Jacob Rees-Mogg invokes anti-Semitic trope against George Soros

Experts, such as former chancellor, Philip Hammond, have suggested that the government is being influenced and supported by people who stand to make vast sums out of a no-deal Brexit.

Rees-Mogg’s response was that Soros is “one of the major funders, allegedly, of the Remain campaign, the sort of Remoaner funder-in-chief … who made a billion pounds when sterling crashed out of the exchange rate mechanism, which is five times as much as Mr Odey is said to have made”.

Rees-Mogg echoed Jewish conspiracy nonsense that has disfigured European political debate for centuries – and led to the appalling consequences that shamed humanity in the 20th century. Soros, in particular, is a common object of abuse from the far right and those in his native Hungary still searching for scapegoats.

Imagine, as so often in such cases, if it had been Jeremy Corbyn or some Labour figure who had let such a silly stray remark about Soros fall from their lips. The calls for an inquiry by the Conservatives would be deafening and used as another example of the (real) problem of antisemitism within the Labour Party. The Tories, and Boris Johnson, should apply the same standards to themselves as they set for others.

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/jacob-rees-mogg-george-soros-antisemitism-house-of-commons-a9143006.html

Reply 1

fallen_acorns

If corbyn had made the remarks, and the tories had gone after him for them.. it would be equally as stupid.

There isn't anything anti-semitic in pointing out where soros spends his money (if he does donate to remain campaigns) or pointing out his past with crashing the pound, which is very well known and hardly a secret. Stating that an individual did something, even if its inline with a trope, is not inherently racist/homaphobic/anti-semetic.

For example...

"Black people all go around shooting each other" = racist generalised trope
"John smith, shot paul baker" = not racist. even if john smith is black.

"George soros funds remain, and made billions in the past when the currency crashed"
is not the same as
"Jewish people are in control of europe financially, and are manipulating poltiics"

Reply 2

username4914582

Rees Mogg is just Farage with an aristocratic accent. This isn’t at all surprising.

Reply 3

Stiff Little Fingers

Pretty much every time Soros gets bought up is to invoke anti-Semitic tropes. It's always that he's the shadowy money behind "progressive cause I don't like", without any evidence, never other philanthropic billionaires like Warren Buffet.

Reply 4

Notnek

This is not antisemitism. If he listed more than one Jew then maybe but this is just a single man who has a lot of money.

It is extremely frustrating when things like this appear in the news because it's just going to lead to actual antisemitism from those who think that Jews control the media.

Reply 5

Napp

Original post by Sir Cumference

I dont know its a coment that perfectly mirrors others who have used similar slurs against him and jews writ large.

Reply 6

Notnek

Original post by Napp

I dont know its a coment that perfectly mirrors others who have used similar slurs against him and jews writ large.

It may "mirror" antisemitic comments but it just isn't antisemitic. There's enough real antisemitism in the world - calling this antisemitic waters down what antisemitism is and that's dangerous. It's similar to saying that any comment against Israel is antisemitic.

If wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people who are saying this comment is antisemitic care more about attacking Jacob Rees-Mogg than they do about defending Jews.

Reply 7

Napp

Original post by Sir Cumference

Nevertheless it is in extremely poor taste and reckless for a nominal representative head of the people to be using it.
Meh they may well do but that isnt really the point though, is it?

Reply 8

Notnek

Original post by Napp

Nevertheless it is in extremely poor taste and reckless for a nominal representative head of the people to be using it.
Meh they may well do but that isnt really the point though, is it?

No it isn't, just like it isn't reckless for an MP to criticise Israel even though most antisemites criticise Israel.

Reply 9

Napp

Original post by Sir Cumference

No it isn't, just like it isn't reckless for an MP to criticise Israel even though most antisemites criticise Israel.

Not sure what criticising Israel has to do with this? We're talking about the use of a standard modern trope. Not that country.

Reply 10

Notnek

Original post by Napp

Not sure what criticising Israel has to do with this? We're talking about the use of a standard modern trope. Not that country.

Antisemitic people attack Israel and make negative comments against George Soros. But attacking Israel doesn't make someone an antisemite, just like making a negative comment against George Soros doesn't make someone an antisemite. His comment is plainly not antisemitic and it's so frustrating seeing articles like this.

Reply 11

Napp

Original post by Sir Cumference

Antisemitic people attack Israel and make negative comments against George Soros.

Yes

But attacking Israel doesn't make someone an antisemite,

I am aware

just like making a negative comment against George Soros doesn't make someone an antisemite.

Now that really depends how you attack him. However, seeing as almost all abuse levelled against him does revolve around him being a 'money grabbing jew' and various iterations of that delightful slur...

His comment is plainly not antisemitic and it's so frustrating seeing articles like this.

Debatable, however seeing as its completely up for interpretation i rather doubt we will agree on this. Although another user made a rather apt remark, if someone in Labour had made such a remark theyd have been roasted alive as a bile spewing nazi for the comment...

Reply 12

Notnek

Original post by Napp

Just because Labour MPs are sometimes incorrectly labelled as antisemites by the right, we shouldn't be making similar mistakes against people we disagree with. The tit-for-tat attitude is pretty childish and antisemitism/racism is a serious matter.

Reply 13

Napp

Original post by Sir Cumference

I didnt mean to infer that was the case i was merely pointing out the double standards that people seem to display. I feel obliged to point out at this point that i dislike Labour and the Torys equally.