David Baddiel - Jews Don't Count [split topic]

[lazyhour]

The endorsements are still coming in on Twitter:

Hugh Laurie
Robert Popper
Richard Ayoade
Andy Nyman

I like a lot of the people who are singing this book's (and/or David Baddiel's) praises. Several of them are Jewish. Might they not know as much as or more than me about this issue? What if Baddiel is right? What if the left genuinely does have a fucking massive blindspot when it comes to antisemitism?

Genuinely shocked how pretty much no-one in the public eye has a bad word to say this book. Has anyone on here actually read it cover to cover?

[BlodwynPig]

Yes, its offensive garbage. At one point he claims the man from del monte as being a close personal friend

[ProvanFan]

It's all a ruse to get me to read a David Baddiel book. Funny as that'd be I'm not going to fall for it.

[C_Larence]

The endorsements are still coming in on Twitter:

Hugh Laurie
Robert Popper
Richard Ayoade
Andy Nyman

I like a lot of the people who are singing this book's (and/or David Baddiel's) praises. Several of them are Jewish. Might they not know as much as or more than me about this issue? What if Baddiel is right? What if the left genuinely does have a fucking massive blindspot when it comes to antisemitism?

Genuinely shocked how pretty much no-one in the public eye has a bad word to say this book. Has anyone on here actually read it cover to cover?

I think it's as simple as those people standing to lose more from an actually leftist movement taking over.

[JaDanketies]

Can you imagine if someone like Ash Sarkar (who iirc was slammed in the book) tweeted a tweet claiming the book was a load of old bollocks? I'm not even saying it's a shit book but it would be a foolish leftie to publicly dismiss it.

[Poirots BigGarlickyCorpse]

I like a lot of the people who are singing this book's (and/or David Baddiel's) praises. Several of them are Jewish. Might they not know as much as or more than me about this issue? What if Baddiel is right? What if the left genuinely does have a fucking massive blindspot when it comes to antisemitism?

The left has blind spots with every form of bigotry. Anti-capitalist sentiment can provide easy cover for antisemites, because they can go on and on about "globalism" and "the world bank" when really they mean "international Jewry". As much as I hate the conflation of "criticism of the Israeli government/army" with antisemitism, some people do purposefully talk about how they're "opposed to Zionism" when they mean "I hate Jewish people". Gentiles don't always pick their words carefully when they do criticise the Israeli government, or the US government supplying Israel with weapons. And let's not forget that Jewish members of the Labour party did make complaints regarding antisemitic behaviour, and a faction within the party deliberately sat on those complaints and didn't investigate, letting the whole thing fester so they could boot out a leader who would have upset the oligarchs and media moguls. Ignoring the real concerns of your Jewish members so you can weaponise them to get rid of the leader your members overwhelmingly voted for... yeah, I'd call that a form of antisemitism.

There's a discussion to be had about antisemitism on the left. Problem is I don't think David Baddiel's book does a good job. He cries about people reminding him that he once did blackface. He whines that moving away from depicting Jesus as a white European "invisiblises" white Jews. He pulls quotes from Twitter out of context. But it's easy to read and it's easy to back up your celebrity mate and feel like you done good. I don't think the celebs endorsing it are cynically doing so because they want to make sure the left don't get into power. It's an easy way for them to be seen to be doing something.

[phantom_power]

Can you imagine if someone like Ash Sarkar (who iirc was slammed in the book) tweeted a tweet claiming the book was a load of old bollocks? I'm not even saying it's a shit book but it would be a foolish leftie to publicly dismiss it.

Yeah it is basically a book version of the whole purge against left wing antisemitism. Even questioning it is deemed an offence so I imagine some people are being nice about it simply so they don't get earmarked for the witch hunt

[Blue Jam]

I once spotted David Baddiel in Soho. I did a double-take but that was mainly because he appeared to be wearing a coat with nothing underneath it on his top half, until I realised he was simply wearing a very flesh-coloured jumper.

Thank you for reading my one and only David Baddiel anecdote.

[BlodwynPig]

Can you imagine if someone like Ash Sarkar (who iirc was slammed in the book) tweeted a tweet claiming the book was a load of old bollocks? I'm not even saying it's a shit book but it would be a COWARDLY leftie to publicly dismiss it.

[BlodwynPig]

There's a discussion to be had about antisemitism on the left.

Where have you been the last 4 years?

[Poirots BigGarlickyCorpse]

Where have you been the last 4 years?

Paying attention. Did you read the rest of my post or are you just acting the bollocks?

[BlodwynPig]

Paying attention. Did you read the rest of my post or are you just acting the bollocks?

Sorry, yes I just did. It doesn't relate to that statement, but your final line is spot on.

by the way I am offended by "acting the bollocks", please retract (like my proverbials).

[Retinend]

Are you trying to say she just made your "proverbial bollocks" "retract"?

[Poirots BigGarlickyCorpse]

Sorry, yes I just did. It doesn't relate to that statement, but your final line is spot on.

by the way I am offended by "acting the bollocks", please retract (like my proverbials).

I apologise, I think I misunderstood your tone. Please consider it cheerfully retracted.

[BlodwynPig]

I apologise, I think I misunderstood your tone. Please consider it cheerfully retracted.

