Persecution Complexities: The Protocols of the Elders of Zion as Presented in Behold a Pale Horse pp. 304-305

This week's post is late because I had to have an emergency appendectomy this week. I'm recovering well. 

Protocol 14

I cannot to say that I've come across any real atheist globalist conspiracy theories. Sure, atheists (of which I consider myself) have some irrational beliefs. There is the Sam Harris problem of blending Islam with Islamic nationalism; there are some martyrdom issues (of which some are exaggerated, some fabricated, but there are legitimate causes of concern); but once we get into a large scale conspiracy theories they evolve (devolve?) into a weird religious position. Cooper has got his version of Christianity throughout this book. The Flat Earth conspiracy theory is fundamentalist Christian at its center (I should note that there might be a version of fundamentalist Islamic flat earth since it is flat in a literal reading of the Koran); and only the 80s and 90s UFOlogy circuits were non-religious. Cooper comes out of the circuit so I may have to revisit those writings to see if the religious stuff is just better hidden. 

The Protocols are explicitly religious. There is no way around it. It's plagiarized by extremists looking to absolve the Christian Russian monarchs of the problems in Russia. It's using a historical bias against one group by another group based solely in religious differences so that Western Russians will ignore that the Tsar is starving them to fund a war in the East that they will eventually lose. So far, the book has been oddly blase about anti-Semitism. It's been littered throughout the previous protocols but Cooper's idea that we can just swap out the word "Goyim" for "Cattle" and "Zion" for "Sion" isn't that absurd. It's just a standard super-conspiracy. Now we get right into the blatant and dangerous anti-Semitism.

"When we come into our kingdom it will be undesirable for us that there should exist any other religion of the One God with whom our destiny is bound up by our position as the Chosen People and through whom our same destiny is united with the destinies of the world."

I will repeat how we are supposed to read this book. We're supposed to hate the recommendations of the Elder, as good Russians (or Christians) this claim on the one true faith is supposed to inflame our anger. Who is this elder to claim that they are the chosen people when clearly Jesus died to free of us of the old ways (except the ones we like)? These are the thoughts that we are supposed to feel when reading these claims. 

The elder then adds that they will use the press (which they control from two posts ago) to publish all of the faults in the non-Jewish governments so that the people will turn to the Elders for their historically beneficence. I don't like to nitpick conspiracy theorists on the details of their theories, but as of 1910 do the Jewish people have a history of beneficent rule? I'm not trying to say they were terrible rulers, but that they have a neutral presence. The history of Jewish political influence in European royalty was that of running the finances--it's where our stereotype of the "Jewish Banker" comes from. The Elder can highlight the problems of the Christian governments all he wants, but there is no replacement that he can offer. 

I suppose that merely pointing out the issues in the Christian governments might work but then won't people just point out the problems in the Elder's government? No, because (and all-caps is in the original): "BUT NO ONE WILL EVER BRING UNDER DISCUSSION OUR FAITH FROM ITS TRUE POINT OF VIEW SINCE THIS WILL BE FULLY LEANRED BY NONE SAVE OURS, WHO WILL NEVER DARE TO BETRAY ITS SECRETS." 

This is one of the most dangerous sentiments in the book. Judaism, as a religion, is easily available. Every Christian has most of it in their own book, then there's the Talmud; but none of that is beyond reproach. The Abrahamic tradition mostly agrees with itself. The difference is the placement of the Messiah: Christians believe it happened, Muslims and Jews don't. The rules are largely the same, and where they are different it's fairly arbitrary. None of the three permit tattoos, homosexuality, and are fairly misogynist; Jews and Muslims can't eat pork, but they are all supposed to pray daily. Muslims have a direction to pray in, but they all have a holy day, etc. What the protocols are claiming is that this isn't Judaism, this the public face of Judaism. 

The hidden face of Judaism is the one that no one on the outside ever hears about. This is the religion spoken of in their weird strange language that no one can learn, or their secret books; and it's xenophobia at its literal worst. Even the "good ones" aren't excused because they are aware of the secrets. They will never tell you the secrets because of they are sworn to secrecy. There are parallels between this claim and what happened to the Knights Templar in 1312. There was no evidence that Jacque DeMolay was plotting against Philip IV of France, but the claim was that they were and they were sworn to keep the secret. Which is why there tortured into confession of everything but a plot against the French king. There was the same sentiment regarding Muslims shortly after 9/11; sure not all Muslims were responsible but they all secretly approved of it, and this accusation continues to the present day. The Mexican border, the caravans, etc. You'll never find one confession but, as the Elder claims, they would never betray the secret true version of their religion. 

They are all part of the crime and this is why the Jewish population of the Western Russian Empire is going to pack up and flee into Poland.  

It took awhile, but we've gotten to the really bad parts of the book. It's also the point where Cooper can no longer claim ignorance on the anti-Semitic content of this chapter. Either he knows and doesn't care, or he doesn't care enough to learn.