Ok, I am going to take a stab at popular social consciousness.
Think about who were the “untouchable” groups 50 to 100 years ago:
Whites, Males, and Christians.
It was very bad to say anything about such groups. If you did, it would reflect very badly upon you socially.
Now today, there has been a shift. The untouchable groups today are:
Blacks, Women, and Jews.
It is a “sympathy response” of some kind. I live in Japan now, and since I am American, I am one of the untouchable groups here as well. What would be the impression of an American in Japan 70 years ago?
Now, I am not claiming that this is a “bad” thing, but there is some merit to such an understanding. It is very bad to criticize these groups for pretty much any reason. Quite a contrast from 100 years ago. Pretty much any criticism, even innocent criticism, will immediately get you names like racist, sexist, or antisemitic.
Here’s an example: I once asked an American sports forum why there was such an overrepresentation of blacks in a professional sports when compared with the rest of society? The reaction was harsh. It was like I am not allowed to ask such questions.
Now, I submit this not to offend anyone, but to point out such observations. Not that I really think they are bad or good, but that is just the way society reacts.
Anti-semitism by no means has faded away. A lot has also taken shelter in anti-Israel and anti-zionism. It’s also become a great way to make anti-semitism politcally correct.
Now you say
Is critisizm of an entire group ever justified? Or should the focus be on the individuals? Should not all groups be untouchable?
Is it right to blame all muslims for 9/11 or just the terrorists? May one judge an entire race, nation, people based on the actions of individuals in that group?
Should we view the world through race or start judging through individuals?
I don’t have time to say a lot but I’ll just say that I have noticed the same thing and honestly I think it’s quite ridiculous. It’s as if people can’t see the difference between criticism and racism (etc.)
I agree with you that anti-semitism, sexism, & racism have not evaporated. However, I think it has gotten to the point in which those terms are used arbitrarily and superficially to degrade critics of groups that have been oppressed in the past in the same manner in which those groups were formerly degraded.
It’s not fair to throw out generalized criticisms to groups as opposed to individuals, but I think we (society) likes to think in terms of generalities for simplicity and perhaps intellectual laziness.
I just find it interesting that society has this sympathetic response towards such groups that allows such leeway in which any criticism addressed towards such groups deserves condemnation very much in the same way those groups were restricted of doing not so long ago.
Again, I don’t have a problem with it. But such groups are “untouchable.”
Yeah, there is a problem but don’t worry about it too much, this is the pendulum swinging the other way. It’ll last for a while as people settle into a balance between the two. Maybe before it’s over there will be a few counterswings each way, but it shouldn’t last.
As for anti-israel sentiments being indicitive of anti-semitism, maybe sometimes. However in many cases it’s the entirely justifiable outrage against the mass murder and oppression that this country inflicts upon its neighbours. Not that they’re entirely to blame though, conflict is being pushed by people on all sides of the situation.