This is a subject on which thousands of books have been written, and I have read only a few of them. The podcast was deeply unenlightening, and I am surprised that Roberts, whose podcasts I have religiously listened to since 2007, gives it so much credence. It seems like old wine in new bottles. Does abetting of crimes against the Jews exist? Yes. Is it a prerequisite to their killings and prosecutions? Also yes. Exhibits: the book by Goldhagen "Hitler's Willing Executioners" or in art form, "The Garden of the Finzi-Contini", or "The Fiddler on the Roof", and many other movies and novels. So The Pattern is just a relabeling of an experimental observation. What Deutsch does is to elevate this to the rank of an axiom, of a nonhistorical law "like gravity". I disagree. The Pattern has historical origins, and the fact that it ebbs and flows is not the product of pure chance, but of circumstances that have fostered or starved it. I suggest that the Pattern (as an empirical fact) might be explained also by social or psychological theories. These theories should be presented, discussed, falsified. A comment is not the place for some pop psychology, which would commit the same sin of laziness as assuming the Pattern-as-primitive. But I want to point out to readers that this is a deeply pessimistic, nihilistic stance, in addition to being intellectually lazy. If the Pattern is real and eternal, it is beside the point to discuss and to persuade. It is the triumph of Conflict Theory over Mistake Theory. All the more counterintuitive that this seems to be embraced by the host whose subtitle is "conversations for the curious".
To be fair to David Deutsch, it is my formulation and not his to compare the Pattern to gravity. He might disagree with the analogy. He does give an explanation (in the EconTalk episode) of why it ebbs and flows—he argues that it intensifies when cultural trends or historical events threaten it such as the Enlightenment or the establishment of the State of Israel. I think our conversation made it clear that there is something deeply dissatisfying about positing an empirical regularity as consequential without providing any explanation for its existence. Having said that, suggesting that the Pattern has historical origins seems obviously true but it’s shocking how little progress the world has made in understanding those origins. I do plan to read David Nirenberg’s Anti-Judaism and perhaps we will return to this topic on EconTalk in the future.
Thanks for the answer. On the *positive* side, I would add one item: while abetting hate crimes against Jewish minorities is a very old phenomenon, the recent integration of Jewish cultural life in the West has no precedent. It takes many forms: secular culture, but also the pervasive influence that Judaism has been on, say, XX century Catholic and Lutheran intellectuals. The result is that, while a future majority of Western citizens might condone, say, the idea of obliterating Israel (and I don't think it's a majority, just a vocal minority), there is a current majority that doesn't accept it, and within it there is another principled minority that unconditionally, and at high personal cost, would never accept it. I would not call them friends or allies, since these terms have tribal connotations. More like "sodales" in Latin. People sharing deeply held principles. Not an expert in history, but with very few exceptions ("Nathan the Wise" comes to mind) there were not many genuine defenders and sodales in centuries past.
I read Nirenberg's Anti-Judaism a few years ago and thought it was a tour de force of European intellectual history that showed a shocking pervasiveness of hostility toward Judaism/Jewishness/Jews throughout pre-Christian, Christian and Islamic thought, and specifically within thinkers of the highest echelons. I cannot recommend it highly enough, and would love to hear you discuss it with Nirenberg on Econtalk. In fact, I have been quite surprised that he has not been on podcasts discussing his book over the past few year.
Another author I've learned a lot from is Ruth Wisse, particularly her book Jews and Power, and her subsequent essay The Functions of Antisemitism. She would also be a very interesting guest on Econtalk, with a perspective from right of center (rather than probably somewhat left of center from Nirenberg). If I remember correctly, Wisse formulates antisemitism as something like “the organization of politics against the Jews." And she ascribes its stubborn persistence as in large part due to its tremendous effectiveness as a political organizing tool.
Thank you for this beautiful essay, which contains so many truths. Econtalk has been one of my favorite podcasts since I discovered it during the pandemic, and since October 7 it has only become far more important and meaningful to me. I am deeply grateful to you for exemplifying so much of the best of what the Jewish people have brought to the world.
I'm not sure whether I'm way off base here, or alternatively just restating the obvious, but in listening to the Econtalk episode with Professor Deutsch, I was reminded of some ideas from the books of Frans de Waal ("Our Inner Ape" in particular). Waal posits/demonstrates that a great deal of what we tend to think of as "human morality/values" actually appears to be hardwired neural circuitry inherited through evolution from our primate ancestors, and exhibited to varying degrees by other primate species (chimps, bonobos, gorillas, etc.).
