The plot against George Soros

The unintended consequence, as Birnbaum later regretfully admitted, was reinforcement of anti-semitic feelings within the populations of not just Hungary but many other countries where Soros has become a hate figure.

I don't think that Birnbaum was regretful about it at all. Certainly he wasn't in the excerpt that I posted!

I don't see anything at all dubious about how Soros escaped the holocaust.

But the main interest for me, is the use of him as a hate figure and the way that the 'hate' has escaped into the wild, as it were, by means of the internet and social media. It has created a monster which doesn't really exist and who cannot fight back against it. It needn't actually have been Soros, they could have picked on any prominent person.

I actually think that the the whole methodology they used is truly evil.

I found the article via twitter where people were speculating that much the same technique, of repeating damaging falsehoods to embed the idea of an 'enemy' which has to be stopped, was being used on Keir Starmer by way of his 'failure' to prosecute Jimmy Saville when he was head of the CPS. It isn't true, but it will never be eradicated from people's minds.

Thanks very much for the link Maizie. I've since had a chance to look at it.

I hadn't formed any particular opinion about Soros because I had heard so many conflicting views on him and it is difficult to know what to believe.

It seems to me that the campaign by Birnbaum and Finkelstein in Hungary - they also worked behind the scenes for Netenyahu in his campaign against Shimon Peres, who expressed a commitment to continuing Rabin's peace process - was purely motivated by their belief that even a strong leader, perhaps particularly a strong leader, needs to keep his "foot on the gas". Thus an "enemy" against whom the voting public can unite (and keep the focus away from any potentially controversial moves the current leader is making) is the best way to achieve this. The unintended consequence, as Birnbaum later regretfully admitted, was reinforcement of anti-semitic feelings within the populations of not just Hungary but many other countries where Soros has become a hate figure.

Frankly, I think that there is nothing particularly admirable about setting up hate figures in order to elevate the reputation of what might be fairly disreputable leaders (as I believe Orban is).

Having said that, there is interview footage on YouTube of Soros acknowledging that he escaped the Holocaust by posing as a Christian, under the protection of a man who claimed he had adopted Soros and whom Soros accompanied when forcibly confiscating the property of Jewish people. To be fair, he was only 14 and, I believe, an orphan at the time and his reasoning was that if he hadn't done it, somebody else would. None of us knows how we would respond in such a frightening situation and many people use whatever means they have to protect themselves from danger.

What is disturbing though is that in the same interview he admits with what appears to be a proud smile that he has bankrupted countries like Thailand by making huge bets against their currencies and thus throwing their economies into chaos. He says "I am there to make money. I don't look at the social consequences of what I do".

I think the point is, he has apparently done nothing illegal and his reasoning is that if he didn't do it, someone else would. I don't find that a particularly ethical or engaging argument, but it is one that is used by weapons producers and hedge funds and other disreputable individuals and organisations throughout the world.

Whether his donations to various institutions and NGOs are motivated by altruism or some other objective it is difficult to say. Again, though, many mega-wealthy individuals make donations and it seems there is not so much scrutiny of their actions or questioning of their agendas.

I've come to the conclusion that the campaign against him is politically motivated and he has been a convenient target for certain right wing leaders and movements, whilst other equally dangerous individuals and organisations receive scant attention. He may not be a very nice, or genuine, person but it certainly seems to be the case that his accusers and those who have mounted campaigns against him on behalf of some pretty horrible regimes are not especially decent people either.

One of the things that really struck me was the fact that all the men orchestrating these campaigns were Jewish and the vicious campaign against Soros has actually promoted anti-semitism. And they aren't willing to face it.

The allegation that he was responsible for anti-Semitism pains Birnbaum. He just doesn’t see it. He decided to speak primarily because he wants to refute it. He is, after all, an observant Jew and member of many pro-Israeli charities.

“When we planned the campaign,” he said, “we didn’t think a second about Soros being a Jew.” Birnbaum claimed he didn’t even know it back then, and that he never worked with anti-Semites.

After all, “can I not attack someone because he is a Jew?” Birnbaum asked.

Surely the point is not Soros' wealth but that he is viciously attacked for the uses that he puts it to.

I am no longer surprised at some people's wealth or how it was gained ! It was never through hard work/grafting that's for sure.

Yes, known about this for some time.

Thank you for the above MaizieD

I read the article and, as you say, it rang a lot of bells.

The message to politicians to attack first and not to talk about themselves but to continue with attacking the opposition has been evident in the UK for a long time with the personal attacks on Neil Kinnock, Michael Foot and Jeremy Corbyn.

The regular references, even on GN, to those anywhere left of centre as being Marxists.

The need to have a figure to hate, rather than an organisation which helped Trump, denigrating Hilary Clinton, to win in the US.

I think that perhaps Cummings has modelled himself on Finkelstein - he dresses very casually although I'm not sure whether he walks around without shoes whilst at Number 10.

Cummings certainly uses similar methods to Finkelstein and Birnbaum when making decisions - regular polls and focus groups, rather than listening to the politicians.

These very powerful men all seem to have something missing empathy for their fellow men.

Soros is a Hungarian born Jew. Survivor of the Nazi regime (he was a teenager during WWII). Financier who made a hge amount of money shorting the GB pound on 'Black Wednesday' 1992.

He does a lot of philanthropic funding of good causes.

He has become an international hate figure, you may pick up hate filled references to him funding causes/people that the tweeter doesn't like on twitter and there are probably hundreds of anti Soros posts on other social media.

He may not be a particularly easy character, but his rise to be what seems to be the most hated person in the universe is inexplicable.. he's not deserving of it.

The article I've linked to shows how it was done.

I don't know who this guy is!

Thanks, Eloethan.

It is the techniques which were used to turn him into an international figure of hate that are so terrifying interesting.

I look forward to your comments

I really hope that a few other people might read and comment, too.

I'm going to read it MaizieD - thank you.

I have seen bits of interviews with Soros where he comes across very badly - a bit of a psychopath - but perhaps that is because I've seen bits, not the whole interview. So I'll be interested to read the link you've provided.