[lit-ideas] Re: 21. century European anti-Semitism
- From: John McCreery <mccreery@xxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 19 Apr 2004 10:35:52 +0900
On 2004/04/19, at 3:13, Scribe1865@xxxxxxx wrote:
> Doesn't every group attack what it perceives to be "the outsider"?
> Don't
> attacks against "outsiders" also serve to enhance the feeling of group
> solidarity?
That every human group defines itself by opposition to non-members is a
truism.
It is also true, however, that the form and intensity of attacks
against outsiders varies enormously across both space and time.
Contrast, for example, the the combination of joking behavior and
occasional real irritation that affects how the British and French now
feel about each other with the deadly enmity of Serbs and Kosovars or
Israelis and Palestinians. Consider, for instance, how American
newspapers depicted the Japanese circa 1943 with the way in which they
depict them now--a shift from demonic enemies to altogether too
peaceful weaklings who need, some say, to be encouraged to stand up for
themselves. While a contrast between self and other is a necessary
condition for violent enmity to occur, it is not at all a sufficient
one.
John L. McCreery
International Vice Chair, Democrats Abroad
Tel 81-45-314-9324
Email mccreery@xxxxxxx
>>Life isn't fair. Democracy should be. <<
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