" (Nuremberg Laws) or extreme (genocide) form. As for those who simply feel anti-Semitism in their gut and don't care about logic, I would only ask that they leave serious debate to other people.
Anti-Semitism was a self-designation coined by German Jew-hater Wilhelm Marr in the nineteenth-century, but now it is the hate that dares not speak its name. I will not waste my time attempting to convince anti-Semites that their beliefs are wrong, as surely I would not waste my time attempting to convince Catholics that virgins don't give birth. But I would plead that they reclaim the term "anti-Semite" for the sake of clarity and intellectual honesty. I am not saying anyone who criticizes Israel or Jews is an anti-Semite. I am saying that those who follow anti-Semitism as an ideology akin to socialism or religious fundamentalism - i.e. a complete worldview with ready-made answers to every political or societal dilemma - should be open about who they are and not hide behind euphemisms. Isn't that the behaviour of rootless cosmopolitans?
Comments
Post a Comment