I have a new piece at Pacific Standard, my first column for them since signing on as a regular contributor. It’s called, “The New Blood Libel.”
It’s not the piece I expected to be writing. I thought I’d write first about DeVos and disability education under Trump, or maybe healthcare and mortal risks to vulnerable people, or even Sessions and the DoJ and police reform. Instead, I’m writing about Nazis and information culture.
My kicker:
In the 12th century, the blood libel came from a publicity-seeking monk. In the 19th, anti-semites used the Dreyfus Affair to purge Jews from the military. In the 21st, the new blood libel will fly over the Internet, fueled by tweets, YouTube videos, and unrepentant media outlets that sell only fear. Meanwhile, elected officials hungry for tax cuts and re-election look the other way.
Previous posts on blood libel:
- Literal 21st C blood libel.
- Forced Baptism and Sarah Palin’s use of Blood Libel (blog post)
- Forced Baptism and Sarah Palin (CNN)
- My blog post on the Pennsylvania Christmas Carol controversy, in detail.
Lots more writing to come about militant Christianity, racism, and violence to come. Alas, alas, alas.