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Joinfortmill

(16,219 posts)
Sun Mar 19, 2023, 01:10 PM Mar 2023

Why is billionaire George Soros a bogeyman for the hard right?

https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-49584157

I wondered why George Soros is blamed for every goddamn thing by the rightwing crazies. The short answer is Alex Jones (my words)

'He's a Jewish multi-billionaire philanthropist who has given away $32bn....The Hungarian emigre, who survived the Holocaust and fled the Communists, is thought to have made in total about $44bn through financial speculation. And he's used his fortune to fund thousands of education, health, human rights and democracy projects...Established in 1979, his Open Society Foundations now operate in more than 120 countries around the world. But this bold philanthropy in support of liberal, democratic causes has increasingly made him the bogeyman of the right.

The first conspiracy theories about George Soros appeared in the early 1990s, but they really gained traction after he condemned the 2003 Iraq War and started donating millions of dollars to the US Democratic Party. Ever since, American right-wing commentators and politicians have gone after him with increasing fury and vitriol, and often with scant concern for the facts...But it was Donald Trump's election victory that took the attacks on Soros to a new and dangerous level.

Eight months into Trump's presidency, in August 2017, neo-Nazis held a torchlit procession in Charlottesville, Virginia...Among US right-wingers it was soon claimed that the violence was orchestrated and financed by Soros, in order to tarnish the reputation of President Trump. And they said the key to the secret plot was a man called Brennan Gilmore, who filmed the car being driven into the counter-protesters. Right-wing radio host Alex Jones claimed Gilmore was paid $320,000 a year by Soros and was part of a deep-state coup to oust the president...Gilmore, who never received any money from Soros, is now suing Alex Jones and several others for defamation.



41 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Why is billionaire George Soros a bogeyman for the hard right? (Original Post) Joinfortmill Mar 2023 OP
"He's a Jewish". Could have stopped the article right there. It's all the reason they need. Ray Bruns Mar 2023 #1
BINGO. mobeau69 Mar 2023 #4
Exactly JohnSJ Mar 2023 #8
Yup. marybourg Mar 2023 #13
Right elleng Mar 2023 #21
This message was self-deleted by its author elleng Mar 2023 #22
+1 H2O Man Mar 2023 #28
Totally agree. LoisB Mar 2023 #33
he coud do better SammySlytherin Mar 2023 #2
Welcome to DU! dpibel Mar 2023 #5
link? mopinko Mar 2023 #11
You sure about that? Hekate Mar 2023 #18
Hi, Sam! Welcome to DU. Have you read the TOS? littlemissmartypants Mar 2023 #24
lol BWdem4life Mar 2023 #25
Darn him. H2O Man Mar 2023 #30
Huh? LoisB Mar 2023 #35
Yes, GOP didn't take kindly that their racist and antisemitism that was Exposed. flying_wahini Mar 2023 #3
that garbage has been around edisdead Mar 2023 #6
Here's a bit of history that might be useful. keep_left Mar 2023 #7
In other words, he helped destroy the USSR. yardwork Mar 2023 #16
That's probably an overstatement, but Soros definitely played a role. keep_left Mar 2023 #23
They need one Zambero Mar 2023 #9
Exactly, and they can easily remember and say his name. pandr32 Mar 2023 #12
Trumper claiming that DeSantis is funded by Soros. La la la la la... keithbvadu2 Mar 2023 #10
Soros must be as broke as Trump now with all that he has supposedly paid out. keithbvadu2 Mar 2023 #14
To deflect from the Korean cult leader who shaped today's GOP blm Mar 2023 #15
Thank you for reminding us of Reverend Moon. yardwork Mar 2023 #17
I recall that David Brock, the former far-right operative... keep_left Mar 2023 #27
Nancy Pelosi isn't available anymore? brooklynite Mar 2023 #19
"He's Jewish" -- right there Hekate Mar 2023 #20
In addition to the fact Soros is Jewish... Fritz67 Mar 2023 #26
Points to sign lit up in neon that says JEWISH. ZonkerHarris Mar 2023 #29
Rush Limbaugh used to mention Soros almost daily. Midnight Writer Mar 2023 #31
And why at age 80, is Biden Mr.Bill Mar 2023 #32
Thank you for this article Catherine Vincent Mar 2023 #34
Stole the idea from 1984 (Emmanuel Goldstein) no_hypocrisy Mar 2023 #36
+1 nt flying rabbit Mar 2023 #39
The people who invoke Soros' name generally have no idea where he fits on the scale of things JHB Mar 2023 #37
Soros in an enemy of fascism in all its forms Martin Eden Mar 2023 #38
1st person got it right, but here is a history in pictures... Behind the Aegis Mar 2023 #40
Thank you for the graphic representations-- & for the warning about the Left Hekate Mar 2023 #41

Response to Ray Bruns (Reply #1)

SammySlytherin

(3 posts)
2. he coud do better
Sun Mar 19, 2023, 01:14 PM
Mar 2023

With all the money he puts into getting people on our side in positions of power, he sure does a horrible job of picking people who last more than one term

H2O Man

(75,210 posts)
30. Darn him.
Sun Mar 19, 2023, 02:59 PM
Mar 2023

I think you have nailed the exact reason that so many unstable, full of shit republicans hate him. Its almost an exact quote there.

flying_wahini

(7,939 posts)
3. Yes, GOP didn't take kindly that their racist and antisemitism that was Exposed.
Sun Mar 19, 2023, 01:16 PM
Mar 2023

They still believe that our military is the first go to in conflicts. It helps pad their bank accounts.
PNAC is still ‘alive’ and kicking.

keep_left

(2,289 posts)
7. Here's a bit of history that might be useful.
Sun Mar 19, 2023, 01:22 PM
Mar 2023

I posted this response to a similar OP.

