A different John Cusak tweet.

[lapucelle]

John Cusack apologizes for tweeting an anti-Semitic meme

Published 6:55 PM EDT, Tue June 18, 2019

The actor apologized for retweeting an anti-Semitic meme after he drew criticism online.

The image depicts a hand, stamped with the Star of David, pushing down a group of people. It included the quote, “To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.”

The BBC – and offended Twitter users – said that while the saying is often misattributed to the French philosopher Voltaire, it was in fact spoken by white nationalist Kevin Strom.

Cusack captioned it: “Follow the money.”

====================================================

Cusack initially brushed off the criticism, saying that he mistook “a bot” for an account that was advocating for the rights of Palestinians. At some point, he deleted the image. He wrote that he “made a mistake retweeting that” and that he is “anti-fascist in every respect.”

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/18/us/john-cusack-anti-semitic-meme-trnd/index.html

[dchill]

1. "...anti-fascist in every respect."

I'll buy it. Cusack is no anti-Semite.

[lapucelle]

3. This John Cusak?

John Cusack apologizes for tweeting an anti-Semitic meme

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/18/us/john-cusack-anti-semitic-meme-trnd/index.html

[Johnny2X2X]

4. WTF?

Look at that picture in his Tweet. That's as antisemetic as it gets.

[dchill]

5. "That's as antisemetic as it gets."

Really?

[lapucelle]

6. John Cusak seemed to think so when he apologized.

John Cusack: Actor apologises for anti-Semitic tweet

Actor John Cusack has apologised for sharing a "harmful" anti-Semitic image on Twitter.

He shared a meme, since deleted, of a large hand with a Star of David on its wrist, oppressing a group of people.

A caption on it read: "To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticise."

The saying, often misattributed to the French philosopher Voltaire, was in fact spoken by white nationalist Kevin Strom.

Cusack added his own comment, "follow the money", to the meme, before later deleting his post after it attracted criticism.

snip=========================================

"I [retweeted] and quickly deleted an image that's harmful to both Jewish and Palestinian friends, and for that I'm sorry."

His comments, which he originally blamed on a Twitter bot, drew strong criticism on the social network.

Jewish writer Elad Nehorai asked: "How does a bot 'get you to write 'follow the money' after sharing an overtly anti-Semitic image?"

English comedian David Baddiel, also Jewish, said: "John Cusack says he didn't at first realise that the image was anti-Semitic. My, it's a troublesome old blind spot for progressives, isn't it?"

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-48677183

[dchill]

9. He made a mistake...

...he didn't...

Never mind. This is ridiculous.

[Mosby]

43. The quote isn't voltaire

It was neo Nazi who came up with it.

It's literally Stormfront material.

[Cha]

42. Yes.

[claudette]

11. No it

isn’t anti-Semitic. Seems more like anti Israeli government. Not all Jewish people agree with the Israeli government’s policies

[lapucelle]

25. John Cusack himself said it was anti-Semitic, but thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[claudette]

26. I'm not John Cusack

So I don’t think like him.

[lapucelle]

59. You're right. You don't think like him. You think it's not anti-Semitic,

And John Cusack (who actually wrote it) thinks it is.

[madaboutharry]

41. That image and the caption he wrote, "Follow the money" is as anti-Semitic as it gets.

It is a trope as old as time.

[Cha]

45. It IS "Anti-Semitic and it's Obvious.

There's NO covering up..

"Follow the Money" with a Big Hand Crushing Down with a Star of David on the Sleeve.

Shame on John Cusak

[MorbidButterflyTat]

2. Yeah and it wasn't a Voltaire quote

From over four years ago: "Tue June 18, 2019"

I knew that sounded familiar. Kinda pointless, really.

[lapucelle]

10. Cusack's virtue signaling tweet from last week is being celebrated here on DU.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

66. That'll show him!

[lapucelle]

100. That will show who what? What are you talking about? N/T

[claudette]

7. So then

Who is allowed to criticize Israel?

