CommentsTHE VIEW FROM HERE - We are now witnessing the madness to which Group Rights Identity Politics has lead us.
The Founding Fathers warned us about the pernicious influence of factions, i.e. special groups who abuse their power to harm others. The cancel culture which has descended upon Whoopi Goldberg highlights that we have taken leave of our senses.
What Did Ms. Goldberg say?
Holocaust was about “man’s inhumanity to man” and “not about race.” The term Holocaust has two meanings, one generic and one specific, and both apply to The Nazi’s extermination of millions of people. The general definition is “destruction or slaughter on a mass scale, especially caused by fire or nuclear war,” but specifically it refers to the genocide of European Jews during World War II.
As Wikipedia summaries:
“The European Jews were targeted for extermination as part of a larger event during the Holocaust era (1933–1945),[8] in which Germany and its collaborators persecuted and murdered millions of others, including ethnic Poles, Soviet civilians and prisoners of war, the Roma [Gypsies], the disabled, political and religious dissidents, and gay men.”
Thus, her statement was accurate, the Holocaust was not race based as individuals of any background were subject to Nazi genocide.
Are Jews a Race?
When Whoopi said that the Nazi Holocaust was not about race, she was adopting the Halachic answer to “Who is a Jew”, which has nothing to do with race. “A person is Jewish if they have a Jewish mother or converted to Judaism.” Shulchan Aruch by R. Joseph Karo 1488 -1575 C.E.
Show Me Someone Who Says Jews Are a Race and I Will Show You an Ignorant Bigot
One of the most vile aspect of Nazism was the insane division of the world in Aryans, who were superior, and everyone else. The Nazi’s decree that Jews were a subhuman race was a manifestation of their adoption of Group Rights where a certain group was superior and others were inferior. The Nazi ideology did not make the Aryans superior nor did it make non-Aryans inferior, and it certainly did not turn us Jews into a race.
The Nazis were racists; they were and are proud, self-proclaimed racists. Thus, it is permissible to say that Jews which subjected to Nazi racism, but that use of the word refers to the Nazi world view and not to Jewish law nor to reality. Whoopi Goldberg rejected the Nazi version and for that she was culture cancelled.
The Situation is More Complicated
The most hypocritical comment came from Jonathan Greenblatt, the chief executive of the Anti-Defamation League. Let’s look at the ADL’s new definitions of racism. The ADL has a few definitions.
“Racism: The marginalization and/or oppression of people of color based on a socially constructed racial hierarchy that privileges white people.”
In order to be a victim of racism, one must be a person of color. Whoopi Goldberg said, “But these are two white groups of people.” European Jews are often perceived as white, but never as people of color. Thus, by the ADL’s own definition, Whoopi was basically accurate. (Of course, the ADL is dead wrong, but to whom should she listen? The ADL in 2020 or its director in 2022?)
The ADL has other more pernicious definitions of racism. “Systemic Racism: A combination of systems, institutions and factors that advantage white people and for people of color, cause widespread harm and disadvantages in access and opportunity.” Once again, Jews can be subjects of racism if and only if we are “people of color.”
The ADL defines White Supremacy as: “. . . the term “white supremacy” refers to the systematic marginalization or oppression of people of color based on a socially constructed racial hierarchy that privileges people who identify as white” (For all of the ADL’s rambling July 2020 definitions of racism).
ADL’s “People Who Identify as White”
What does this mean? If Colin Kaepernick had identified with his white half, would he now be a white supremacist? Does Barack Obama have to dis-identify with his birth mother and all his white ancestors going back centuries?
The Woker definition of racism has the same motivation as the Nazis had – to gain political power by dividing a nation into “good people” and “bad people” based upon “race.” Under the Woker approach, only white people can be racists and only people of color can be victims of racism. Group Rights, Identity Politics, Wokerism, the 1619 Project, etc. are a absurd mixture of BS where people claim victimization and then demand special treatment. Let’s return to ADL’s Jonathan Greenblatt. Mr. Greenblatt suggested that “The View” should consider adding a Jewish host to its panel. § “Think about having a Jewish host on this show who can bring these issues of antisemitism, who can bring these issues of representation to ‘The View’ every single day,” he said. New York Times.
There We Have it – the Motive Behind Identity Politics
Mr. Greenblatt bashes Whoopi Goldberg, despite her following the ADL’s definitions of racism, to claim that The View must have a Jewish host to present the Jewish position. I reply, “B*llSh*t!” There is no Jewish position and we are only 2.4% of the population. Asians are 7.2%. Why not an Asian host? Of course, Whoopi who says that she considers herself Jewish can convert and become 100% halachic Jewish. Whoopie, then we Jews will have three well known Black Jews, Sammy Davis Jr., Jan Perry (former LA city councilmember) and Whoopi Goldberg. (There are other Black American Jews who are not well known )
Wokerism is Anti-American Racism
In America we are supposed to honor each person’s inalienable rights and not treat individuals based upon the group to which someone assigns them. That is the basis of our national existence. The reason the Declaration and then the US Constitution made individual inalienable rights the country’s founding principle is that prior to The Declaration, Group Rights held sway and they resulted not only in endless wars but also slavery. We again see the irrational viciousness which the Identity Politics and Wokerism has reasserted in America.
Whoopi Goldberg said nothing wrong and the Wokers need to apologize to her and ABC’s behavior is disgraceful.
(Richard Lee Abrams has been an attorney, a Realtor and community relations consultant as well as a CityWatch contributor. The views expressed herein are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of CityWatch. You may email him at [email protected])