Just noticed, via Miss Kelly, that Asia Times' always interesting columnist, "Spengler," has revealed his true identity: And Spengler is ...
Turns out he's a Jewish guy named David P. Goldman who edits a Catholic magazine where, interestingly enough, his coming-out piece is entitled, Confessions of a Coward. I remember there was some speculation that he worked for the government or something. Guess that turns out not to be correct. His background is still very interesting, though.
The business of being afraid to be Jewish - similarly of being more comfortable looking for the divine in music than on Mt. Sinai - also how this led him into the trap of supporting a person like Larouche - this has relevance in so many aspects.
I think "Spengler's" story - just from reading his own words - is significant not only to his personal history but also to that of Jews who in other ways turn against themselves and their fellow Jews, or who at the very least seek protective coloring.
There are many such examples - I think perhaps Finkelstein is one. Others not so famous simply abandon being outwardly or spiritually Jewish, become outright antisemitic, try to "blend in", or are ashamed of being "tribal" - especially a member of an abused tribe - and become antinationalist and turn against Israel, state and people, for that reason alone.
The Shoah continues to leave scars. Descendants of survivors - either of the Nazi Holocaust or of other persecutions - for example in Russia - are deeply affected by their parents' or grandparents' travails - I know I always have a psychic bag packed - even keep jars of coins around like my grandmother did - she gave me one the day I was born - in case it all hits the fan and we need hard currency to pack in the suitcase.
I fear being hunted and having to flee - much as my grandparents did and generations before theirs - having to flee or being forced to flee is part of our history, is it not?
Stories of the Sephardim too - their songs haunt my dreams.
My partner (a German) doesn't understand why I'm paranoid about losing our home. But I listen to the poetry of the Sepharad and study the expulsion from Spain, read the lyrics about the destruction of the First Temple, read the history about expulsions from this town or that nation, forced enclosure in ghetto or mellah, and I am never secure.
The friends and relatives of my grandparents - those who didn't flee Kiev didn't make it - between the Russian Revolution and the mass murder of Jews in the Ukraine during WWII - the family tree basically consists of the descendents of those who got out.
I'm not schooled in psychology so I hope this doesn't sound hopelessly stupid but I think a lot of people who seem to be "self-haters" including a lot of anti-Israel Jews, or people who make poor choices and associate with antisemites - suffer from similar syndromes - and by extension - the feeling that maybe by seeming to be "less Jewish" one will be spared - as Spengler himself posits.
This of course also takes the form of adopting an anti-Israel stance - look at a Gilad Atzmon and tell me he isn't deeply disturbed. Victims often feel shame as well as fear.
Of course not all of us react this way - many - maybe most of us - remain proudly and openly Jewish in spite of the dreadful history of our people.
In my experience after many years in several countries I came to the conclusion that some of those Jew-hating Jews are cowards and are behaving in that typical fashion portrayed in literature where the coward does the bidding of the bully to the detriment of those around him.
Those who displayed self-hatred were usually those who came to be rejected by the group they were trying to ingratiate themselves with.
Some of those of course who were accepted, to show their "loyalty", were excessive in their displays of anti-Jewish sentiment.
This is absolutely fascinating.
The business of being afraid to be Jewish - similarly of being more comfortable looking for the divine in music than on Mt. Sinai - also how this led him into the trap of supporting a person like Larouche - this has relevance in so many aspects.
A must read.
Thank you.
I googled and saw the old Larouche connection, but I'm not exactly sure how it relates...?
I think "Spengler's" story - just from reading his own words - is significant not only to his personal history but also to that of Jews who in other ways turn against themselves and their fellow Jews, or who at the very least seek protective coloring.
There are many such examples - I think perhaps Finkelstein is one. Others not so famous simply abandon being outwardly or spiritually Jewish, become outright antisemitic, try to "blend in", or are ashamed of being "tribal" - especially a member of an abused tribe - and become antinationalist and turn against Israel, state and people, for that reason alone.
The Shoah continues to leave scars. Descendants of survivors - either of the Nazi Holocaust or of other persecutions - for example in Russia - are deeply affected by their parents' or grandparents' travails - I know I always have a psychic bag packed - even keep jars of coins around like my grandmother did - she gave me one the day I was born - in case it all hits the fan and we need hard currency to pack in the suitcase.
I fear being hunted and having to flee - much as my grandparents did and generations before theirs - having to flee or being forced to flee is part of our history, is it not?
Stories of the Sephardim too - their songs haunt my dreams.
My partner (a German) doesn't understand why I'm paranoid about losing our home. But I listen to the poetry of the Sepharad and study the expulsion from Spain, read the lyrics about the destruction of the First Temple, read the history about expulsions from this town or that nation, forced enclosure in ghetto or mellah, and I am never secure.
The friends and relatives of my grandparents - those who didn't flee Kiev didn't make it - between the Russian Revolution and the mass murder of Jews in the Ukraine during WWII - the family tree basically consists of the descendents of those who got out.
I'm not schooled in psychology so I hope this doesn't sound hopelessly stupid but I think a lot of people who seem to be "self-haters" including a lot of anti-Israel Jews, or people who make poor choices and associate with antisemites - suffer from similar syndromes - and by extension - the feeling that maybe by seeming to be "less Jewish" one will be spared - as Spengler himself posits.
This of course also takes the form of adopting an anti-Israel stance - look at a Gilad Atzmon and tell me he isn't deeply disturbed. Victims often feel shame as well as fear.
Of course not all of us react this way - many - maybe most of us - remain proudly and openly Jewish in spite of the dreadful history of our people.
But that doesn't mean we aren't worried.
Sophia,
In my experience after many years in several countries I came to the conclusion that some of those Jew-hating Jews are cowards and are behaving in that typical fashion portrayed in literature where the coward does the bidding of the bully to the detriment of those around him.
Those who displayed self-hatred were usually those who came to be rejected by the group they were trying to ingratiate themselves with.
Some of those of course who were accepted, to show their "loyalty", were excessive in their displays of anti-Jewish sentiment.
I liked his reasons for using a pseudonym.