Never apologise. Happy to buffeted by the wind and waves of the big blue*

*CaB

[BlodwynPig]

Are you trying to say she just made your "proverbial bollocks" "retract"?

yes, I bailed as it was too hamfisted, but thanks for doing it for me :)

[BritishHobo]

I do often worry about having a blindspot when it comes to antisemitism. It's not a topic I've ever really come into contact with apart from ironic gags in US comedies. The Labour scandal gave me a lot of pause, because you never want to be the one downplaying actual racism if it really is an issue. So instead I just took the fence-sitting easy option of keeping out of it. You can't get me if I deliberately don't have an opinion!

So in a way I'm probably exactly the kind of person who needs to read this book and tweet that I've read it, with a caption saying 'yes, very important and timely'.

[ersatz99]

His followers are pathetic people aren't they. Tweeting him a picture they've taken of the book, as some proof they've bought it, to guarantee a retweet with some thankyou message from him.

[bgmnts]

I do often worry about having a blindspot when it comes to antisemitism. It's not a topic I've ever really come into contact with apart from ironic gags in US comedies. The Labour scandal gave me a lot of pause, because you never want to be the one downplaying actual racism if it really is an issue. So instead I just took the fence-sitting easy option of keeping out of it. You can't get me if I deliberately don't have an opinion!

So in a way I'm probably exactly the kind of person who needs to read this book and tweet that I've read it, with a caption saying 'yes, very important and timely'.

When the antisemitism was just weaponsied by tory cunts to stop poor people from continually dieing and living impoverished, a group of people who are tangibly racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist and generally nasty as fuck, its a sad state that it did make people think they are somehow especially antisemitic. Fucking rotten.

[JaDanketies]

I do often worry about having a blindspot when it comes to antisemitism.

I live near a Jewish community and anti semitism has been part and parcel of humdrum life for 25 years. The people I've encountered who have been anti semitic are those who are also generally racist. I would think they would all share a more 'socially-conservative' viewpoint, i.e suspicion and hostility towards people who are different than they are. Even the conspiracy people are socially conservative.

I'm not saying that the left can't be anti semitic too, but I've never seen the people who express casual hostility to Jews talk about the Palestine cause. Except for on the internet. But I don't associate socially conservative thought with anyone on 'the left.

Nick Griffin called for leftwing economic policies but the media called him far right and as far as I'm concerned the right can keep him  Following his election, in a press conference held at a public house in Manchester, he criticised the privatisation of national industries, such as the railway network, and accused MPs generally of being involved in this "... giant looting of Britain".

[Jerzy Bondov]

I once spotted David Baddiel in Soho. I did a double-take but that was mainly because he appeared to be wearing a coat with nothing underneath it on his top half, until I realised he was simply wearing a very flesh-coloured jumper.

Thank you for reading my one and only David Baddiel anecdote.

Ah but what was the flesh-colour? Makes you think doesn't it. About racism and that.

[Satchmo Distel]

Jesus not having a white skin is a historical fact, unless he was born with different skin colour than every other Jew in the region. Whiteness and race are all bollocks anyway so believing Christ's racial category should matter is itself dodgy.

[BlodwynPig]

Jesus not having a white skin is a historical fact, unless he was born with different skin colour than every other Jew in the region. Whiteness and race are all bollocks anyway so believing Christ's racial category should matter is itself dodgy.

Consider the lily.

Was Jesus real?

[JaDanketies]

Was Jesus real?

I know it's generally believed by expert historians that Jesus was likely a person who existed but tbh I think the evidence of this is poor.

[BlodwynPig]

I know it's generally believed by expert historians that Jesus was likely a person who existed but tbh I think the evidence of this is poor.

Well until someone brings me evidence such as maybe a beach towel with his sweat stains, or a nail with a withered hand attached, I'll remain skeptical.

[dissolute ocelot]

I know it's generally believed by expert historians that Jesus was likely a person who existed but tbh I think the evidence of this is poor.

Yeah, the consensus seems to be that someone was crucified and his followers founded Christianity but to be honest I'm skeptical. The flaws in the crucifixion story are serious enough it's more likely that the sum total of it is: somebody called Jesus lived, and then 50 years later people claimed he said some things.

I would like to read a detailed demolition of the Baddiel book. It does sound as if he gathered no evidence and just based his view of socialism on Twitter, which we all know is where the worst people in the world say the worst things they can think of just to get a rise out of people, and isn't really proof of anything, certainly not typical socialist beliefs. Has nobody bothered to read it and pen any kind of criticism?

[jobotic]

I posted a link to this a few pages back

https://www.jewdas.org/aging-liberal-confuses-self-blames-left/

[Satchmo Distel]

He seems to have created a fear among reviewers that if they actually expose his bullshit, they'll be piled on as antisemites.

[Satchmo Distel]

Fucking hell, look at this racist shit:

https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/1999/dec/16/features11.g22

[EOLAN]

Fucking hell, look at this racist shit:

https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/1999/dec/16/features11.g22

The worst thing about that as a supposed soccer fanatic; is he worries about Germany knocking England out on penalties having been drawn with them in group stages and qualifiers; which of course wouldn't have produced any penalty shoot-outs.