The Holocaust, it might have been presumed, put an end to the Jews’ role as the means through which Western societies defined themselves, the mirror they held up to decide “Who are we?” But no, well into this century...
Beautifully said. Humanity needs a mirror. It is when it refuses to look at itself that it goes rogue. That some still look is a hopeful sign even as there are more and more who look away, deny what they see and redefine the ideal. Whatever we call the warning, Jews have marked humanity's descent into dangerous, dark territory. Once again, when we betray the Jews, we betray all of us. Beware.
24/7/365 Jew news. It's all about the Jews. Non-stop.
We can use a break from this constant Jews in the news narrative. Of course, much of the news and entertainment media is dominated by Jews, who are, by and large, Left-wingers, thus the public's view on topics and issues is from the Leftwing, internationalist perspective.
Oops, I forgot, we're not allowed to "notice". These days, "noticing" is RAYSISM (or anti-Semitism).
There have always been two intellectual strands in European culture.
One was to use the foreigner as the foil to offer a critique of European society. Though it became an accepted literary genre and so had many examples, among the best known is Montesquieu’s “Les lettres persanes.” The point was to allow Europeans to identify, think on and address their social inequalities and shortcomings. The advantage to the authors was minimizing the risk of arrest for being seen as attacking the state.
The other is the subject of this piece, and refers to a form of intellectual inquiry that might be called “thinking with ‘Jews’”. In this case, the “foreigner” becomes not the outside, impartial observer and critic but the very locus of the problems that plague the Europeans.
Rather than provide for greater introspection, this form of inquiry gave Europeans something far more comforting, a free pass, both moral and otherwise. Now, it turned out that their problems were not if their own making but could all be laid still the feet of the great “Other” in their midsts who, not coincidentally, were the very people from whom their Christian societies had always needed to distinguish themselves.
It turns out that it is far more easier and emotionally compelling to define your identity in a negative way (what you’re against or who you’re unlike) than in a positive manner (what you are for or seek to achieve). And so here we are once more.
Inside the concentration camp in Austria, a massive prison the size of a town, there is another totally separate prison for Jews only. The rest is for POWs etc from Poland, Russia and anything but Jews. My young smart decent German guide had no words, oddly, hadn’t thought about it.
Israel and military self defense - and loving our most magnificent Peoplehood, an ancient civilization - is our only way. We must embrace ourselves not expect human comprehension they extend to others.
Very astute analysis of mirror imaging. As I have fed and served the homeless for decades, I believe the reasons many 'Inside People' avert their eyes from panhandler's signs is because they are like mirrors into which we cannot peer.
Genocide is genocide, no matter who does it. It is the Zionists who pose the greatest threat to Jews around the world, not a bunch of teenagers in sneakers with IEDs, or Americans like myself who object to our tax dollars being spent on an ethnostate, the existence of which depends on ethnic cleansing, and not coincidentally makes enemies of my country out of people who otherwise would have nothing against it.
Anyone who associates Jews and Judaism with Zionism risks painting all Jews with the noxious brush of genocide, which is a great way to paint targets on their backs. Jews like Norman Finkelstein, Max Blumenthal, and Jewish Voice for Peace do not deserve that, so that's why I, an agnostic who will take paganism over monotheism every time, am coming on here and saying this.
Technically Israel is not an ethno-state by virtue of having 2 million Arabs and citizenship isn't exclusive to Jews. Examples of ethno-states - Japan, South Korea, the Palestinian Authority, etc.
"Genocide"
So far no genocide has been demonstrated in Gaza.
The "Zionists" are the only people protecting Jews. Finkelstein supports the Houthis who call for the death of Jews and Americans. Very moral.
Your 2nd sentence illustrates the myth into which Jews have historically bought. "Keep quiet...low profile....don't make waves....be more German (or French, or Spanish, et al) ...assimilate and the goyem will accept you. Modern Jews are awakening to the falseness and folly of this dead-ended path. It is the goyem who have taught the Jews this is a trap to maintain Jews as their favorite scapegoats. The deep message of gentiles is for the Jews to continue to suffer as victims, but not to remove themselves since they provide such a valuable denial function. Apologies for my intentional use of an epithet, which is appropriate for this theme.
This helps me understand why Christian advocates of gay rights in the U.S. from the 1990’s onward so frequently leveled cheap accusations of acting like those backward Jews against conservative Christians who opposed those rights on religious grounds.
Not surprisingly, those cheap shots more often than not relied on complete misunderstandings of such things as kashrut, the role of the priest, and the distinction between capital and non-capital offenses.
Typo apology: this sentence should read “Now, it turned out that their problems were not of their own making but could all be laid at the feet of the great “Other” ….”
Really good.
