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The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is misinformation -- not "allegedly," it is a straight up lie that was intended to stir up antisemitic hatred. The man in q

The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is misinformation -- not "allegedly," it is a straight up lie that was intended to stir up antisemitic hatred. The man in question used his print publication to propagate that pamphlet. That same man spent years using his radio program to promote the falsehood that the Russian Revolution was sponsored by "Jewish bankers" and the conspiracy theory that "Jews" were behind Bolshevism. In response to Kristalnacht he said that the persecution of Jews by the Nazis "followed" the persecution of Christians by the Bolsheviks, as if Kristalnacht was a response to what happened in the USSR. When he was challenged on his antisemitism he declared that he wanted the "Good Jews" on his side and that he was only taking a stand against the persecution of people generally (never mind his comments on Kristalnacht and support for the Nazi Party and the Bund). So no, this is not an example of out of control censorship or a witch hunt or even a "mere accusation" ruining someone's life, nor was it simply that he was an opponent of Roosevelt (who, like every US president, had many political opponents). This is an example of someone who was fomenting religious and ethnic divisions by spreading the propaganda of one of America's adversaries -- while also being indirectly funded by that adversary.

MikeUt 6y ago
> the conspiracy theory that "Jews" were behind Bolshevism 10 of the 15 leaders of the Russian-supported socialist revolution in Germany were Jewish: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Revolution_of_1918%E2%80%931919 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Revolution_of_1918%E2%8... It would be interesting to compare that to the percentage of the German population that was Jewish at the time.
- majewsky 6y ago
  That's not surprising. Jews have traditionally been overrepresented in intellectual circles in Europe around that time. One of the major reasons for this is the antisemitism of preindustrial times: Jews had a hard time entering guilds, and they didn't own any land, so the only viable career paths for them were as merchants or scholars. Their success in these fields then triggered the next level of antisemitism, the 20th-century and contemporary alleged Jewish World Conspiracy. As another example of how Jews were overrepresented in intellectual fields, the German science community, which had up to this point been among the leading ones in the world, took a serious blow in the 1930s and 1940s because all the Jewish scientists had to emigrate. It can be argued that Germany never quite recovered from that brain drain. (Disclaimer: I'm not a historian. However, I'm German myself and have studied my country's history to a certain degree.)
  - MikeUt 6y ago
    > That's not surprising. If it's so unsurprising, why does it keep being disparagingly referred to as a conspiracy theory? > the only viable career paths for them were as merchants or scholars Does instigating a civil war/revolution/coup fall under trade, or academia?
Zuider 6y ago
Fr. Caughlin's anti-Semitism was reprehensible, but given the pervasive atmosphere of anti-Semitism at the time, was it actually the distinguishing feature that caused him to be singled out? On a historical note, the 'Protocols' was originally intended as racist satire, based on the unlikely premise of a leak from the key plotters in a conspiracy. It was immediately received as if it were genuine.

MikeUt 6y ago

> the conspiracy theory that "Jews" were behind Bolshevism 10 of the 15 leaders of the Russian-supported socialist revolution in Germany were Jewish: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Revolution_of_1918%E2%80%931919 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Revolution_of_1918%E2%8... It would be interesting to compare that to the percentage of the German population that was Jewish at the time.

majewsky 6y ago
That's not surprising. Jews have traditionally been overrepresented in intellectual circles in Europe around that time. One of the major reasons for this is the antisemitism of preindustrial times: Jews had a hard time entering guilds, and they didn't own any land, so the only viable career paths for them were as merchants or scholars. Their success in these fields then triggered the next level of antisemitism, the 20th-century and contemporary alleged Jewish World Conspiracy. As another example of how Jews were overrepresented in intellectual fields, the German science community, which had up to this point been among the leading ones in the world, took a serious blow in the 1930s and 1940s because all the Jewish scientists had to emigrate. It can be argued that Germany never quite recovered from that brain drain. (Disclaimer: I'm not a historian. However, I'm German myself and have studied my country's history to a certain degree.)
- MikeUt 6y ago
  > That's not surprising. If it's so unsurprising, why does it keep being disparagingly referred to as a conspiracy theory? > the only viable career paths for them were as merchants or scholars Does instigating a civil war/revolution/coup fall under trade, or academia?

Zuider 6y ago

Fr. Caughlin's anti-Semitism was reprehensible, but given the pervasive atmosphere of anti-Semitism at the time, was it actually the distinguishing feature that caused him to be singled out? On a historical note, the 'Protocols' was originally intended as racist satire, based on the unlikely premise of a leak from the key plotters in a conspiracy. It was immediately received as if it were genuine.