One of these traits is the concept of in-group/out-group identification. For example, chimps have been known to violently attack other chimp groups for no other obvious reason than that they recognize them as outside their in-group.
Humans clearly seem to also exhibit this primate trait of in-group hostility toward those identified as outside their group. It would seem that we Jews perpetually find ourselves falling into the out-group category (not merely as demographic/ethnic minorities in European Christian or Middle Eastern Muslim based societies, but potentiated by foundational theological hostility). And Jews' desire to continue in the heritage of their ancestors puts them in the eternal position of being chronically deliberate outsiders by choice (as I believe Dara Horn has observed, a society's tolerance for Jews is an excellent indicator of its tolerance for diversity/nonconformity in general).
So perhaps this might explain some portion of The Pattern in terms of evolutionary biology/psychology, i.e., Jews attract hostility because they are seen as outsiders, and humans share this basic hardwired primate trait of hostility toward outsiders. Just a thought. Unfortunately, Waal passed away from cancer in the past year or two. This question might have made for an interesting Econtalk discussion.
1) it isn't all haters or supporters and facts aren't useless. I was long dubious of many Israeli actions. Recent events--but especially the defenses and explanations I've read--have turned me from nearly ambivalent to a strong supporter. Facts and explanations DO matter for changing minds.
2) Israel is not the only country whose legitimacy is questioned. Amongst the myriad examples, Ukraine is fighting an existential battle for its legitimacy. Taiwan's legitimacy is questioned every moment of every day. Tibet had its stripped. Indigenous peoples around the world are in constant fights for their legitimacy. While I agree that as far as I'm aware no other group is subject to the nearly universal effects of the Pattern, the claim that only Israel has its legitimacy questioned is at a minimum hyperbolic, if not flat out wrong and disrespectful of hundred of millions who have fought, are fighting, and likely will fight in the future for their legitimacy.
Neither quibble diminishes your main point. If I'm wrong please let me know
160 members of the UN recognize Israel as a sovereign state. 12 recognize Taiwan and a majority consider it part of China. Taiwan is not a charter member of the UN and Israel is. It's pretty clear that Taiwan's legitimacy is in question throughout the world and a majority of the west either does not recognize it or does not take a position.
Did I miss that Russ specifically restricted the questioning of Israel's legitimacy to the west? If so, my bad.
And still, multiple people in and adjacent to the US administration have, in fact, echoed the Russian talking point that Ukraine is "not a real country."
You didn't, Heshy is falling victim to the same Russ narrowing siege mentality tends to induce. Btw a equivalent example, or one treated even worse, in your post above would be Gypsies. Other "Western" national examples are Kosovo, Cyprus, Ireland,Transnistria, etc. None of which proclaim to be an ethnostates though. Claims of modern ethnostates tend to be limited to Israel, China, the UAE, maybe Bhutan along with the failed ethnostates of South Africa and Hawaii.
It's irrelevant, Russ is making a universal claim about "the pattern" hence anywhere means everywhere. As I mentioned, I don't recall upper middle class Japanese kids questioning Israelis right to exist either nor is it a hot topic in Palau.
Because once you concede it's not universal like "gravity", then you open yourself to the introspective critique it might be "you" or even, God forbid, actually justified.
You could make a universal argument about "the pattern" it would just be called a psychological disposition towards just world theory, then you get to spend the rest of the time arguing facts and contingencies again.
Love you Ross, one if the top three people I've ever respected in my life and I'll continue to do so but this post captures exactly why us untermensch have such a schadenfreude attitude towards execution of "the pattern". The genetic (not going to claim literally DNA here, more figuratively) cognitive dissonance and tone deafness of Jews are resounding as well as the perennial bully claiming victhimhood. Easy counterexamples to the uniqueness of the "oh woe is me, unique to the universe" plight of the Jew is the Gypsy, who generally have it even worse off, and guess what, nobody is giving them a country. You claim Israel's right to exist is the only country questioned and yet Kosovo, Somaliland, Kurdistan, and load of failed ethnostates around the world would like to have a word with you. Also as you are aware, and I believe have written about in the past, NO country has a right to exist, sovereignty doesn't work that way. Sovereignty is defined by what you can defend. Likewise no 'people' have a right to exist either, where are the Picts today? The Capodochians, the Aztecs, the antebellum confederate?..
