Thank you for another wonderful essay. I do want to make one distinction and differentiate between the leaders of these activists and the vast majority of "useful idiots" they lead. The leaders, as you said, Pat, know exactly what they are doing. The ones who come up with slogans like "from the River to the Sea," the ones that cover their faces or put on their Keffiyehs to hide the evil and hate they are orchestrating. The ones who come from abroad, who get their funding from Qatar.
And then there are the "useful idiots" who stand out there and think they are fighting for the underdog, who chant but don't know what River and Sea they are chanting about, the Gays who are clueless to the fact that they are marching for those that would kill them and of course, the jocks who are marching to pick up women or guys cuz its so cool and the list goes on.
I would like to think that most of those marchers are the "clueless" and the others are a minority of which your essay focuses on.
Keep up the good fight Pat and thank you for the tremendous work you do on behalf of Jews.
Being "clueless" doesn't give you a free pass. When you decide to support a cause you have to be accountable. Atrocities are allowed to be committed because these "clueless supporters" on the one hand and the silent majority looking away on the other. Accountability is crucial to stop an evil minority to get away with it.
As far as accountability, they are all accountable but the distinction is important. Not all sins are created equal and not all penalties are the same.
Sharing this with my colleagues on the antisemitism task force where I work. Solid, thought-provoking stuff, especially given the anti-/non-Zionists on the personnel rolls...
Activism has become a way of life. Some of the most intollerant people I met are those advocating for tolerance, because they only tolerate you if you wholly subscribe to their view of the world. If you are perceived to offend their causes (sometimes by simply holding a different view) you are immediately branded as a rightwinger, and a bigot. In fact it is those activists who are true biggots.
As to the useful idiots, I do think life is perhaps too good in some quarters - just notice how the campus activism started at all the Ivy Leagues. Activism was born out of the need to fight oppression of workers and peasants. But then acivist movements ran out of causes, because life has improved significantly. As you rightly note, Pat, Jews have always been the vessel for aggression and activism that didnt know where to go. What baffles me is that even when the evil is right in your face, e.g. the rape gangs in the UK, activists and, most shockingly, the government are continuing to spew the "progressive" nonsense about islamophobia and community relations.
Jaffa, I take your point. But by that token, we might find ourselves standing with even bigger dickheads, like Nazi-saluting car manufacturers and tiki-torch carrying "Jews will not rplace us" whackadoodles. So let's not pretend there aren't dickheads on all sides. Our goal is to encourage dickheads to become less dickheaded.
Thank you for another wonderful essay. I do want to make one distinction and differentiate between the leaders of these activists and the vast majority of "useful idiots" they lead. The leaders, as you said, Pat, know exactly what they are doing. The ones who come up with slogans like "from the River to the Sea," the ones that cover their faces or put on their Keffiyehs to hide the evil and hate they are orchestrating. The ones who come from abroad, who get their funding from Qatar.
And then there are the "useful idiots" who stand out there and think they are fighting for the underdog, who chant but don't know what River and Sea they are chanting about, the Gays who are clueless to the fact that they are marching for those that would kill them and of course, the jocks who are marching to pick up women or guys cuz its so cool and the list goes on.
I would like to think that most of those marchers are the "clueless" and the others are a minority of which your essay focuses on.
Keep up the good fight Pat and thank you for the tremendous work you do on behalf of Jews.
papa j
Fair comments! I overgeneralize very often. It's the nature of the medium. But of course you are correct.
Being "clueless" doesn't give you a free pass. When you decide to support a cause you have to be accountable. Atrocities are allowed to be committed because these "clueless supporters" on the one hand and the silent majority looking away on the other. Accountability is crucial to stop an evil minority to get away with it.
As far as accountability, they are all accountable but the distinction is important. Not all sins are created equal and not all penalties are the same.
Sharing this with my colleagues on the antisemitism task force where I work. Solid, thought-provoking stuff, especially given the anti-/non-Zionists on the personnel rolls...
Thank you for your voice, Pat.
Love this and will share !!!
Dear Pat, I hope you will put together a book!
Thanks Mike! We're looking at that! I'm meeting Tuesday with someone in the publishing field.
Activism has become a way of life. Some of the most intollerant people I met are those advocating for tolerance, because they only tolerate you if you wholly subscribe to their view of the world. If you are perceived to offend their causes (sometimes by simply holding a different view) you are immediately branded as a rightwinger, and a bigot. In fact it is those activists who are true biggots.
As to the useful idiots, I do think life is perhaps too good in some quarters - just notice how the campus activism started at all the Ivy Leagues. Activism was born out of the need to fight oppression of workers and peasants. But then acivist movements ran out of causes, because life has improved significantly. As you rightly note, Pat, Jews have always been the vessel for aggression and activism that didnt know where to go. What baffles me is that even when the evil is right in your face, e.g. the rape gangs in the UK, activists and, most shockingly, the government are continuing to spew the "progressive" nonsense about islamophobia and community relations.
1) Glad to support your work financially.
2) This post is 💯 correct.
Jaffa, I take your point. But by that token, we might find ourselves standing with even bigger dickheads, like Nazi-saluting car manufacturers and tiki-torch carrying "Jews will not rplace us" whackadoodles. So let's not pretend there aren't dickheads on all sides. Our goal is to encourage dickheads to become less dickheaded.
Then I must have erred. I don't think it's conscious or rational.