Soros, through his Open Society Foundation, also helped to bring the Wall down and to end the Cold War, especially in Europe (he's Hungarian). The new totalitarians (MAGA chuds and the alt-right) hate that because they love strongmen like Orban, and of course because Soros is Jewish.

(additional content follows)

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=17740357

keep_left

(2,289 posts)
23. That's probably an overstatement, but Soros definitely played a role.
Sun Mar 19, 2023, 02:26 PM
Mar 2023

He's also funded a lot of useful projects in the USA, including drug decriminalization.

The far-right hates Soros because he favors open societies (hence the name of his think tank, the Open Society Foundation), and also because he detests strongman dictatorial regimes, having seen enough of that during WWII and then in Cold War Hungary. (And of course, there is the covert anti-Semitism of the alt-right as well).

Zambero

(9,621 posts)
9. They need one
Sun Mar 19, 2023, 01:30 PM
Mar 2023

And Soros checks all their boxes: Jewish, foreign born, philanthropist for non-RW causes, contributor to Democratic candidates. A "perfect" dog-whistle for those programmed to hear it.

keithbvadu2

(39,778 posts)
14. Soros must be as broke as Trump now with all that he has supposedly paid out.
Sun Mar 19, 2023, 01:38 PM
Mar 2023

Soros must be as broke as Trump now with all that he has supposedly paid out.

Conservatives will believe any lie for their cause, especially if it involves Soros.

This prosperous looking guy claims he has gotten rich from Soros.

And the Congressman 'believes' him.

blm

(113,755 posts)
15. To deflect from the Korean cult leader who shaped today's GOP
Sun Mar 19, 2023, 01:53 PM
Mar 2023

Spent billions more than Soros ever did and with far-reaching influence.

RevMoon conditioned the RightWing mindset for 4 decades, 15years before FOX went on air.

keep_left

(2,289 posts)
27. I recall that David Brock, the former far-right operative...
Sun Mar 19, 2023, 02:52 PM
Mar 2023

...who wrote Blinded By the Right, came clean about the funding of so many of the right-wing foundations and publishing enterprises--most notably the Washington Times. I can't remember if this was mentioned in the book or in an interview (both, I think), but Brock explained how the Times had been funded by Sun Myung Moon with billions of dollars for several decades with a flat or declining subscription base.

Fritz67

(358 posts)
26. In addition to the fact Soros is Jewish...
Sun Mar 19, 2023, 02:50 PM
Mar 2023

...I suspect the Neo-Nazis/Alt-Right/White Supremacists/Tea Party/Republicans are so tired of us pointing out how a few creepy billionaires like Rupert Murdoch, the Mercers, and the Kochs blatantly exert massive influence over the right, they figure the left must be under the control of a creepy billionaire too, so they basically made up a bunch of bullshit about Soros just for that purpose.

Midnight Writer

(22,885 posts)
31. Rush Limbaugh used to mention Soros almost daily.
Sun Mar 19, 2023, 03:02 PM
Mar 2023

And all the Limbaugh wannabes like Hannity picked up that ball and ran with it.

Alex Jones is a scumbag, but he never had nearly the reach of Limbaugh and his ilk. Soros was the boogeyman long before Alex Jones hit the scene.

Mr.Bill

(24,716 posts)
32. And why at age 80, is Biden
Sun Mar 19, 2023, 03:56 PM
Mar 2023

in the final stages of dementia and staggers around the White House bumping into walls while not even knowing his name or where he is while at 92, Soros is masterminding the takeover of the world?

Catherine Vincent

(34,529 posts)
34. Thank you for this article
Sun Mar 19, 2023, 04:04 PM
Mar 2023

Cons have demonized Soros for years. And it's only because he poured in millions of dollars for liberal causes.

Alex Jones and his made up bs is the reason these stupid republicans out there parrot all his bs. I hope this Gilmore fellow wins his case against Jones and receive $320,000.

JHB

(37,381 posts)
37. The people who invoke Soros' name generally have no idea where he fits on the scale of things
Sun Mar 19, 2023, 04:39 PM
Mar 2023

They know his name because their favorite hosts (Alex Jones, Glenn Beck, and a bunch of others on radio, websites, and cable) in conservative media said his name and railed against his imaginary evils. Plus, he's Jewish but his name doesn't "sound Jewish", so they have a smokescreen for the antisemitism that this kind of talk feeds into.

The people for whom Soros is an all-powerful boogie-man generally don't have a working knowledge of the political philanthropy of:

The Koch brothers
The Mercer family
The Coors family
The Walton family
Sheldon Adelson
Richard Mellon-Scaife
The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation
The Searle Freedom Trust

an assortment of less-visible and smaller-scale ideological donors
assorted foundations set up by persons named above who have passed on
etc.

They also don't know the RW funders' history of being much more focused on "working the system" to reshape to their liking, as opposed to Soros' more individual-project funding, and that the numbers of what the RWers spend swamp his spending many fold.

Martin Eden

(13,375 posts)
38. Soros in an enemy of fascism in all its forms
Sun Mar 19, 2023, 06:46 PM
Mar 2023

Therefore he is hated and reviled by American "conservatives."

Behind the Aegis

(54,801 posts)
40. 1st person got it right, but here is a history in pictures...
Mon Mar 20, 2023, 03:17 AM
Mar 2023










and this applies to more than just the right, especially when they feel the need to shit on threads about Jews by "whataboutism" "concern" regarding Israel.

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