To the non-Jewish world:
We have functioned forever as the canaries in your coalmines and as the mirrors to your souls.
We would like to cancel our subcription.
Beautifully said. Humanity needs a mirror. It is when it refuses to look at itself that it goes rogue. That some still look is a hopeful sign even as there are more and more who look away, deny what they see and redefine the ideal. Whatever we call the warning, Jews have marked humanity's descent into dangerous, dark territory. Once again, when we betray the Jews, we betray all of us. Beware.
24/7/365 Jew news. It's all about the Jews. Non-stop.
We can use a break from this constant Jews in the news narrative. Of course, much of the news and entertainment media is dominated by Jews, who are, by and large, Left-wingers, thus the public's view on topics and issues is from the Leftwing, internationalist perspective.
Oops, I forgot, we're not allowed to "notice". These days, "noticing" is RAYSISM (or anti-Semitism).
There have always been two intellectual strands in European culture.
One was to use the foreigner as the foil to offer a critique of European society. Though it became an accepted literary genre and so had many examples, among the best known is Montesquieu’s “Les lettres persanes.” The point was to allow Europeans to identify, think on and address their social inequalities and shortcomings. The advantage to the authors was minimizing the risk of arrest for being seen as attacking the state.
The other is the subject of this piece, and refers to a form of intellectual inquiry that might be called “thinking with ‘Jews’”. In this case, the “foreigner” becomes not the outside, impartial observer and critic but the very locus of the problems that plague the Europeans.
Rather than provide for greater introspection, this form of inquiry gave Europeans something far more comforting, a free pass, both moral and otherwise. Now, it turned out that their problems were not if their own making but could all be laid still the feet of the great “Other” in their midsts who, not coincidentally, were the very people from whom their Christian societies had always needed to distinguish themselves.
It turns out that it is far more easier and emotionally compelling to define your identity in a negative way (what you’re against or who you’re unlike) than in a positive manner (what you are for or seek to achieve). And so here we are once more.
Well articulated. And this;
Inside the concentration camp in Austria, a massive prison the size of a town, there is another totally separate prison for Jews only. The rest is for POWs etc from Poland, Russia and anything but Jews. My young smart decent German guide had no words, oddly, hadn’t thought about it.
Israel and military self defense - and loving our most magnificent Peoplehood, an ancient civilization - is our only way. We must embrace ourselves not expect human comprehension they extend to others.
Wow, this was so incisive.
Amen!
Very astute analysis of mirror imaging. As I have fed and served the homeless for decades, I believe the reasons many 'Inside People' avert their eyes from panhandler's signs is because they are like mirrors into which we cannot peer.
Genocide is genocide, no matter who does it. It is the Zionists who pose the greatest threat to Jews around the world, not a bunch of teenagers in sneakers with IEDs, or Americans like myself who object to our tax dollars being spent on an ethnostate, the existence of which depends on ethnic cleansing, and not coincidentally makes enemies of my country out of people who otherwise would have nothing against it.
Anyone who associates Jews and Judaism with Zionism risks painting all Jews with the noxious brush of genocide, which is a great way to paint targets on their backs. Jews like Norman Finkelstein, Max Blumenthal, and Jewish Voice for Peace do not deserve that, so that's why I, an agnostic who will take paganism over monotheism every time, am coming on here and saying this.
"Ethno-state"
Technically Israel is not an ethno-state by virtue of having 2 million Arabs and citizenship isn't exclusive to Jews. Examples of ethno-states - Japan, South Korea, the Palestinian Authority, etc.
"Genocide"
So far no genocide has been demonstrated in Gaza.
The "Zionists" are the only people protecting Jews. Finkelstein supports the Houthis who call for the death of Jews and Americans. Very moral.
Your 2nd sentence illustrates the myth into which Jews have historically bought. "Keep quiet...low profile....don't make waves....be more German (or French, or Spanish, et al) ...assimilate and the goyem will accept you. Modern Jews are awakening to the falseness and folly of this dead-ended path. It is the goyem who have taught the Jews this is a trap to maintain Jews as their favorite scapegoats. The deep message of gentiles is for the Jews to continue to suffer as victims, but not to remove themselves since they provide such a valuable denial function. Apologies for my intentional use of an epithet, which is appropriate for this theme.
This helps me understand why Christian advocates of gay rights in the U.S. from the 1990’s onward so frequently leveled cheap accusations of acting like those backward Jews against conservative Christians who opposed those rights on religious grounds.
Not surprisingly, those cheap shots more often than not relied on complete misunderstandings of such things as kashrut, the role of the priest, and the distinction between capital and non-capital offenses.
Typo apology: this sentence should read “Now, it turned out that their problems were not of their own making but could all be laid at the feet of the great “Other” ….”