Believe it or not, the rapper’s descent into deranged antisemitism contains valuable lessons for people across the political spectrum.
In Ye's case, there’s an undeniable mental health component to his recent comments. At the same time, he is hardly alone among black celebrities in espousing Louis Farrakhanite views on these matters or becoming enmeshed in controversies involving antisemitism. Institutional power can make racism more socially consequential, but it is not a prerequisite for its existence. Much of what is done by the Ku Klux Klan, the white nationalists who went marauding in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, or in the attacks on Asian Americans in broad daylight on city streets requires little to no institutional power.
There are lessons for the Right, too. For all the conservative denunciations of the Hollywood Left — Laura Ingraham’s Shut Up and Sing is typical of the genre — there is an all-too-eager embrace of celebrities with conservative views. It also makes conservatives easy marks for grifters and opportunists seeking a second act on the Republican entertainment circuit. Boycott Barbra Streisand and get a soon-to-be-canceled rap star in return.
jimantle A thought..
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