Likewise I just don't hear a lot of Japanese angst about the Jews for matter nor Israel/Gaza, the Nepalese don't seem to care as well nor would I imagine would an uncontacted tribe in the Amazon if the mythical wondering Jew got lost and found among them hence no, "the pattern" isn't innate, more a cultural antibody after exposure.
That said, we are 100% effectively on the same sheet of music on #4. It's one of my main critiques of Jews, their passive aggressiveness, or if you like, their historic sneakiness / third rail which basically the same thing. If you want to be an ethnic supremacists, own it, it's ok to be so as after all, that doesn't per say in practice harm anyone else in the long term.
There is (was?) a famous photo [1] of George Rockwell attending a Malcolm X rally and Rockwell was known to have routinely praised and liked Elijah Muhammad. There is no reason you couldn't be sitting right next to them.
PS: And don't take that as Jew hatred, I'll be in a three hour service here in a couple hours on Theophany celebrating one Jew baptizing another Jew. As a goy I'd like to think John would have baptized me as well too but who knows, maybe he'd just seal the area with armed guards to prevent my attempt or flat drown me if he was of the modern Jew calibre. Or maybe just look down his hooked nose and sneer in glee as God sent his fighter bombing dove to drop a load of feces on me for daring to pollute his land with my presence. Yes that last part was meant in a sarcastic jest but the crux is worth considering.
Hopefully my brethren in Gaza can find somewhere to celebrate Jews today as well given the IDF has bombed all the Orthodox churches in Gaza for their Jew Hatred (tm). You know who didn't blow up Orthodox churches in Gaza, Hamas.
PSS: You've distinctly become more radicalized since your move to Israel Russ, not sure if you noticed that. Yes yes yes causation / correlation etc but just pointing it out if nobody ever had before to you. I think you are starting to adopt an insidious siege mentality which often develops in insular silos of excellence, justified or not. Just be aware how it projects.
PSSS: Oddly a very consequentialist post as well given your fresh on my mind railing against that in your recent(ish) "Violent Saviors" podcast episode. Sorry still trying to catch up, not actually yet got to this Deutsche one yet.
I’m Jewish and worry about these things, too, but wonder if the Pattern applies to more groups of people than we Jews realize. It seems that minority groups are subject to attacks from majority groups everywhere throughout time. I was speaking with an Iranian-American yesterday and, unrelated to this topic, she was telling me how Kurds in Iran are mistreated and she doesn’t know why other than they’re a minority group.
The book “Anti-Judaism” by Nirenberg presents, to me, a more sophisticated version of Deutch’s “pattern” argument. If you’re intrigued by the “pattern” idea but seek amore nuance, I highly recommend that book.
I’m going to oversimplify because I read it a few years ago, but here’s the basic argument: antisemitism is derived from the theological move that Christianity made, casting Jews as a people defined by guilt. Over the centuries Jews became almost a symbol of guilt in the west and near east, a kind of high brow ultimate scapegoat. Every major western philosophy/ideology has done its “thinking with Jews,” in other words, cast Jews as an extreme example of whatever that ideology was against. Everyone know about the ironic way that Jews were scapegoated as capitalists by communists, and communists by nazis - but Nirenberg shows that this kind of schizophrenic scapegoating goes way back in time.
Again, I’m oversimplifying, but Nirenberg brings an impressive amount of evidence/examples to show just how consistent this “pattern” has been in Christian and Islamic societies. I think he is very convincing that the “pattern” is a kind of mental tic embedded in Christian and Islamic moral philosophical thinking.
Have been thinking about this a lot after a 19 year old torched the synagogue where my kids were bat and bat mitzvahed, in Jackson MS. What made him at that age think this was a productive thing to do?
His brain was hijacked by Jew haters and their clickbait. It's an epidemic nowadays, with just about everyone (including journalists and profs) exchanging free thought and debate for incendiary tribal narratives—algorithmic tribalism is not only big business, but it also makes people pick a tribe and gradually hand over their souls and consciences to it, as there's immense social pressure toward this. (Also, hating Jews is always a popular activity.)