[lapucelle]

12. Anti-Semitic memes aren't criticism of Israel, but thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[claudette]

15. What did

I share? I merely asked a question. 😊

[lapucelle]

28. Is this you?

[claudette]

30. Yes but that's

not the post you replied to

[lapucelle]

32. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

[claudette]

34. You're welcome

Your sarcastic snark is noted.

[lapucelle]

35. Sea below. N/T

[Cha]

48. Yes, it is! I love it when Snark is Needed.

On a Democratic Board Explaining why the John Cusak tweet is Anti-Semitic

[claudette]

53. It is only one if

You believe the Israeli flag represents every single Jewish person in this world and not their government. So that is what John Cusack thinks - not all of us agree it’s a smear against ALL Jews. I have many Jewish family members btw

[Cha]

55. John Cusak Admitted it was "Anti-Semitic"

when he was called out on it.

[claudette]

62. So?

[Cha]

63. So?

[lapucelle]

60. That's not a flag. It's a Star of David.

Remember when Donald Trump said it was a "sheriff's badge"?

=====================================================

[claudette]

64. Which is

The flag of Israel’s government

[MorbidButterflyTat]

68. People have gone effing crazy

if you don't agree that John Cusack tweet from four years ago is just the most horrible thing ever, you'll get disrespectful snark.

Repeatedly.

Must be a slow day.

[lapucelle]

69. Yet here you are...

[SoFlaBro]

72. So?

n/t

[lapucelle]

75. Excuse me, what?

[Behind the Aegis]

105. The Star of David is NOT the flag of Israel, it is ON the flag of Israel.

Do you know why? No. Ask "some of your best friends" and they will tell you, that the Star of David is on the Israeli flag because it represents THE JEWISH PEOPLE.

[Cha]

47. The BIG Difference is This Cusak tweet is

Is Anti-Semitic Not just fucking "criticizing Israel".

Adn, it's So Obvious. Shame on John Cusak.

[claudette]

81. It's his opinion

and yours, but not mine.

[BannonsLiver]

8. He's the male version of Sarandon.

Couldn’t care less about his thoughts post 2016.

[lapucelle]

13. Cusack said

that he mistook “a bot” for an account that was advocating for the rights of Palestinians.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/18/us/john-cusack-anti-semitic-meme-trnd/index.html

"I retweeted a bot."

Jewish writer Elad Nehorai asked: "How does a bot 'get you to write 'follow the money' after sharing an overtly anti-Semitic image?"

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-48677183

[BannonsLiver]

17. Yeah, Cusak just isn't credible. I'll never forget the nasty things he said about Obama either.

John Cusack says Obama is worse than Bush. But he’s just a guy with a boombox.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/06/05/john-cusack-says-obama-is-worse-than-bush-but-hes-just-a-guy-with-a-boombox/

[Cha]

86. Yeah, Cusak can really get down and

Nasty with his insults. I think he was Jealous of Pres Obamas and a Liarr.

[Cha]

49. Yeah, Gaslighting to Not take Responsibility

for his actions. I knew it.

[Cha]

50. yes, that's a Succinct way to put it.. TY

[Sky Jewels]

14. IMHO, it's a shame that the Israeli flag is the Star of David.

The symbol of the country is the symbol of the religion, and it's virtually impossible to separate the two things.

Israel and its government and its actions are a fair object for criticism, just like every other country and government on the planet.

But using the shorthand of the Star of David to indicate "Israel" (the government/the country) in criticism of Netanyahu, Likkud, the government as a whole, et al, immediately opens the author to charges of antisemitism. The tricky part is, sometimes the criticism IS antisemetic. But often it is not.

Imagine if the US flag depicted a Christian cross (that's the dominant religion here). Any time someone used the Christian cross to indicate "the United States" in visual criticism (e.g. a cartoon), all the Christians would be angry that their religion was under assault by "anti-Christians."

It's a very, very tricky issue.

I'm speaking generally here, not about this specific Tweet by Cusack, which does seem to be antisemetic.

