Let's talk about this picture.... logically

[RainWalker]

So it seems this picture is a pretty hot ticket this morning with some folks saying that it's filled with Jewish hate but people are missing something that's right there out in the open staring them in the face.

Let's take a look.





"Stephen A Schwarzman Building".
So just who is Stephen Schwarzman?
He's a right wing billionaire who's donated 10s of millions of dollars to Israel. He's an extremist and the CEO of Blackstone. Oh but it gets even better and I firmly believe this is why this specific building was targeted by pro-Palestinian activists.

Stephen Allen Schwarzman (born February 14, 1947) is an American billionaire businessman. He is the chairman and CEO of the Blackstone Group, a global private equity firm he established in 1985 with Peter G. Peterson. Schwarzman was briefly chairman of President Donald Trump's Strategic and Policy Forum.

Oh oh....Trump? Well well ...

In September 2011, Schwarzman was listed as a member of the international advisory board of the Russian Direct Investment Fund

Oh oh....a Putin connection too?

Schwarzman is a Republican who favors lower taxes, lower government spending, and women's rights.
He raised $100,000 for George W. Bush's political endeavors.In 2020, Schwarzman donated $15 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, a super-PAC tied to Mitch McConnell.

In August 2010, Schwarzman compared the Obama administration's plan to raise the tax rate on carried interest to a war and Hitler's invasion of Poland in 1939, stating, "It's a war. It's like when Hitler invaded Poland in 1939." https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_A._Schwarzman]

This guy's a complete train wreck.
And it's easy to understand why this building was targeted.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

1. So Antisemitism is okay if the target is right wing

Got it.

[stopdiggin]

2. the picture is brimming full of hate

and I find it extremely doubtful that the target of that hate - was this man's roll in domestic politics. (it's a F-ing public library!) But - points for creativity ...

proceed ....
- - - - - - - -

[RainWalker]

3. There's no hate in that pic

And honestly I'm rather tired and exhausted over the gaslighting about it. Since when is an oppressed people calling out for liberty, freedom, and an end to their oppression equal to "hate"? The Palestinian people aren't free.

And we greatly differ on our opinion about the building, obviously.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

6. Keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better

Then explain what a library named for an American philanthropist has to do with Palestine.

[Hekate]

10. It's raw hatred of both Jews and of the free dissemination of knowledge and learning

That’s what I see.

2.4% of the US population is Jewish. In the world it’s 0.2% — Zero point two.

My late mother-in-law was born in 1914 while her parents were in transit out of Russia and heading for Vienna. She loved Vienna the rest of her life, tho she left forever in 1938.

She made the cogent observation: “It’s odd that they think all the Jews are Communists, and at the same time that all the bankers are Jewish.” Meaning, the anti-semites are blind to their own cognitive dissonance.

And so it goes.

[RainWalker]

11. I don't understand what that has to do

with the picture at hand. Sure there's antisemitism but I'm not seeing that exhibited here.

[Hekate]

12. Raw hatred, blind to the consequences

[RainWalker]

14. Where's the hatred?

Exactly what?

[ms liberty]

4. Those things are good to know, but this vandalism was not helpful to their cause

Whatever their intent, the result was not a good look for them. It was rather immature and does nothing to further their cause in a positive way.

[RainWalker]

5. I think there's a generational divide here

Young people all across the country and the world are doing nonviolent protests from climate change to Palestine and it's all that they have. I see actions like this as an essential part of our democracy. Now had someone been hurt or something important forever destroyed then I can see that as a step too far but I think it's important to remember this is no different than what we've seen with Confederate statues and statues of Christopher Columbus.

[ms liberty]

7. I see it, and so will a lot of America, as vandalism of a library. Period.

Most people do not know and won't care whose name is on the building - they see it as a library, a public building; they see that taxpayers will have to pay for the mess to be cleaned up, and regular people will be very critical.

Just to make clear, I'm not addressing the content of the vandalism or the messages they may have intended to publicize. While I may or may not agree with any or all of it, I'm okay with people protesting. I do think if you care about an issue, it's more effective to not drive people away through poor marketing and publicity of said issue. It's also shortsighted, since any of your opponents or competitors are going to use it against you.

[RainWalker]

8. And many will see it as the opposite

It all depends where you stand on the issue.

[Hekate]

9. This is a public LIBRARY. How about they wreck all the Carnegie Libraries across the USA?

There’s even one in my town. Come on over with yer cans of red paint, because Andrew Carnegie was an old Robber Baron. Yee haw, we can’t have people readin’ books paid for by the likes of him.

Libraries all over this country are under attack. Are you in favor of that? Because the far-right people doing it are “sincere” in their beliefs that libraries are dangerous — does that make it okay?

So you, RainWalker, should start thinking logically. You either support public libraries — or you don’t.

Carnegie funded the building of 2,509 "Carnegie Libraries" worldwide between 1883 and 1929. Of those, 1,795 were in the United States: 1,687 public libraries and 108 academic. Others were built throughout Europe, South Africa, Barbados, Australia, and New Zealand.. https://dp.la/exhibitions/history-us-public-libraries/carnegie-libraries#

[RainWalker]

13. Do you share the same opinion

when it comes to statues of Confederate leaders and Christopher Columbus too?

I'm thinking quite logically. I illustrated why this building was likely targeted and explained who the guy is; a fascist billionaire Trumper who has ties to Putin and who's donated 10s of millions to Israel.

[Beastly Boy]

15. So "From the River to the Sea" sign prominently appearing

above Schwarzman's name is a reference to a right wing billionaire?

Or does it refer to a Trump advisor?

Or does it refer to a member of the international advisory board of the Russian Direct Investment Fund?

Or does it refer to a Bush fundraiser?

...I could have sworn it referred to a genocidal antisemitic sentiment... and of course, it could not possibly have any connotations associated with an antisemitic stereotype of a filthy rich Jew, could it?