Jews Don't Count by David Baddiel

 

Author: David Baddiel

Title: Jews Don't Count

Published: 2021

Publisher: 2021

Pages: 144

Genre: Nonfiction/ Race/ Essay

     How identity politics failed one particular identity. Jews Don't Count is a book for people who consider themselves on the right side of history. People fighting the good fight against homophobia, disablism, transphobia, and, particularly, racism. People, possibly, like you. It is the comedian and writer David Baddiel's contention that one type of racism has been left out of this fight. In his unique combination of close reasoning, polemic, personal experience, and jokes, Baddiel argues that those who think of themselves as on the right side of history have often ignored the history of anti-Semitism.

     Whenever we pick up a nonfiction book, I think it is because we want to expand our knowledge of any given subject. It is this innate human need to better understand our world. And over the last year or so this to me this has become more important than ever. With protest happening globally about everything from climate change to black lives matters and on to the anti lockdown and who will and won't take that vaccine. There seems to be an overload of topics for my brain to struggle to get its self around. I want to understand these things better to form proper opinions. So in part, I do what I have always done and that's turn to books. People who far better understand these topics, to try and educate myself so, in turn, I can understand a little better and hopefully shed some of my ignorance.  

     

     Over the years I have read what I hope to be a fairly broad section of books about Jewish history as it applies to Europe.  After all, it is impossible to understand the events that have happened not only in my own country but those around me without taking this into account. But the more you read about it the more you start to realize that the Jewish population of Europe has never had it easy. We like to pretend that we are a fairly open and forward think bunch over here. But if I'm being brutally honest this is the lie we tell ourselves and anyone who will listen. It is quite easy to tell your friends so but to actually have to act upon it is a very different thing. And after all, it is through our actions that we show our true selves. If nothing else recent events like Brexit were fought on the principles of them and us. That if we get rid of everyone who isn't British we can go back to a golden age. I think these people fail to realize that Britain has been a nation of immigrants for much longer than we were ever part of the European Union. 

     As Baddiel shows us and you really should know by now antisemitism would appear to be as old as time its self. For some, however, I think they like to believe that that was all wrapped up and down with at the end of world war two. That the Jewish people have never had it better and after all what have they really got to complain about. But as is always the way it relies far too heavily on lazy stereotypes. It's this myth that prevails to this day that Jewish people no matter how it would outwardly appear are in fact all rich. And in some corner of this society, it is believed they rule the world. Thus giving them the belief that it is perfectly fair to punch out at them after all they are the little people trying to free the world from this tyrannical master. Which when given in the slight piece of logical thought has more plot holes than a dan brown novel. But maybe that is giving them far too much credit for critical think after all you cannot think clearly when your mind is angry and in a rage. 

     It strikes me that once again this is a case of having a conclusion and them desperately trying to fit every other piece to fit it no matter that fact that much like a trying to mash to separate puzzles together the parts never really fit and all you are left with is a warped and distorted picture. But this is the inherent problem with racism, it simply doesn't make sense to judge someone on this basis. It is on the other hand a great way of keeping control of a group of people. After all, if you tell someone that despite every obvious sign that the current plight of their country is down to monstrously shoddy leadership it is in fact the direct result of activities carried out by this minority what's not to like. Those in charge are left blamed free and what is said minority going to do about it. After all, they are few and incapable of fighting back. It is classic schoolyard bully tactics pick on the week and everyone else will follow. And let's be real about this for the greatest time Europe had been majoritively white and the jews have been just different enough to suffer the wrath of these idiots. 

     For me, I think what Baddiel shows is that despite what a lot of people think, things haven't really changed all that much. The only difference is now that we all live in a much more mixed society. Where racism is for want of a better word very much black and white, Jewish people are seen as white and thus cannot suffer from racism in the same way as say people who are black or Indian can. And this is the crux of the matter why not? within these few pages, Baddiel gives us blaring examples of when this is this case. Somehow it has become once again socially acceptable to make blatant racist remarks about Jewish people. It is not even given a second thought and that is the problem is has become part of the everyday lexicon for many who don't question its meaning or the harm it does. because once again they are doing just fine so what does it really matter. And with the rise in populist politics in the form of Trump and Borris who is going to stop them. They can openly march on the streets of our capitals and the police seem to do little to stop it. 

     This is a book that gave me great pause to stop and think about how I view the world. And whilst I try my best the plight of Jewish people around the globe at the moment never is at the forefront of my mind. Others have taken their place and are more often than not splashed across the nightly news. So within these pages, it gave me a chance to change my focus and question these actions. Because after all, they have just as much right as others to challenge the hate thrown in their direction. This book has filled my head with not only questions but with sadness, that we seem to be ever destined to repeat what has come before. And whilst some will no doubt dismiss Baddiel as just another complaining jew who doesn't know how good he has it. It is in fact time to listen because these things always start small but inevitably become much bigger monsters much, to the suffering of a great many.