Antisemitic

[William]

Why is being antisemitic considered worse than being say - anti-American, or anti-Chinese, or anti-Catholic?

Judaism is just another religion, and Israel is just another country - so why is it considered prejudice by most people to criticise either? I have never understood that - any ideas?

[resister]

I bet the holocaust may play a factor.

[William]

I bet the holocaust may play a factor.

You may be right - we learnt all about that in class. It doesn't make sense to be anti-Jewish, any more than it makes sense to be anti-Catholic, but how people who are long dead were treated shouldn't make it a crime to criticise how other people of the same religion behave - should it? Are we not allowed to criticise anything Irish people do cos they were badly treated for centuries? How about the African-Americans, or the native Americans?

[resister]

You may be right - we learnt all about that in class. It doesn't make sense to be anti-Jewish, any more than it makes sense to be anti-Catholic, but how people who are long dead were treated shouldn't make it a crime to criticise how other people of the same religion behave - should it? Are we not allowed to criticise anything Irish people do cos they were badly treated for centuries? How about the African-Americans, or the native Americans?

Not according to white guilt I mean privilage, the perps are guilty forever.

You might be a brit, but you owe American Africans.

[William]

Not according to white guilt I mean privilage, the perps are guilty forever.

You might be a brit, but you owe American Africans.

I don't understand - can you explain what you mean?

[donttread]

Why is being antisemitic considered worse than being say - anti-American, or anti-Chinese, or anti-Catholic?

Judaism is just another religion, and Israel is just another country - so why is it considered prejudice by most people to criticise either? I have never understood that - any ideas?

Their history .

[donttread]

You may be right - we learnt all about that in class. It doesn't make sense to be anti-Jewish, any more than it makes sense to be anti-Catholic, but how people who are long dead were treated shouldn't make it a crime to criticise how other people of the same religion behave - should it? Are we not allowed to criticise anything Irish people do cos they were badly treated for centuries? How about the African-Americans, or the native Americans?

True. But then here we have tured hate into a crime . Hate is not a crime. Illegal actions are. We are very mixed up in the west. Did you ever real "1984" and learn about Orwell's thought police? If not I suggest you read it. Orwell wasn't wrong he was just off by a few decades,

[DGUtley]

It is not illegal to be anti-Semitic. Just like it is not illegal to be anti-Irish, Italian etc. it is illegal to act on such anti thoughts in the treatment of others in many ways (housing, jobs, etc). These are factors beyond someone's control. Religion you can choose but race, ethnicity, gender (formerly) you could not.

@William, I think you mistakenly narrowly construe what it means to be a Semite.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semitic_people

[donttread]

It is not illegal to be anti-Semitic. Just like it is not illegal to be anti-Irish, Italian etc. it is illegal to act on such anti thoughts in the treatment of others in many ways (housing, jobs, etc). These are factors beyond someone's control. Religion you can choose but race, ethnicity, gender (formerly) you could not.

@William, I think you mistakenly narrowly construe what it means to be a Semite.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semitic_people

It's more illegal to act on thoughts of hate then thoughts of robbery for example, even if the crime is the same. Therefore we have in fact made hate a crime. Motive should be a mitigating factor in sentencing, not in what crime you are charged with and the sentnecing range attached to it.

[DGUtley]

It's more illegal to act on thoughts of hate then thoughts of robbery for example, even if the crime is the same. Therefore we have in fact made hate a crime. Motive should be a mitigating factor in sentencing, not in what crime you are charged with and the sentnecing range attached to it.

If you have followed me at all, you know that I loathe PC but I respectfully disagree with your first point. I somewhat agree with your second. I have to ponder your third.