Found some important pieces in various outlets today.
Locally, Rabbi Zoberman, my Jewish Spiritual leader, shares his thought:
From Boze Herrington at The Week:
https://theweek.com/crime/1009426/why-resurgent-antisemitism-in-america-is-a-problem-for-us-all
In 1995, while deployed to the Med, I was blessed to be part of a tour to Jerusalem during a port visit to Haifa. The last stop on the tour was the Children’s Memorial at the Yad Vashem museum. It was heartbreaking and brought one of the many horrors of the Holocaust into very vivid focus. The frustrating part was hearing a couple of my younger shipmates say, “So what’s the big deal?” “Never Forget” became more important to me than it ever had been.
Some years later, when my children were old enough to appreciate it, we took a trip to D.C.. One of our many stops that weekend was the US Holocaust Museum. Part of that experience is walking through a mock up of a Polish city, which throughout the course of the walk, transforms to a Polish Ghetto. My kids asked how that could happen. I explained it as best I could, and they understood that something like that should never be allowed to happen again.
For those of you who have accused me of being oversensitive to the issue, I invite you to read these pieces, visit the museum in D.C., and if ever given the opportunity, walk through that children’s memorial in Jerusalem. Maybe then you MIGHT grasp my feelings.
Tidewater News and Opinion Forum 
Uh oh. This is a divisive topic and might make readers of German heritage uncomfortable.
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To quote Mr. Roberts. “So what?”
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I think it was meant to be sarcastic…😇
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He left out the damned emoji. How am I supposed to know?😉
But then again, my reply was as well.
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And just between you and me, I was hoping for comments a little more thought provoking.
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Genocide happens periodically. Rwanda, Serbia, Myanmar and China are some of the recent examples.
Right wing nationalism is taking hold in several European nations. I fear that it won’t be long before we see some more atrocities.
We have an undercurrent of anti-Semitism in the US. “Jews will not replace us”, chanted by hundreds in Charlottesville. Political ads knocking Jewish bankers and not so subtle visual references of the Star of David and cash. The ads are more concerning since they were meant to appeal to millions, not just some disaffected protestors.
It is better today as far as day to day references. When I grew up, the slurs like kike, hebe, “getting Jewed down” we’re very common among many adults in the neighborhood. And this was less than 2 decades since the reality of the Holocaust became known. Even as little as a few decades ago, I had a vendor say to me “why are you buying from those Jews” while trying to renew a service.
I know this has been an issue since Moses, and particularly Christ, but at some point one would think a nation would mature enough to accept others better in a nation founded and built by immigrants.
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I wonder what he means by, “The Jewish community is squeezed between the far right and the far left, opposing political forces that share an antisemitic streak.”
He notes several of the many instances of far right antisemitism, but provides no examples of far left antisemitism.
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Some of the comments from the Squad come to mind. They were not anti-Semitic so much as anti-Israeli government. Some say that is the same, but I disagree. As do many American Jews (My beloved Grandmother, Ruth, was VERY displeased with Bibi.)
Rabbi Zoberman is always very careful in his words.
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“Some of the comments from the Squad come to mind. They were not anti-Semitic so much as anti-Israeli government. Some say that is the same, but I disagree. As do many American Jews (My beloved Grandmother, Ruth, was VERY displeased with Bibi.)”
I certainly hope that’s not what he was implying. Because that’s usually what the right means when they accuse the left. Look at Jeremy Corbyn.
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Agreed. But as I said, Rebbe Z is very careful in his wording and does not want to offend any one.
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Sure. And you certainly know him better than I do. I’m just unaware of any left wing antisemitism beyond the (you and I both agree) erroneous charge that antizionism = anti-Semitism.
If any left of center project is to succeed, it must include all marginalized groups. We can’t afford to be fighting amongst ourselves.
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Louis Farrakhan comes to mind.
And all marginalized groups must be included.
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Farrakhan is right wing. He was very supportive of Trump.
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Some would disagree. NOI does not fall into right wing in my view. I could be mistaken.