This child seems particularly stupid and reckless and now he will get to grow up for the next few decades in federal prison. At least no one was hurt and the only life he destroyed was his own.
Seems like the pattern is rooted in ‘differences’; jews historically were different than their neighbors and that created unconscious insecurity. The need to defend against the unknown / unfamiliar is probably the basis for the desire to delegitimize jews.
The illogical part is why the jews continue to maintain their differences and do not choose to assimilate into oblivion.
Jews unfortunately are the canary in the gold mine for the West and its institutions especially, as we’ve seen, with the state of higher education. Non-Jews ought to be equally if not more concerned about the presence of the pattern. It’s a clear sign of intellectual and moral failings. As a non Jew working within higher education I’ve yet to see other non Jews express concern about the pattern and what it signifies. It’s proving to be the single, most accurate litmus test for both, individual and institutional integrity. So one also needs to ask : What Should Non-Jews Do?
This essay deserves a wider audience. Please think about submitting this as an op-ed piece in a European or US paper. Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, NYT (maybe).
The King has borrowed money from the Jews. The King cannot afford to pay it back. Therefore the Jews need to be bad, in order to make the King not a thief.
This cycle of building resentments is not unique to Jews, but they’ve been around accumulating these stories for an especially long time. The motivated skepticism of generations long past still clings to them like lint, and the very fact of this skepticism gives birth to even more
“But blocking access to the posters with our bodies would have been better. Instead of suing colleges, I wish groups of students had calmly walked through the encampments and refused to be intimidated.”
I totally disagree with this. Diaspora Jews should have taken over encampments and cracked skulls instead of cowering in fear praying that it will all stop.
These protestors do what they want because there is no skin in the game. It’s performance art. Diaspora Jews should have extracted a price from them.
This is a subject on which thousands of books have been written, and I have read only a few of them. The podcast was deeply unenlightening, and I am surprised that Roberts, whose podcasts I have religiously listened to since 2007, gives it so much credence. It seems like old wine in new bottles. Does abetting of crimes against the Jews exist? Yes. Is it a prerequisite to their killings and prosecutions? Also yes. Exhibits: the book by Goldhagen "Hitler's Willing Executioners" or in art form, "The Garden of the Finzi-Contini", or "The Fiddler on the Roof", and many other movies and novels. So The Pattern is just a relabeling of an experimental observation. What Deutsch does is to elevate this to the rank of an axiom, of a nonhistorical law "like gravity". I disagree. The Pattern has historical origins, and the fact that it ebbs and flows is not the product of pure chance, but of circumstances that have fostered or starved it. I suggest that the Pattern (as an empirical fact) might be explained also by social or psychological theories. These theories should be presented, discussed, falsified. A comment is not the place for some pop psychology, which would commit the same sin of laziness as assuming the Pattern-as-primitive. But I want to point out to readers that this is a deeply pessimistic, nihilistic stance, in addition to being intellectually lazy. If the Pattern is real and eternal, it is beside the point to discuss and to persuade. It is the triumph of Conflict Theory over Mistake Theory. All the more counterintuitive that this seems to be embraced by the host whose subtitle is "conversations for the curious".
To be fair to David Deutsch, it is my formulation and not his to compare the Pattern to gravity. He might disagree with the analogy. He does give an explanation (in the EconTalk episode) of why it ebbs and flows—he argues that it intensifies when cultural trends or historical events threaten it such as the Enlightenment or the establishment of the State of Israel. I think our conversation made it clear that there is something deeply dissatisfying about positing an empirical regularity as consequential without providing any explanation for its existence. Having said that, suggesting that the Pattern has historical origins seems obviously true but it’s shocking how little progress the world has made in understanding those origins. I do plan to read David Nirenberg’s Anti-Judaism and perhaps we will return to this topic on EconTalk in the future.
Thanks for the answer. On the *positive* side, I would add one item: while abetting hate crimes against Jewish minorities is a very old phenomenon, the recent integration of Jewish cultural life in the West has no precedent. It takes many forms: secular culture, but also the pervasive influence that Judaism has been on, say, XX century Catholic and Lutheran intellectuals. The result is that, while a future majority of Western citizens might condone, say, the idea of obliterating Israel (and I don't think it's a majority, just a vocal minority), there is a current majority that doesn't accept it, and within it there is another principled minority that unconditionally, and at high personal cost, would never accept it. I would not call them friends or allies, since these terms have tribal connotations. More like "sodales" in Latin. People sharing deeply held principles. Not an expert in history, but with very few exceptions ("Nathan the Wise" comes to mind) there were not many genuine defenders and sodales in centuries past.
