Great article. It takes a big person to admit they had something wrong. I’ve had to do that regarding a few things in the past few years and it can be humbling
I am always searching to find a better way to engage with prejudice. The guest column by Lucas Gage is both interesting and encouraging. However, the experiences described in the column all took place after Lucas, on his own, had decided to leave the antisemitic movement and made that decision public. How would this approach actually work for someone, who on their own, had not already decided to leave the antisemitic world.
This is fascinating. In real life, I wonder how many antisemites and anti designers are willing to have a civil conversation. I hope there are many more people like you out there.
As the Haggadah says, just because someone is actively disengaged doesn't give you a pass about trying to engage him. Similarly, you have to also engage those who are wise, those who are simple, and those who are so befuddled they don't even know how to ask a question. You find a lot of the last group at protests repeating chants they were taught, unaware of what they mean.
Interesting essay by a man who was willing to listen and capable of critical thinking. My son went into the Army straight out of high school and served as an Army Ranger in Iraq and Afghanistan. Gratitude to Lucas for his service, and to all those who serve in the military and in law enforcement.
So in two hours you changed your mind about Jews? Tell that to an audience who believes you! I don’t. Any more than I believe Torquemada was a really great guy!
Appreciate your candor and insight. You nicely review the evolution of antisemitism from religious to racial. But I think antizionism is the natural and obvious evolutionary next step. Israel’s existence has changed the equation and antizionism in its modern manifestation - genocide libel; Israeli citizens treated as active soldiers; BDS; etc - is the new face of antisemitism.
The "problem" wasn´t an alleged "Jewish overrepresentation among early communist leaders" but that these Jews were Self-Haters. The Jew Hate among "Leftists","Socialists", "Communists" is NOTHING "new" but goes back to its very beginning: WHY does no one want to know this ? Still today, "Leftists" can make the world believe they were "poor persecuted victims" of Hitler just like the Jews.
But they said most similar things about "The Jews" before 1933 as the "Right Wing" fascists did and do.
Hitler didn´t eliminate "Socialists" because they were "enemies": they were competitors ! - to be shoved out of the way.
The Hitler movement was called "National Socialism".
Karl Marx "as a Jew" and founder of "Communism" was a blatant Jew Hater, there are several antisemitic quotings documented of him and have been recorded—for instance, regarding Ferdinand Lassalle, who frequently provided Marx with financial support.
Antisemitism—or self-hatred—is inherent to (not only Jewish) leftists.
In its early years, Israel was dominated primarily by "left-wing" politicians and parties.
To this day, Israeli and Jewish leftists - whose "Kibbuzism" is a more or less "Communist" idea - remain notably—and unpleasantly—prone to self-hatred and destructiveness, while adhering to an extraordinarily "orthodox" brand of leftism as I recall from many absolutely hopeless discussion with "Left" Kibbuzim Jews; however, they are certainly not alone worldwide as Leftists in their frantic anti-nationalist stance.
Sweden fought for its independence over the course of centuries and only managed to shake off Danish occupation after long, brutal conflicts in the 16th century. One would expect a Swedish woman to be aware of this history—and to grant Jews the same right.
If she refuses to do so—if she denies Jews the right to wage the kind of struggle that many other nations, not just Sweden, have had to endure—then that is, quite simply and obviously, antisemitism.
Apart from that, it is also obvious here that the babble of alleged "Elites" often takes a viceroy placeholder status for antisemitism.
Thank you for being so honest about your journey. You have taken a bold step and now you can, hopefully, influence and have conversations with others to rethink their antisemitism with the facts.
Great article. It takes a big person to admit they had something wrong. I’ve had to do that regarding a few things in the past few years and it can be humbling
I am always searching to find a better way to engage with prejudice. The guest column by Lucas Gage is both interesting and encouraging. However, the experiences described in the column all took place after Lucas, on his own, had decided to leave the antisemitic movement and made that decision public. How would this approach actually work for someone, who on their own, had not already decided to leave the antisemitic world.
https://www.npr.org/2017/08/20/544861933/how-one-man-convinced-200-ku-klux-klan-members-to-give-up-their-robes
This is fascinating. In real life, I wonder how many antisemites and anti designers are willing to have a civil conversation. I hope there are many more people like you out there.
As the Haggadah says, just because someone is actively disengaged doesn't give you a pass about trying to engage him. Similarly, you have to also engage those who are wise, those who are simple, and those who are so befuddled they don't even know how to ask a question. You find a lot of the last group at protests repeating chants they were taught, unaware of what they mean.
Interesting essay by a man who was willing to listen and capable of critical thinking. My son went into the Army straight out of high school and served as an Army Ranger in Iraq and Afghanistan. Gratitude to Lucas for his service, and to all those who serve in the military and in law enforcement.
Thank you for this. 🙏
So in two hours you changed your mind about Jews? Tell that to an audience who believes you! I don’t. Any more than I believe Torquemada was a really great guy!
Appreciate your candor and insight. You nicely review the evolution of antisemitism from religious to racial. But I think antizionism is the natural and obvious evolutionary next step. Israel’s existence has changed the equation and antizionism in its modern manifestation - genocide libel; Israeli citizens treated as active soldiers; BDS; etc - is the new face of antisemitism.
The journey of a thousand miles can begin with a single step as a Chinese proverb!
The "problem" wasn´t an alleged "Jewish overrepresentation among early communist leaders" but that these Jews were Self-Haters. The Jew Hate among "Leftists","Socialists", "Communists" is NOTHING "new" but goes back to its very beginning: WHY does no one want to know this ? Still today, "Leftists" can make the world believe they were "poor persecuted victims" of Hitler just like the Jews.
But they said most similar things about "The Jews" before 1933 as the "Right Wing" fascists did and do.
Hitler didn´t eliminate "Socialists" because they were "enemies": they were competitors ! - to be shoved out of the way.
The Hitler movement was called "National Socialism".
Karl Marx "as a Jew" and founder of "Communism" was a blatant Jew Hater, there are several antisemitic quotings documented of him and have been recorded—for instance, regarding Ferdinand Lassalle, who frequently provided Marx with financial support.
Antisemitism—or self-hatred—is inherent to (not only Jewish) leftists.
In its early years, Israel was dominated primarily by "left-wing" politicians and parties.
To this day, Israeli and Jewish leftists - whose "Kibbuzism" is a more or less "Communist" idea - remain notably—and unpleasantly—prone to self-hatred and destructiveness, while adhering to an extraordinarily "orthodox" brand of leftism as I recall from many absolutely hopeless discussion with "Left" Kibbuzim Jews; however, they are certainly not alone worldwide as Leftists in their frantic anti-nationalist stance.
Sweden fought for its independence over the course of centuries and only managed to shake off Danish occupation after long, brutal conflicts in the 16th century. One would expect a Swedish woman to be aware of this history—and to grant Jews the same right.
If she refuses to do so—if she denies Jews the right to wage the kind of struggle that many other nations, not just Sweden, have had to endure—then that is, quite simply and obviously, antisemitism.
Apart from that, it is also obvious here that the babble of alleged "Elites" often takes a viceroy placeholder status for antisemitism.
Thank you for being so honest about your journey. You have taken a bold step and now you can, hopefully, influence and have conversations with others to rethink their antisemitism with the facts.
Thank you for sharing your story.
It’s difficult to change long held beliefs. Your fine essay is a great roadmap for others who wish to honestly examine their own biases.
Perhaps a more difficult issue is that of Islam. How do you change those, “hearts and minds.”
Thank you for sharing your story. I hope it prompts others to follow your example.