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Don’t believe her 

The Guardian reprints an essay by Carol Gould on the wave of anti-Americanism and anti-semitism sweeping London.

“I have lived in Europe for all of my adult life, and from the day I arrived I have been aware not only of an oft-blatant anti-semitism but also a resentment of Americans among colleagues, teachers, my social circle and neighbours. What is significant about this rage is that it emanates not from the great unwashed but from the educated and intellectual classes.”

I’m an American and a Jew who has lived in London for the last 24 years. I find her account so distorted as to be unrecognisable. There are certainly grains of truth: the anti-zionism of some of the left wing can shade into anti-semitism, and there is a long tradition of a kind of snobby anti-Americanism in some factions of the left and the right.

But to claim this is widespread or endemic to the Guardian-reading class (with whom I spend most of my time) is nonsensical in the extreme.

Chris Bertram’s post on Crooked Timber has extensive comments, many echoing my impressions.

What can they be thinking? 

The New York Times reports that Ralph Nader is emerging as a real threat to a Kerry victory in the presidential election. “Polls show that he could influence the outcomes in nine [states] by drawing support from Mr Kerry.”

I find Nader’s blindness on what he’s doing extraordinary. But even more remarkable to me is the thought that there are countable numbers of people considering going into a polling station in November, looking at the choices, and voting Nader. What can they be thinking?

In 2000, it might have been possible for somewhat deluded people to think there was no significant different between Al Gore and the “compassionate conservatism” of George Bush. After the last four years, how wildly deranged do you have to be not to see the difference it will make to the entire world to be rid of Bush?

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