Send Liberal Jews To The Country For Political Re-education! And Now Let’s Change The Subject, Shall We?

by tristero

I recently wrote two separate posts regarding the nature of -and one commenter’s reaction to- Robert Stacy McCain’s repulsive suggestion that Norman Podhoretz encourage liberal, ie, most, urban Jews to relocate voluntarily to the countryside in order to correct their political alignment. The long history of Jewish persecution, forced conversion, and removal (“voluntary” or otherwise) is, except to the David Irving crowd, quite well known. Anyone familiar with even its roughest outlines would never make such a suggestion. That McCain did so is inexcusable.

During the course of a long response to my second post, McCain brought up, among other things, the Soviet Union, Ronald Reagan, compassionate conservatism, No Child Left Behind, Karl Rove’s “permanent public majority,” 9/11, two presidential elections, the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of 1798, James Mason, Patrick Henry, a girl in Charlottesville, the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (and his intimate familiarity with the text), the establishment of religion, federal lawsuits over prayers, the Naked Public Square, militant secularism, “Question Authority” bumper stickers, his own political history, Newt Gingrich, Van Jones, Norman Podhoretz, Trilling, Allen Ginsberg, Mailer, Reagan, and Jeanne Kirkpatrick.

Not once did he allude to the reason which first brought me to McCain’s attention: my objection to his suggestion that to cure Jews of their degenerate liberalism, a fellow Jew should encourage them to evacuate the cities and relocate to rural communities hostile to their politics.

McCain’s tactics illustrate a well-worn rhetorical maneuver: When cornered and exposed as a far-right extremist, change the subject. Say anything, anything at all to distract, shift focus and derail. Churn out as many buzzwordy putdowns of liberalism as you can – “militant secularism,” anyone? – so the original, unacceptable ideas are forgotten. And, oh, whether posing as an intellectual or a straight-shooting-in-the-face Voice of the People, be sure to pile on the ad hominems – ‘get’s ’em liberals all the time.

The fact remains, despite his extended attempt at obfuscation, that Robert Stacy McCain seriously suggested Jews endure exile from America’s cities until they learn the error of their ways. Liberal Jews only, of course. And voluntarily. Of course.

And that puts McCain far beyond the pale of acceptable discourse.

If past experience is any judge, McCain may choose to respond again, dazzling us further with his intimate knowledge of America’s Founders, and coming up with far more baroque variations of “ignorant twerp.” Perhaps he’ll run away and change the subject permanently; whatever, it’s a free country. As for myself, McCain doesn’t interest me in the slightest. Until, that is, the next time his pseudo-intellectual mask slips and he exposes again to the world the true countenance of rightwing extremism and bigotry.

What he will never do is what any decent human being would: unequivocally apologize to American Jews for so much as hinting that they be exiled because of their political beliefs.

I certainly hope he proves me wrong.