Opinion
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HOLIDAY
D ry Bones THEIR
CALENDAR
Editorial
Why They Hate Us
T
he persistence of anti-
Semitism over the centu-
ries is largely explained
by the fact that it is, at its core,
illogical and impervious to rea-
son.
The Jewish people do not
actually have to do anything to
arouse hatred. All they have to
do is exist. That is enough for all
sorts of conspiracy theories and
tales of insidious, dark influence
to be attached to them.
No matter how many times
the Protocols of the Elders
of Zion is proven to be a forg-
ery, for example, it resurfaces
and gathers new adherents.
Because it fits a pre-existing set
of beliefs that are prepared to
welcome it. Best of all, it is part
of a plot that is hidden, covered
up, only detectable by the truly
informed.
That's why it is taken as a
matter of absolute truth in most
of the Muslim world that it was
the Jews who were really behind
the attacks of 9-11; in combina-
tion, of course, with the country
they secretly control, the United
States.
Several commentators have
noted the structural similarities
between classic anti-Semitism
and the new wave of anti-
Americanism in the world.
"In both, prejudice functions
as a matrix of self-justifying,
holistic conspiracy theories that
substitute for rational thought:'
summarizes former London
Times editor Daniel Johnson, in
the June issue of Commentary.
"Both rely on fantasies about
power and influence, discern-
ing hidden patterns, concocting
atrocity stories, gliding over
inconvenient disconfirming
facts."
America really is the stron-
gest power in the world, but
when measured in the great
balance of history it has been a
force for good. That makes no
difference to the true believer.
So what if it rushes aid to
disaster victims, pours money
into humanitarian causes, sends
troops to places like Kosovo
to help people in whom it has
no political or financial stake?
That's the really clever part of
the plot; a pretext to mask its
true goal, which is world domi-
nation. Just like the Jews.
Since it is still impermis-
sible to be overtly anti-Semitic
among the European media
and political elites, the focus of
their disapproval is Israel and
takes the form of anti-Zionism.
But the theory rapidly gaining
a foothold in Europe is that the
"Israel lobby" is the secret force
that actually controls foreign
policy in Washington.
Its American arm is the neo-
conservatives. Indeed, the word
neo-con among the elites has
become another way of saying
Jewish, only with a wink and a
nod.
To believe that the Jewish
people — so few in number,
so often the victims of history
— are trying to rule the world
by ruling America takes a spe-
cial sort of mentality.
But ancient hatreds do not go
EACH YEAR WE
CELEBRATE THE
PISASTER .OF
1918.
IN TIME, OF
COURSE WE'LL
BE CELEBRATING
THE OISASTER
OF 2006
WHEN WE CHOSE
WAR INSTEAD OF A
STATE ALONGSIDE
OF ISRAEL.
WHEN WE CHOSE
HAAS TERROR
INSTEAD OF A
STATE ALONGSIDE
OF ISRAEL
www.dryboriesblog.com
away. They may go underground
for a while. Eventually they reap-
pear, however, and renew their
attacks on the same old targets
in newly altered forms. The mas-
querade should fool no one.
❑
E-mail letters of no
more than 150 words to:
Ietters®thejewishnews.com .
Reality Check
Shut Up And Watch
"You need to take
your friends and
family and make
them see it."
— Ad for the documentary film
on global warming,
"An Inconvenient Truth."
U
ncle Joe didn't see it
coming. He answered
the doorbell and
thought it was just his nephew
standing there. He never sus-
pected that I was on a mission.
Before he could turn around, I
had him covered with my Glock,
a little number I'd picked up
while trying to save the Earth in
24
July 13 - 2006
Argentina.
"Hey, buddy boy, what's goin'
on," he asked.
"Get in the car, unc. We're '
goin' for a ride, and don't make
me play rough," I said. "My little
friend here has a nasty bite."
"I don't get it. Aren't you writ-
ing a column anymore."
"I'll do the talking here:' I
said. "Don't take it personalit's
just business. I'm saving the
Earth."
"But where are we going," he
asked.
"This isn't any time to go
metaphysical on me. When we
get back you can call a cler-
gyman and see if he has any
answers. Right now we're going
to see a movie. I'm gonna make
you see it."
"But this isn't a good time,"
he said. "It's just too
inconvenient."
"Sure, that's what
they all say," I snarled.
"Too inconvenient to
know the truth. You
know, there are people
in Washington hoping
that's how you feel so
they can dismiss this
as a fringe issue.
"Not this time. No
way. This is global warming's
moment."
At least, that's what it said
in the ad. For a moment, I also
thought it said "A snazzy treat."
But then I realized that I had
let my eye wander over to The
Devil Wears Prada ad. It didn't
matter. I knew what I had to do.
"Now let me get this straight,"
said Uncle Joe. "You've got that
thing pointed at me
so we can go see
some documentary
about global warm-
ing?
"Bingo!" I replied.
"Well, go ahead
and shoot:' he said.
"Go ahead. I'd rath-
er take one between
the eyes if it means
getting out of lis-
tening to Al Gore hak mir
tchainig about global warming.
"Come on inside. The Tigers
are on the television and I've got
Boston coolers if you're so wor-
ried about the warming."
So I sat down and watched
the ballgame. But the game I
was playing was far from over.
I had lots more friends and
family and not all of them
could be as persuasive as Uncle
Joe. There was my mother, for
instance. She'd go to any movie
except the ones where one of the
main characters is a chainsaw.
"Sure, I'll go see it, if we can
stop at Buddy's for a pizza on
the way home," she said.
"Don't you get it?" I told her.
"Cheese-making is a very envi-
ronmentally harmful process.
The North Pole is melting. Top
of the world, ma:'
"And your James Cagney
imitation stinkS, too:' she said,
gently taking the gun from my
hand and making sure it didn't
scratch the dining room table.
"Just bring the SUV around to
the front and we'll go."
George Cantor's e-mail address is
gcantor614@aol.com .