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Antisemitism is the socialism of fools

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Antisemitism is the socialism of fools" (German: "Der Antisemitismus ist der Sozialismus der dummen Kerle") is a statement opposing the idea that purported Jewish "wealth" and "power" is the source of social injustice.[1] According to British historian Richard Evans, it was probably coined by Austrian left-liberal politician Ferdinand Kronawetter, but is commonly attributed to the German social democrat August Bebel and sometimes to Karl Marx.[2] The phrase was in wide circulation among German social democrats by the 1890s.[3]

In the view of neoconservative philosopher Leo Strauss, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin had considered that, because fools were common, a "socialism of fools" would be a good thing; hence, Strauss argued, Stalin had deliberately cultivated antisemitism.[4]

References

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  1. ^ Wuliger, Michael (1 July 2013). "SPD der dummen Kerls". Jüdische Allgemeine (in German). Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  2. ^ Friedman, Max Paul (2012). Rethinking Anti-Americanism: The History of an Exceptional Concept in American Foreign Relations. Cambridge University Press. p. 264. ISBN 9780521683425.
  3. ^ Evans, Richard J. (2005). The Coming of the Third Reich. Penguin. p. 496. ISBN 9781101042670.
  4. ^ Smith, Steven B. (2007). Reading Leo Strauss: Politics, Philosophy, Judaism. University of Chicago Press. p. 148. ISBN 9780226763897.

Further reading

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