Thursday, September 23, 2004

Given Duwe consideration

Which leads me on to other (in some quarters) controversial territory. Treatment of Jews. Why is the prejudice of the early playwrights, the crude caricature of early cartoonists, the rabid hissings of bootstomping zealots, the outcry from commentators both left wing and right (and so on and so forth) aimed at a religious group who make no attempt to foist their belief on we Gentiles and a political group who, whatever their merits, do have to defend 'their' territory?

Here is my theory - and if this doesn't evoke a reaction given that I've just identified my entire potential audience then I give up - WE'RE JEALOUS

Stephen Hawking is a worthy successor to Albert Einstein but does he possess quite the singular genius?

Great film directors there have been aplenty but who has covered frivolous to profound, enlightening to disturbing, shocking to ridiculous, flop to megablockbuster, schlock to Oscar winner? That'd be Steven Spielberg.

How could a race that are purported to have cunning and conniving as their means to success (when the xenophobia cannon isn't pointing at the gypsies), produce an acting talent like that of Dustin Hoffman, who can play melodrama, real drama, costume drama, action drama, all just as well? And does saying that Laurence Olivier, Geoffrey Rush,Peter Sellers or Anthony Hopkins also play accomplished character roles and leading roles negate the fact that Hoffman does so? Only in the most muddled of minds.

Similarly a reasonable pick of great singer-songwriters brings forth Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. Of rock'n'roll pioneering composers Lieber and Stoller. Of great folk arrangers and performers Simon and Garfunkel.

I could go on but you get the gist of what I'm saying. I'm not telling left wing groups to still their anger at the wall or a crackdown by troops but I am saying think about all the brilliance of this people; all the very real potential they have to contribute to something extraordinary given their already impressive track record.

I'm not getting into a slanging match with far right groups about the authenticity of the Pronouncements of the Elders of the Council of Zion or even trying to sort the morass of who shot first and what is fair revenge before the body count ceases, but I am saying that Jews from all walks of life have made a positive contribution to your society and ours.