I read Nirenberg's Anti-Judaism a few years ago and thought it was a tour de force of European intellectual history that showed a shocking pervasiveness of hostility toward Judaism/Jewishness/Jews throughout pre-Christian, Christian and Islamic thought, and specifically within thinkers of the highest echelons. I cannot recommend it highly enough, and would love to hear you discuss it with Nirenberg on Econtalk. In fact, I have been quite surprised that he has not been on podcasts discussing his book over the past few year.
Another author I've learned a lot from is Ruth Wisse, particularly her book Jews and Power, and her subsequent essay The Functions of Antisemitism. She would also be a very interesting guest on Econtalk, with a perspective from right of center (rather than probably somewhat left of center from Nirenberg). If I remember correctly, Wisse formulates antisemitism as something like “the organization of politics against the Jews." And she ascribes its stubborn persistence as in large part due to its tremendous effectiveness as a political organizing tool.
I’m working on explaining it
If all the money that goes to Holocaust education went to Jewish education, things would be a lot better for building Jewish community.
Thank you for this beautiful essay, which contains so many truths. Econtalk has been one of my favorite podcasts since I discovered it during the pandemic, and since October 7 it has only become far more important and meaningful to me. I am deeply grateful to you for exemplifying so much of the best of what the Jewish people have brought to the world.
I'm not sure whether I'm way off base here, or alternatively just restating the obvious, but in listening to the Econtalk episode with Professor Deutsch, I was reminded of some ideas from the books of Frans de Waal ("Our Inner Ape" in particular). Waal posits/demonstrates that a great deal of what we tend to think of as "human morality/values" actually appears to be hardwired neural circuitry inherited through evolution from our primate ancestors, and exhibited to varying degrees by other primate species (chimps, bonobos, gorillas, etc.).
One of these traits is the concept of in-group/out-group identification. For example, chimps have been known to violently attack other chimp groups for no other obvious reason than that they recognize them as outside their in-group.
Humans clearly seem to also exhibit this primate trait of in-group hostility toward those identified as outside their group. It would seem that we Jews perpetually find ourselves falling into the out-group category (not merely as demographic/ethnic minorities in European Christian or Middle Eastern Muslim based societies, but potentiated by foundational theological hostility). And Jews' desire to continue in the heritage of their ancestors puts them in the eternal position of being chronically deliberate outsiders by choice (as I believe Dara Horn has observed, a society's tolerance for Jews is an excellent indicator of its tolerance for diversity/nonconformity in general).
So perhaps this might explain some portion of The Pattern in terms of evolutionary biology/psychology, i.e., Jews attract hostility because they are seen as outsiders, and humans share this basic hardwired primate trait of hostility toward outsiders. Just a thought. Unfortunately, Waal passed away from cancer in the past year or two. This question might have made for an interesting Econtalk discussion.
This is a terrific essay. I am proud and grateful to be Jewish.
Excellent work. Two quibbles
1) it isn't all haters or supporters and facts aren't useless. I was long dubious of many Israeli actions. Recent events--but especially the defenses and explanations I've read--have turned me from nearly ambivalent to a strong supporter. Facts and explanations DO matter for changing minds.
2) Israel is not the only country whose legitimacy is questioned. Amongst the myriad examples, Ukraine is fighting an existential battle for its legitimacy. Taiwan's legitimacy is questioned every moment of every day. Tibet had its stripped. Indigenous peoples around the world are in constant fights for their legitimacy. While I agree that as far as I'm aware no other group is subject to the nearly universal effects of the Pattern, the claim that only Israel has its legitimacy questioned is at a minimum hyperbolic, if not flat out wrong and disrespectful of hundred of millions who have fought, are fighting, and likely will fight in the future for their legitimacy.
Neither quibble diminishes your main point. If I'm wrong please let me know
No one in the west has ever asked, does Ukraine have a right to exist? Same with Taiwan.
160 members of the UN recognize Israel as a sovereign state. 12 recognize Taiwan and a majority consider it part of China. Taiwan is not a charter member of the UN and Israel is. It's pretty clear that Taiwan's legitimacy is in question throughout the world and a majority of the west either does not recognize it or does not take a position.