[redqueen]

16. Awfully convenient

using the shorthand of the Star of David to indicate "Israel" (the government/the country) in criticism of Netanyahu, Likkud, the government as a whole, et al, immediately opens the author to charges of antisemitism

[lapucelle]

21. What are you even talking about? John Cusack admitted it was anti-Semitic.

"It's clear that even if it was Israel's flag & even if you don't have anti-Semitic bone in your body, it is still an anti-Semitic cartoon. Because it deploys anti Jewish stereotypes.

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-48677183

[tritsofme]

27. Yes, it does make it awfully convenient for anti-Semites to pretend

they are “just” criticizing Israel.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

20. Good point

I guess if I were looking to criticize Israel rather than Jews, I would use the flag v. the stand-alone Star of David.

[lapucelle]

29. And you probably wouldn't add "Follow the money" if you were criticizing Israel.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

38. Truth! N/t

[inthewind21]

44. Yeah

because why would anyone say "follow the money" when talking about a government? That's just crazy! Oh wait...

[lapucelle]

46. The tweet wasn't about a government. John Cusack himself said it was anti-Semitic.

[wnylib]

52. The "Follow the money" comment is a reference to an old

slur about Jews.

Many people use "Follow the money" in a different context, to indicate who benefits from a particular situation. In that context, the comment is not a slur. But, combine it with Jewish symbolism and it's a reference to slurs about Jews and money.

So, not just a criticism of Israeli policy, but an intentional slur about Jews.

[Sky Jewels]

56. Right. I was addressing a larger issue. I did say that I thought this one was antisemetic:

"I'm speaking generally here, not about this specific Tweet by Cusack, which does seem to be antisemetic."

In general, I'd say the conflagration of Judaism, Star of David symbols, and the country/government of Israel unfortunately leads to a lot of muddling of messages and misunderstandings. It's misused by a lot of people of many beliefs and agendas.

[EllieBC]

77. The money part is a big part. It's a trope that's been used

against Jews for centuries.

Don’t be coy.

[Sky Jewels]

89. Coy?

I said it was antisemitic.

[Cha]

67. A Nasty Bigoted Slur With a Deep Long History of Anti-Semitism

[LexVegas]

18. Fuck that guy. nt

[MOMFUDSKI]

19. So because bibi is jewish

we can’t criticize his thirst for autocracy? But we CAN criticize orange clown for his attempt at autocracy? PFFFT

[lapucelle]

23. What are you even talking about? John Cusack admitted it was anti-Semitic.

The tweet wasn't wasn't about Netanyahu. It was about Jews.

[MOMFUDSKI]

40. This has nothing to do with what John

did or did not say. I am merely posing a question.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

22. Several people REALLY invested in being able to post Anti-Semitic things nt

[Cha]

54. Yeah, and What's up with trying to

insist John Cusak's tweet wasn't Anti-Semitic when he admitted it was and apologized for it when got called out on it?.

[EllieBC]

78. Just like the white cishet men who fight to be able

to be racists and misogynists and homophobes and transphobes.

Difference is antisemites are tolerated more.

[tritsofme]

24. Nothing new, people have been hiding their vile anti-Semitic hate under the cover of being

“anti-Israel” for decades. He just slipped up in this instance.

[LexVegas]

31. Yep. nt

[claudette]

33. It's possible

That you simply do not separate Israeli government from Jewish people in your mind. They are NOT the exact same thing.

[Maru Kitteh]

36. That was stupid. I've lost a bit of respect for Cusack in the last few days.

[lapucelle]

39. I wouldn't have brought up John Cusack, except that he was celebrated here last week.

Thank you John Cusack for saying what many of us feel

[Behind the Aegis]

51. Just look at those trying to spin it and 'splain how it ISN'T anti-Semitic.

So, for those not in the know...

THIS IS THE ISRAELI FLAG:



THIS IS THE STAR OF DAVID, A SYMBOL OF JEWS AND JEWISH PEOPLE:



The quote is NOT from Voltaire, it is from Kevin Alfred Strom

is an American white nationalist and neo-Nazi from Virginia who founded the National Vanguard.[1]

On January 4, 2007, Strom was arrested in Greene County, Virginia, on charges of possession of child pornography and witness tampering.[21] The Grand Jury later added the accusation of receiving child pornography, seducing a 10-year old, and witness intimidation, Judge Norman K. Moon threw out both charges due to lack of evidence.[22]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Alfred_Strom#:~:text=Strom%27s%201993%20quote%20%22To%20learn,and%20Twitter%20CEO%20Elon%20Musk.

