Thank you for this, and for sharing information with vulnerable immigrants. I had to speak out, too, in a nutshell to say: "I believe my eyes. They function just as well in gaslight as daylight." The ADL's gaslighting sickened me even more than Musk's gesture; we already knew he was a racist sociopath, but their betrayal of their mission to simper up to him was infuriating. Bonhoeffer's "On Stupidity" is playing on repeat in my head.
Thank you so much, Jody. The ADL's response was upsetting to me, too: the essay was originally going to be about the bastardization of the word "antisemitism," but I got distracted. That original idea may still materialize, but I may have nothing more to say than Bonhoeffer. Stupidity is, indeed, the greatest enemy -- one strengthened, not defeated, by the unlimited information age. Dark times. But I'm glad to have you as a Substack neighbor -- thank you for the comment!
Thanks, Zeke, and likewise! Finding like-minded thinkers and kindred spirits here sometimes makes me think of the end of Auden's "September 1, 1939." Here's to ironic points of light:
"Why do we have South Africans, the most racist people on earth, White South Africans ... making any comments at all on what goes on in the United States?"
(Linking this instead of the WaPo article bc that is paywalled.)
Thank you for this, and for sharing information with vulnerable immigrants. I had to speak out, too, in a nutshell to say: "I believe my eyes. They function just as well in gaslight as daylight." The ADL's gaslighting sickened me even more than Musk's gesture; we already knew he was a racist sociopath, but their betrayal of their mission to simper up to him was infuriating. Bonhoeffer's "On Stupidity" is playing on repeat in my head.
Thank you so much, Jody. The ADL's response was upsetting to me, too: the essay was originally going to be about the bastardization of the word "antisemitism," but I got distracted. That original idea may still materialize, but I may have nothing more to say than Bonhoeffer. Stupidity is, indeed, the greatest enemy -- one strengthened, not defeated, by the unlimited information age. Dark times. But I'm glad to have you as a Substack neighbor -- thank you for the comment!
Thanks, Zeke, and likewise! Finding like-minded thinkers and kindred spirits here sometimes makes me think of the end of Auden's "September 1, 1939." Here's to ironic points of light:
Defenceless under the night
Our world in stupor lies;
Yet, dotted everywhere,
Ironic points of light
Flash out wherever the Just
Exchange their messages:
May I, composed like them
Of Eros and of dust,
Beleaguered by the same
Negation and despair,
Show an affirming flame.
thank you for this - it's a pleasure to read something so sensible and articulate on so utterly senseless a topic
aw, thank *you*! i appreciate the kind words. it took a lot of teethpulling to write this one
" Elon Musk, a man too racist even for Steve Bannon." --the link does not support this comment or even allude to it, am I missing something?
Thanks for pointing this out! I got my links mixed up. Here's the correct one:
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/steve-bannon-former-trump-strategist-says-elon-musk-should-go-back-to-south-africa-7468917/amp/1
"Why do we have South Africans, the most racist people on earth, White South Africans ... making any comments at all on what goes on in the United States?"
(Linking this instead of the WaPo article bc that is paywalled.)