Did I miss that Russ specifically restricted the questioning of Israel's legitimacy to the west? If so, my bad.
And still, multiple people in and adjacent to the US administration have, in fact, echoed the Russian talking point that Ukraine is "not a real country."
You didn't, Heshy is falling victim to the same Russ narrowing siege mentality tends to induce. Btw a equivalent example, or one treated even worse, in your post above would be Gypsies. Other "Western" national examples are Kosovo, Cyprus, Ireland,Transnistria, etc. None of which proclaim to be an ethnostates though. Claims of modern ethnostates tend to be limited to Israel, China, the UAE, maybe Bhutan along with the failed ethnostates of South Africa and Hawaii.
It's irrelevant, Russ is making a universal claim about "the pattern" hence anywhere means everywhere. As I mentioned, I don't recall upper middle class Japanese kids questioning Israelis right to exist either nor is it a hot topic in Palau.
Because once you concede it's not universal like "gravity", then you open yourself to the introspective critique it might be "you" or even, God forbid, actually justified.
You could make a universal argument about "the pattern" it would just be called a psychological disposition towards just world theory, then you get to spend the rest of the time arguing facts and contingencies again.
Love you Ross, one if the top three people I've ever respected in my life and I'll continue to do so but this post captures exactly why us untermensch have such a schadenfreude attitude towards execution of "the pattern". The genetic (not going to claim literally DNA here, more figuratively) cognitive dissonance and tone deafness of Jews are resounding as well as the perennial bully claiming victhimhood. Easy counterexamples to the uniqueness of the "oh woe is me, unique to the universe" plight of the Jew is the Gypsy, who generally have it even worse off, and guess what, nobody is giving them a country. You claim Israel's right to exist is the only country questioned and yet Kosovo, Somaliland, Kurdistan, and load of failed ethnostates around the world would like to have a word with you. Also as you are aware, and I believe have written about in the past, NO country has a right to exist, sovereignty doesn't work that way. Sovereignty is defined by what you can defend. Likewise no 'people' have a right to exist either, where are the Picts today? The Capodochians, the Aztecs, the antebellum confederate?..
Likewise I just don't hear a lot of Japanese angst about the Jews for matter nor Israel/Gaza, the Nepalese don't seem to care as well nor would I imagine would an uncontacted tribe in the Amazon if the mythical wondering Jew got lost and found among them hence no, "the pattern" isn't innate, more a cultural antibody after exposure.
That said, we are 100% effectively on the same sheet of music on #4. It's one of my main critiques of Jews, their passive aggressiveness, or if you like, their historic sneakiness / third rail which basically the same thing. If you want to be an ethnic supremacists, own it, it's ok to be so as after all, that doesn't per say in practice harm anyone else in the long term.
There is (was?) a famous photo [1] of George Rockwell attending a Malcolm X rally and Rockwell was known to have routinely praised and liked Elijah Muhammad. There is no reason you couldn't be sitting right next to them.
[1] https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CbcE6rSSouc/WAL8t2PEfHI/AAAAAAAALfQ/Ss8iDFtDQYQDYTxngXc3uLVd4cz_rKBowCLcB/s1600/George_Lincoln_Rockwell_nation_of_islam.jpg
PS: And don't take that as Jew hatred, I'll be in a three hour service here in a couple hours on Theophany celebrating one Jew baptizing another Jew. As a goy I'd like to think John would have baptized me as well too but who knows, maybe he'd just seal the area with armed guards to prevent my attempt or flat drown me if he was of the modern Jew calibre. Or maybe just look down his hooked nose and sneer in glee as God sent his fighter bombing dove to drop a load of feces on me for daring to pollute his land with my presence. Yes that last part was meant in a sarcastic jest but the crux is worth considering.
Hopefully my brethren in Gaza can find somewhere to celebrate Jews today as well given the IDF has bombed all the Orthodox churches in Gaza for their Jew Hatred (tm). You know who didn't blow up Orthodox churches in Gaza, Hamas.
PSS: You've distinctly become more radicalized since your move to Israel Russ, not sure if you noticed that. Yes yes yes causation / correlation etc but just pointing it out if nobody ever had before to you. I think you are starting to adopt an insidious siege mentality which often develops in insular silos of excellence, justified or not. Just be aware how it projects.
