Ben Shapiro on David Duke

Ben Shapiro seems to think this is a clever attack on identity politics:

“In November, students at a historically black university in New Orleans led a massive protest against a speaker heavily supportive of Donald Trump. Socially Engaged Dillard University Students, the group organizing against the speaker, wrote an open letter: “His presence on our campus is not welcome, and overtly subjects the entire student body to safety risks and social ridicule. This is simply outrageous.” The speaker’s safety was guaranteed by the university, and he proceeded to explain, “I will be Donald Trump’s most loyal advocate.”

The speaker’s safety was guaranteed by the university, and he proceeded to explain, “I will be Donald Trump’s most loyal advocate.”

The protesters were of the political Left; they chanted, “No KKK! No fascist USA!” Protesters were hit with pepper spray, and two were arrested. So, here’s the question: Did this make inviting the speaker worthwhile? The answer should be obvious: From this account of events, you don’t have enough information to say. The speaker could have been Sheriff David Clarke or Rudy Giuliani or Newt Gingrich.

But it wasn’t. It was David Duke, who also said, at the same event, “There is a problem in America with a very strong, powerful, tribal group that dominates our media and dominates our international banking. I’m not opposed to all Jews.”

If you did not answer that the story provided too little information for you to judge, it’s time to check your biases. Did you decide that the speaker was on the right because the protesters were on the left? Did you decide that the speaker had something valuable to say if he ticked off the Left enough, if he melted enough snowflakes? …”

True story.

Many years ago, I was exposed to David Duke and his theories about Jews. At the time, I had nothing but positive feelings toward Jews. There are very few Jews in rural Alabama. I had virtually no experience with these people and had no reason to feel any ill will against them.

I’ve always considered myself a reasonable person. My reaction to David Duke’s claims about Jews was to check out his sources and research the subject myself. The only question that interested me was whether or not David Duke’s claims about the Jews were true or false.

I didn’t assume that David Duke was correct because he is a White Southerner. We share a common ethnic and cultural identity, but that doesn’t mean that Duke’s claims about the Jews were true. I quickly discovered that there really is a “very strong, powerful, tribal group” that “dominates our media and dominates international banking.” It is highly taboo to talk about the massive overrepresentation of Jews in the elite news and entertainment media and academia.

This small tribe has a massive distorting effect on our culture and politics. As I continued my research, I began to see that their rise into the American elite was arguably the most important story of the 20th century. David Duke wasn’t wrong about their wealth, power and influence.

David Duke’s ideas and values aren’t in conflict with White identity. On the contrary, if you identify with White people it is hard to ignore the fact that there is an ethnic group on the Right who in the words of Peter Beinart “believe America should stand for ideals that transcend race, religion and geography” and who “fear white Christian identity politics in their bones.”