12-30-2019, 12:58 PM
One can be pro-Jew and pro-Israel officially while stirring nationalistic sentiment. Nationalism always leads to persecution of the "other" (ha-zulat), which always leads to creating a scapegoat of the Jews. Why do we have problems in our nation, which should be perfect? Because these sly invaders have come in and caused all of our problems! We wouldn't have problems of our own creation! It's the Mexicans who are bringing in the drugs; it's the Jews who are causing economic instability; it's the Arabs that are doing all of the terrorism. Blame others instead of cleaning up your act. It's the easy way out, and attacking those who are not "us" is the outcome. Anti-Semitism isn't the syndrome, but the symptom, of a system that isn't taking care of its national ills.
Americans manufacture and distribute harsh illegal drugs. Americans shoot up schools, places of employment, and religious institutions. Americans won't take menial jobs that they consider to be beneath them. Americans cause their own problems. Is there a problem of import of illegal drugs? Yes. The solution is to find some way to keep people from getting to the point of WANTING to use and abuse drugs.
I'm just saying that the solution is more complex than just putting up walls to keep people out. It's not just outsiders that are here to do harm. The problems are systemic, and they cannot be solved by demonizing people who are not part of the in-crowd. This demonization may have begun with calling Mexicans rapists and thieves, but it never stays there. That's bad enough, but it's clear that this type of rhetoric will lead to Anti-Semitism, racism, homophobic attacks, etc. It may have started with calling African nations "shithole countries," but it would naturally grow into other types of xenophobia and hatred.
The rampant Anti-Semitism (which was being excused until now as Anti-Zionism) should not surprise us. Many of us knew it was coming down the pike. It was inevitable.
Americans manufacture and distribute harsh illegal drugs. Americans shoot up schools, places of employment, and religious institutions. Americans won't take menial jobs that they consider to be beneath them. Americans cause their own problems. Is there a problem of import of illegal drugs? Yes. The solution is to find some way to keep people from getting to the point of WANTING to use and abuse drugs.
I'm just saying that the solution is more complex than just putting up walls to keep people out. It's not just outsiders that are here to do harm. The problems are systemic, and they cannot be solved by demonizing people who are not part of the in-crowd. This demonization may have begun with calling Mexicans rapists and thieves, but it never stays there. That's bad enough, but it's clear that this type of rhetoric will lead to Anti-Semitism, racism, homophobic attacks, etc. It may have started with calling African nations "shithole countries," but it would naturally grow into other types of xenophobia and hatred.
The rampant Anti-Semitism (which was being excused until now as Anti-Zionism) should not surprise us. Many of us knew it was coming down the pike. It was inevitable.