PSSS: Oddly a very consequentialist post as well given your fresh on my mind railing against that in your recent(ish) "Violent Saviors" podcast episode. Sorry still trying to catch up, not actually yet got to this Deutsche one yet.
I’m Jewish and worry about these things, too, but wonder if the Pattern applies to more groups of people than we Jews realize. It seems that minority groups are subject to attacks from majority groups everywhere throughout time. I was speaking with an Iranian-American yesterday and, unrelated to this topic, she was telling me how Kurds in Iran are mistreated and she doesn’t know why other than they’re a minority group.
Bingo, it's why I always tell people it's not a "white" problem, it's a majority problem.
The book “Anti-Judaism” by Nirenberg presents, to me, a more sophisticated version of Deutch’s “pattern” argument. If you’re intrigued by the “pattern” idea but seek amore nuance, I highly recommend that book.
I’m going to oversimplify because I read it a few years ago, but here’s the basic argument: antisemitism is derived from the theological move that Christianity made, casting Jews as a people defined by guilt. Over the centuries Jews became almost a symbol of guilt in the west and near east, a kind of high brow ultimate scapegoat. Every major western philosophy/ideology has done its “thinking with Jews,” in other words, cast Jews as an extreme example of whatever that ideology was against. Everyone know about the ironic way that Jews were scapegoated as capitalists by communists, and communists by nazis - but Nirenberg shows that this kind of schizophrenic scapegoating goes way back in time.
Again, I’m oversimplifying, but Nirenberg brings an impressive amount of evidence/examples to show just how consistent this “pattern” has been in Christian and Islamic societies. I think he is very convincing that the “pattern” is a kind of mental tic embedded in Christian and Islamic moral philosophical thinking.
Have been thinking about this a lot after a 19 year old torched the synagogue where my kids were bat and bat mitzvahed, in Jackson MS. What made him at that age think this was a productive thing to do?
His brain was hijacked by Jew haters and their clickbait. It's an epidemic nowadays, with just about everyone (including journalists and profs) exchanging free thought and debate for incendiary tribal narratives—algorithmic tribalism is not only big business, but it also makes people pick a tribe and gradually hand over their souls and consciences to it, as there's immense social pressure toward this. (Also, hating Jews is always a popular activity.)
This child seems particularly stupid and reckless and now he will get to grow up for the next few decades in federal prison. At least no one was hurt and the only life he destroyed was his own.
Seems like the pattern is rooted in ‘differences’; jews historically were different than their neighbors and that created unconscious insecurity. The need to defend against the unknown / unfamiliar is probably the basis for the desire to delegitimize jews.
The illogical part is why the jews continue to maintain their differences and do not choose to assimilate into oblivion.
Jews unfortunately are the canary in the gold mine for the West and its institutions especially, as we’ve seen, with the state of higher education. Non-Jews ought to be equally if not more concerned about the presence of the pattern. It’s a clear sign of intellectual and moral failings. As a non Jew working within higher education I’ve yet to see other non Jews express concern about the pattern and what it signifies. It’s proving to be the single, most accurate litmus test for both, individual and institutional integrity. So one also needs to ask : What Should Non-Jews Do?
This essay deserves a wider audience. Please think about submitting this as an op-ed piece in a European or US paper. Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, NYT (maybe).
The King has borrowed money from the Jews. The King cannot afford to pay it back. Therefore the Jews need to be bad, in order to make the King not a thief.
This cycle of building resentments is not unique to Jews, but they’ve been around accumulating these stories for an especially long time. The motivated skepticism of generations long past still clings to them like lint, and the very fact of this skepticism gives birth to even more
I don’t know why you’re confident Jack would never harm you, he very well might.
Hmmm... I think there's a different, more plausible explanation that maintains some degree of human agency... and hope: Narrative Darwinism.
https://outofbabel.substack.com/p/my-unified-theory-of-anti-semitism
“But blocking access to the posters with our bodies would have been better. Instead of suing colleges, I wish groups of students had calmly walked through the encampments and refused to be intimidated.”
I totally disagree with this. Diaspora Jews should have taken over encampments and cracked skulls instead of cowering in fear praying that it will all stop.
These protestors do what they want because there is no skin in the game. It’s performance art. Diaspora Jews should have extracted a price from them.