Nazi Greens
By Judson Cox (06/15/03)
During the 2000 elections, I was enrolled at the University Of Georgia. A large university campus is a fascinating place to be during a presidential election; it is a microcosm of political views ranging from the mainstream to the absurd. I was involved with both Republican and Libertarian club events, but the colorful activities of other political ideologies did not escape my attention.
The daily panorama of politics ranged from the banality one would expect to be a reflection of the Gore/Lieberman ticket, to the playfully politically incorrect witticisms that have come to be expected from College Republicans. But the fun did not stop there. We were treated to Libertarian gun raffles which were hugely successful in numbers attracted, media attention and funds raised. There were parades of Greens with their usual macabre signs and costumes, decrying capitalism, environmental destruction and the military, with their ever present drums and threats of violence. The smaller organizations ranged from racial identity groups (who seemed very serious), hard core communists and hold-out supporters of Jell-O Biafra, Frank Zappa For President boosters (surely a boon for the running mate, as Zappa had recently expired), and even a loose-knit cadre of anarchists and Marxists who leafleted and graffitied the campus with "Pigasus For President" messages. I can only assume that this was not the same pig that the Yippies ran against President Nixon, but given that many in this group identified themselves as witches, I will not rule out reanimation. After all, the Democrats tried it in 2002, with former Senator Fritz Mondale and former Senator Frank Lautenburg.
It was just before this bewildering time that I met a girl who would give me insight into the Left that I otherwise might not have. When I met her (she will remain unnamed), she was not committed to any political ideology. She was an unusually bright girl; attractive and well humored, with a scathing wit. We spent a good deal of time together. At some point, she began a strange transformation. Gradually, her mood darkened, her humor became far more negative and surfaced less frequently, and she began avoiding discussions of politics with me. Eventually, she admitted that she had become a Nazi (yes, an actual Hitler-quoting Nazi). Of course, I tried to talk her out of it. I tried my best to explain the failures of socialism to her, and to defend the Jewish people. I attempted both reason and emotion. I debunked the "Protocols Of The Wise Men Of Zion," as Czarist propaganda, and countered the conspiracy theories concerning the Rothchilds and Israel. I listed the great accomplishments of famous Jews, and even convinced her that science, philosophy, religion, art, economics and literature have been greatly furthered by Jewish accomplishments. It was all for naught. She had surrounded herself with charismatic Nazis, and had been completely taken in by their lies. It was the end of our friendship.
Time passed and as we were traveling in different circles, our paths did not cross. It was during the election that I next became aware of her. I spotted her among the Green Party mobs, agitating in support of Ralph Nader being allowed on the ballot. I will admit that I always hoped Nader would be a bit of a Ross Perot to Al Gore, so I approached her and offered to sign her petition. "Hey, ____," I said, "I thought you were a Nazi; what are you doing supporting Nader?" "I am a Nazi," she replied, "That's why I'm supporting Nader." I must have looked a bit puzzled, because she continued, "What do you think Nazism is? It's national socialism. Only we don't support any one nation. We want an end to all capitalist governments, and the environmental destruction they entail. Also, we're all against the Jews. The Jews run everything; they are responsible for capitalist exploitation and environmental destruction. They are responsible for poverty, war, and global warming. What they are doing to Palestine they will do to all of us if we let them." "So," I asked in disbelief, "the Green Party is anti-Semitic?" "Most of us are," she replied, "Some of us even call ourselves Nazi Greens, especially in Europe." "You are insane," I told her, as I walked away, feeling nauseous.
This exchange helped me understand what would otherwise be a puzzling phenomenon. An honest appraisal of the Left over the past few years will show that it is growing increasingly anti-Semitic. On its face, this just does not make sense. Jews are generally associated with liberal causes, but modern liberalism is growing less accepting of Jews. Perhaps Edward Said's continuous parroting of Palestinian condemnations of "Zionism" is at the root, but the tree has grown far beyond the Palestinian cause. What began with Israeli divestment campaigns on college campuses, that equated Israel to Apartheid South Africa, has grown to the point that the phrase "Zionist conspiracy" has become a virtual shibboleth (if you will pardon the metaphor) of not merely Timothy McVeighs, but of increasingly mainstream liberals.
The rise of anti-Semitism on the left seems to have come to a head following the September 11th terrorist attacks. With the appearance of books claiming to prove that Israel was behind the terrorist attacks, the Zionist conspiracy became common currency. Liberal websites and leaders spread this message, until blatant anti-Semitism became common place at every war protest. Filthy, French style, protesters held signs blaming the world's ills on Jews, while their French counterparts defaced synagogues and graves, and attacked Jews on the streets.
This tide of sentiment is not limited to the dirty and the youthful. Indeed, a veritable cottage industry has been formed of lawyers, led by the ACLU, who make a living defending those who seek to, or who actively encourage killing Jews in Israel and abroad. More and more, the Left makes it clear that the only religion they approve of is the one that preaches the killing of Jews (and Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, etc.) - Islam. Even among mainstream democrats, anti-Semitism is not condemned. When Jesse Jackson used the slur, "hymie town," he was not denounced by a single liberal, nor was Al Sharpton rebuked when he said he would not tolerate a Hadassah (Lieberman's wife) in the White House. Even Hillary Clinton is forgiven for reportedly calling Dick Morris a "Jew bastard." The "Zionist conspiracy" is even being leveled against the Bush administration as the term "neoconservative" has resurfaced as synonymous with Jewish conservative. From the radical fringe to the democratic party proper, the Left claims that the Bush administration is merely a pawn of Israel.
I do not pretend that my experience with a Nazi turned Green is evidence that all Greens are Nazis; I am sure many are not. I also do not believe that all liberals are anti-Semitic, nor that all liberals are tolerant of such. However, evidence proves that anti-Semitism is increasingly common on the left. What was formerly agreed upon as the greatest evil of the twentieth century is being embraced and tolerated by many of the most influential leaders and constituencies of the Left. As an active Republican, and committed conservative, I can attest that neither this kind of rhetoric, nor ideology, is tolerated on the Right. Any Republican who espoused such racist nonsense would be roundly condemned, and forced out of any leadership position.
This is what makes so much of the Left's rhetoric so maddening. After all, the Left frequently likens Republicans to Nazis, from the protesters carrying signs depicting President Bush with a Hitler mustache, to Janet Reno's Nazi reference at a group of Jewish voters in Florida just last week. The Left simply can't have it both ways. If a leader were to arise-a man who was a vegetarian, a radical environmentalist, a tea-drinking, nature worshipping, anti-smoking fanatic, a socialist, a proponent of abortion and of medical research utilizing fetal tissue, who would outlaw speech and ideas that he didn't approve of, an animal rights activist, a controversial artist and writer, a pagan who's harshest rhetoric was directed against Jews and Christians - he could rise quickly to the leadership of the Green Party. Indeed, such a man would find few critics among democrats, and would be welcomed by the faculty of most colleges. Such a man did once exist, and did become the leader of a modern nation only a few decades ago. That man was Adolph Hitler.
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