Study: Antisemitism is associated with conspiracy thinking, authoritarianism and desire to overturn the social order

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.., made headlines this weekend when he seemed to claim that COVID-19 could have been genetically engineered to target certain populations, and then mentioned there have been studies that suggested that Chinese people and Ashkenazic Jews are less susceptible to the virus.

"COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese," the Democratic presidential candidate said in a video that the New York Post published.

There is indeed such a study, from 2020, which he gets slightly wrong. The two groups that the study claimed were less likely to be susceptible to COVID-19, based on an analysis of two specific genes, were Ashkenazic Jews and the Amish. Latino, South and East Asian, and Finnish people were less susceptible than other groups as well. 

Kennedy later clarified, saying he “never, ever suggested that the COVID-19 virus was targeted to spare Jews. I do not believe and never implied that the ethnic effect was deliberately engineered.” 

Obviously, a large number (and percentage) of Ashkenazic Jews died of COVID-19, so the study did not predict anything accurately. 

But the cat is out of the bag, and conspiracy theorists now have more ammunition to attack Jews. 

And they are the most likely people to be antisemitic to begin with. 

A new study published in Nature shows that antisemitism is not so much associated with the political Right or Left as it is with extremist thinking and conspiracy theories.

The researchers checked the association between antisemitic attitudes and likelihood to believe in other theories. For example, they found a high correlation between antisemites that those who believed in totalitarianism:

•To bring about great changes for the benefit of mankind often requires cruelty and even ruthlessness.

•Soft and idealistic people can never be the doers of great events.

•Almost any unfairness or brutality may have to be justified when some great purpose is being carried out.

•The unhappiness of a few people simply doesn’t matter when it is a question of a step forward for the majority of the people.

•Sometimes when a new society is in its early stages, the masses have to be ruled with an iron hand for their own good

Similarly, antisemitic attitudes were correlated with belief in conspiracy theories, such as:

•The government permits or perpetrates acts of terrorism on its own soil, disguising its involvement.

•The power held by heads of state is second to that of small unknown groups who really control world politics

.•A small secret group of people is responsible for making all major world decisions such as going to war.

•Secret organizations communicate with extraterrestrials, but keep this fact from the public

•The spread of certain viruses and/or diseases is the result of the deliberate, concealed efforts of some organisations.

•Technology with mind-control capacities is used on people without their knowledge.

And they are also associated with support for authoritarianism, both associated with the Right:

•What our country needs most is discipline, with everyone following our leaders in unity.   

•An ideal society requires some groups to be on top and others to be on the bottom.

•Some groups of people are simply inferior to other groups

And the Left::

•Rich people should be forced to give up virtually all of their wealth.

•Most investment bankers need to be thrown in prison.

•Political violence can be constructive when it serves the cause of social justice.

 •Books that contain racism or racial language should be censored.

•I should have the right not to be exposed to views I find offensive.

While both the Right and the Left attack each other as antisemites, they usually remain blind to the antisemitism that is on their own side.  And too many on their own sides want to see an authoritarian government that supports their viewpoints - and violently represses others. 

Which indicates that antisemites are often some of the worst people on Earth.  And those who find antisemites on their own political side should be in the forefront of denouncing them, not accommodating them. 

Incidentally, the introduction to the study cited quite a few studies that showed a strong correlation between Judeoiphobic antisemitism and anti-Zionist antisemitism. And the people who would self-describe as anti-Zionists were just as likely to believe in the other noxious theories listed here as those who espouse the "old" antisemitism.

(h/t Irene)

our country needs most is discipline, with everyone following our leaders in unity.

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Buy the EoZ book, PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism  today at Amazon! Or order from your favorite bookseller, using ISBN 9798985708424.  Read all about it here!