Enrique Krauze is a Jewish-Mexican historian, essayist, editor, and public intellectual. I dare say that after the death of Nobel prize winner of literature Octavio Paz, Krauze has become the most influential intellectual of the country. Reflecting his Jewish identity, Krauze has criticized anti-Semitism in American newspapers, such as
The New York Times (
here).
Well, Carmen: First I think that in the US we are seeing further evidence of the degradation of American society because a sector of the American society is undoubtedly showing its true face. It is showing it, for example, in the fanaticism for guns, on the subject of drugs and the resurrection of something that was always there in the background, especially in the central and southern states of the US: racism and nativism. Let’s put it in this way, the basest instincts of culture and history of the United States are emerging. …
In Europe we have examples of “Trumps” in France with Marine Le Pen; in Hungary, Poland, that have the same characteristics to close the countries; they are enemies of migration and immigration. They are enemies of the Other. They preach hatred to the Other. And they do so from a position of a charismatic leader who promises providential, immediate solutions, but always as I said preaches from hatred…
If you add up what I’ve already sketched—especially the issue of racism—I give great importance to the worst instincts of the US emerging as a response to a democratic, moderate, intelligent presidency of a black man, Obama. …
But a part of the pro-Trump movement is based on hate by an important segment of the Republican electorate towards Obama, I have no doubts about it. For eight years they lived the terrible wrongs for the nativist eyes—who advocate for the white skin and racial purity of the US—to see a Black man in the White House, and to see him perform as well as he has generally done.
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