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They’re an odd bunch for sure. I don’t know that they have economic stances, but they’re racist, sexist, homophobic, antisemitic and advocate racial segregation. That’s why I put them on the right.
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No argument. However, there are some far left (not ultra liberal, per se) aspects to them as well. The National Socialist party of 1930’s Germany comes to mind.
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Come on man, don’t do the right wing thing and say the Nazis were left wing because they had “socialist” in their name.
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Guilty as charged…. But like the switch between Democrats and Republicans, history has a funny way of remembering things.
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Apparently Jerusalem got snow today.
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And we’ll get it tonight. Similar latitudes….
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“Never forget” strikes a strong chord in me, but I think we may identify the enemy differently.
Klansmen and Nazis are impotent cowards so long as they do not have the force of an omnipotent government behind them. That is why it is my intention that government NEVER be strong enough to dominate the people.
It’s hard to get 6 million people into concentration camps, while fighting a two front war, if they are armed to the teeth.
That’s a hard lesson the Israelis seem to have learned. I admire that.
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How many Japanese Americans did we put in camps while fighting a two front war? And we have the 2nd Amendment plus a culture of gun ownership.
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Yes, we did indeed allow a Democrat, FDR, to become too powerful and above question.
Never again.
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I disapprove of your use of “Never again”.
But then again Trump was worse at attempting to become too powerful and above question. As an example, YOU never questioned anything he did or said. You usually gave him a pass because he “misspoke” or “didn’t fully understand” or he “didn’t mean what he said.”
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Trump put hundreds of thousands of American citizens in internment camps? I must have missed the news that day.
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NO. He convinced 70+ million voters that the election was stolen. Not an attempt to protect the country from a perceived threat, but to keep himself in power.
And you STILL are giving him a pass even as more news come out about his and his minions’ attempts to change the outcome of the election.
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RE: “How many Japanese Americans did we put in camps while fighting a two front war?”
About 80,000. The concentration camps weren’t country clubs, but neither were they comparable in any way to, say, Aushwitz.
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Did not say they were. But the Japanese-Americans who were interred often lost all their properties, businesses, etc. that were taken over by opportunists and shysters.
Genocide? Hardly. But it just rings familiar with so many other ethnic scandals in societies.
German-Americans were not treated the same for obvious reasons. They made up a huge proportion of our population, they were White Christians, and hard to identify by looks alone.
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Um, last I recall, Japan attacked us and had numerous “Japanese americans” willing to spy for them. Same goes for Muslims willing to spy for whatever Muslim crackpot organization that crops up eating to repeat 9/11. Who’s side are you on?
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“ Who’s side are you on?”
American. And many were 2nd generation American citizens.
Not American enough? The 442 Regiment of all Japanese-Americans was the most decorated unit in WW2. Fighting for you and me while their families and friends were in camps.
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…” they do not have the force of an omnipotent government behind them.”
Trump wanted to use those people to keep himself in power. He supported them by NOT condemning them. If you don’t see that, then you are blind to reality.
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Trump did condemn the neo Nazis and White Supremacists. He just did not extend that condemnation to history buffs whose protest the Nazis co-opted.
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He didn’t condemn them. He called the very fine people. Tried to cover that up by saying “on both sides”. He told some of them to stand back and stand by.
Why can you not acknowledge what this man has done? And attempted to do? All in the name of some sense of purity.
Every time you give him a pass you prove something my father told me a few years ago. Libertarians believe in unicorns, dragons and have very little contact with reality. His words that you continually remind me are more true than ever.
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That simply isn’t true.
The video still exists.
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And you, and the rest of the apologists, view the video differently through the orange colored glasses you wear. Those of us who believe in reality heard what he said and understood exactly what he meant.
Reality bites. Deal with it and quit lying to yourself.
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Co-opted? The rally was organized by Spencer, a White Supremacist, for the Unite the Right organization.
Trump’s “corrected” statements didn’t come until 2 days later.
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