It is a traditional attack. Just when you think you are ok, someone revives the “power” and “economic” libels.  I read two newspapers daily.  The Miami Herald (p.16A) today has a report about Mahathir Mohamad, retiring Premier of Malaysia, addressing a “summit of Islamic leaders. Among other things, he stated “Jews Rule the World”. This was news to me and it took me by surprise.  I was so surprised that I had to look up Malaysia and Mahathir Mohamad on the Web.  Most of the items about Malaysia are about hotels and how and where to visit when you go there. There are many articles reported on Premier Mohamad who is also the subject of pages that tell how he is one of a number of unfriendly Heads of State toward the Media.

It should not take me by surprise that the NY Times (p. A14) reports a senior editor of The New Republic spouted Anti-Semitic remarks reiterating the “power” and “economic” libels that one would have thought ended when the Protocols of the Elders of Zion were proved to be a hoax. Even Henry Ford had to admit that fact.  Gregg Easterbrook, the senior editor posted a diatribe on his own column, “Easterblogg”, on The New Republic’s web page that explained the disgusting violence in the movie, Kill Bill, as a Jewish thing because the producers were Jews and everybody knows that Jews love money. He concluded they made the movie more violent than anything previously screened for that reason. Mr. Easterbrook backtracked almost as soon as he typed the words. I checked the internet.  Sure enough, there were his libel and his retraction – of sorts. It almost “Killed Gregg” to retract. Words like his do incalculable damage.

It is also interesting to note that Mr. Mohamad took the trouble to cite Jews as a tiny minority of the world’s population who were responsible for the greatest movements throughout history.  He did not cite their responsibility for Christianity but he might have. (You know that Jesus and his followers were all Jews, don’t you.) He blamed Capitalism, Communism and inventions that changed the world on the genius of “the Jews” and I guess that would include me.  Just when I thought I was OK, these guys revived the “power” and “economic” libels.

Now, Mr. Mohamad was speaking to a summit of Muslim leaders and he preached to the choir of leading Muslims who have done nothing to help the Palestinians build a nation but sure enough, blamed problems on the Jews. It was interesting how he made these few people appear to be so powerful because of the ideas they had throughout time. Mr. Easterbrook, in taking back his words about Jews, reluctantly admitted that Christians were involved in the Movie, Kill Bill, and they too were interested in money.  You can’t do anything about it.  They take you by surprise - but it should not surprise you. They have always had this hatred and have believed impossible things despite fact and reason. How can you think you are OK when things like this happen all the time?