This might be slightly off topic but I'm slowly starting to understand the ancient origins of antisemitism, going back to before Christ.
You should know in depth about the Egyptian writer Manetho, Ancient Egypt, 3rd Century BCE. and the malice he created about the exodus to try and explain their own suppression under the Greeks etc.
I've been puzzled for decades to understand the ancient roots of this hatred. Even carrying the guilt of usurped Christianity in some of this but I'm slowly learning it's a bit more complex.
This is such an important piece of history IMHO, showing that even long before the time of Christ it existed, the fabricated lies about the Hebrews.
Why is this not part of the modern discourse? So that Christians and Muslims can be painted as the main originators of these ancient lies against the Jews?
If we want the truth about antisemitism then the full depth, width and duration of it should surely be more well known. This does not negate the antisemitism of modern time at all.
Reading Berman’s Terrorism and Liberalism, I came to understand what Muslim fundamentalists meant by “the West is attacking Islam.” They didn’t necessarily mean it in a kinetic sense, but in the sense that our liberal institutions are inconsistent with what I call their “maniacal monotheism.” When, as Berman explained, the singular focus is submission to God’s will, Western society, political systems, entertainment industries, liberal values all compete with and challenge the singular fundamentalist world view. So, yes, our secular society is, in that sense, “attacking” fundamentalist Islam.
It just seems impossible for most Westerners to understand or even process a world view so radically at odds with our Enlightenment thinking and values. It just “does not compute.”
The Western failure and inability to understand that not everybody thinks like us and shares the same pluralistic values, which now pervades academia, media and is now encroaching our governance, is a profound weakness.
Excellent analysis. I'm adding this to your reading list:
"The New Opium of Progressives (Radical Anti-Zionism and Islamo-Palestinianism)" by Pierre-André Taguieff -- One of the best French-speaking intellectuals.
You are 400% right but Jew hatred has been revived as Palestinianism and now the mantra is PALESTINIANS/ARABS /MUSLIMS CAN DO NO WRONG JEWS/ISRAELIS CAN DO NO RIGHT AND HAVE NO HUMAN RIGHTS
Nirvana and Utopis are worlds without any Jews what so ever and peace and happinesss reign universally and Sunnis are free to massacre Shi'ites an d vice versa. Then today's liberals will curse Jews for not being around!!
The true disgrace is the alignment of the left with the palestinians. It is hard to believe this is anything but anti Semitism. Again as in history the left's addled ideology persists. When will this plague end? A febrile impotent left puffed up with self importance and little else.
Dear Prof Richard
This might be slightly off topic but I'm slowly starting to understand the ancient origins of antisemitism, going back to before Christ.
You should know in depth about the Egyptian writer Manetho, Ancient Egypt, 3rd Century BCE. and the malice he created about the exodus to try and explain their own suppression under the Greeks etc.
I've been puzzled for decades to understand the ancient roots of this hatred. Even carrying the guilt of usurped Christianity in some of this but I'm slowly learning it's a bit more complex.
Reference : https://substack.com/@rlandes/note/c-295550660?r=5g8wzg
This is such an important piece of history IMHO, showing that even long before the time of Christ it existed, the fabricated lies about the Hebrews.
Why is this not part of the modern discourse? So that Christians and Muslims can be painted as the main originators of these ancient lies against the Jews?
If we want the truth about antisemitism then the full depth, width and duration of it should surely be more well known. This does not negate the antisemitism of modern time at all.
Sincerely,
A Horseman in Shangri-La
Reading Berman’s Terrorism and Liberalism, I came to understand what Muslim fundamentalists meant by “the West is attacking Islam.” They didn’t necessarily mean it in a kinetic sense, but in the sense that our liberal institutions are inconsistent with what I call their “maniacal monotheism.” When, as Berman explained, the singular focus is submission to God’s will, Western society, political systems, entertainment industries, liberal values all compete with and challenge the singular fundamentalist world view. So, yes, our secular society is, in that sense, “attacking” fundamentalist Islam.
It just seems impossible for most Westerners to understand or even process a world view so radically at odds with our Enlightenment thinking and values. It just “does not compute.”
The Western failure and inability to understand that not everybody thinks like us and shares the same pluralistic values, which now pervades academia, media and is now encroaching our governance, is a profound weakness.
Mark Steyn has been warning about the Islamic takeover for about 20 "sod bollocking" years...
Excellent analysis. I'm adding this to your reading list:
"The New Opium of Progressives (Radical Anti-Zionism and Islamo-Palestinianism)" by Pierre-André Taguieff -- One of the best French-speaking intellectuals.
You are 400% right but Jew hatred has been revived as Palestinianism and now the mantra is PALESTINIANS/ARABS /MUSLIMS CAN DO NO WRONG JEWS/ISRAELIS CAN DO NO RIGHT AND HAVE NO HUMAN RIGHTS
Nirvana and Utopis are worlds without any Jews what so ever and peace and happinesss reign universally and Sunnis are free to massacre Shi'ites an d vice versa. Then today's liberals will curse Jews for not being around!!
Is Paul Berman the son of Freddie and Marlyn?
Best
KB
Jerusalem
The true disgrace is the alignment of the left with the palestinians. It is hard to believe this is anything but anti Semitism. Again as in history the left's addled ideology persists. When will this plague end? A febrile impotent left puffed up with self importance and little else.