[lapucelle]

61. Remember when Trump said it was a sheriff's badge?

That didn't fool anyone, so now they're trying the "flag" talking point.

"Some people do not realize that the Star of David is really the Israeli flag."

[Cha]

84. Mahalo for the Difference, Behind the Aegis

It is pathetic

[lapucelle]

102. The disinformation is getting personal. Did you know that I might be my own sock?

https://upload.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=18370789

[betsuni]

106. Four years ago is ancient history and doesn't count. HA!

The "Yer a Sock": idea there can't be many actual supporters of the Democratic Party (because both sides bad) so we lonely Democrats must all have socks to make our centrist establishment echo chamber look bigger. Something like that.

[lapucelle]

103. The disinformation is being amplified. '"Thread" has already morphed into "all those other thread".

https://upload.democraticunderground.com/100218369075#post74

[boston bean]

58. Well it's pretty obvious. He has a blind spot. And I am being generous.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

65. This thread is so disingenuous.

This Cusack tweet is from 2019.

2019! For reference, from before the Covid pandemic. People are responding like it just happened. It's from over FOUR years ago.

Now tell me, "John said himself it was anti-Semitic!" your standard reply for anyone not trash talking John Cusack from 2019!



Also....by posting REALITY, I didn't tell you what to say.

I'm beginning to wonder if you're responding to yourself on that other thread. Your posting style is just about identical. Mysterious.

Oh! And

[Recycle_Guru]

70. thank you for the perspective--I saw very even handed posts by Cusak this week

[Cha]

71. I've known lapucelle and respected her for Years on

DU.

That's an Awful insult and Absolutely Untrue. .

[lapucelle]

73. Thanks Cha.

Mahalo, my friend.

[Cha]

79. Mahalo, Amie💙

True Blue 💙

[Cha]

88. Andrew Goldman: Thank You for Being My Friend..

[claudette]

80. Really?

I blocked her (didn't know it WAS a "her.&quot Just because I don't agree with John Cusack, I'm wrong? He posted something - some people think it's really anti-semitic, I think it's anti Israeli government which is NOT the same thing as anti-semitic, to me, and my Jewish relatives.

[Cha]

83. I Really don't need to know or

care about your personal Animosity towards my friend.

[claudette]

85. I have no

"animosity" towards her or anyone here.. I simply disagree with her even when she repeats the same explanation that "Cusack thinks the post was anti-semitic."

[lapucelle]

94. Oh! Let me me help you!

The response "Cusack himself said it was anti-Semitic" is a standard response to any iteration of

There's nothing anti-Semitic about a tweet showing an outsized hand with the Star of David on the fist crushing little people.

Yes I know the tweet is captioned "Follow the Money", but that's because the tweet is really referencing big government.

It's not about Jews. It's about Israel. The Star of David is really a flag.

------------------------------------------------------------

Glad I could clear that up for you!

[lapucelle]

95. It's pretty interesting that after all these years, someone is trying to sow suspicion about me.

I wonder why that could be?

And thank you for sticking up for me, Cha.

[Cha]

97. "..Sowing.. " REJECTED!!

[lapucelle]

91. Yes Claudette, really.

Did you know that you can't see the OPS of people you've blocked.

This is my OP.

[lapucelle]

93. She says blocked me, yet she's responding in my OP.

[Cha]

107. OMG... so now we know for

sure.. and it ain't pretty.

[SoFlaBro]

74. Interesting perspective. I didn't know about all of those other threads.

n/t

[lapucelle]

76. What "interesting perspective" would that be? All what other threads? N/T

[lapucelle]

96. "All those other threads"? What threads?

In case you didn't hear me the first time

What threads?

[lapucelle]

98. Hello, hello, hello...Is there anybody in there?.

?si=biiLNaFMSbdPkTPB

[sheshe2]

82. I have known Lapucelle for many years.

She is a highly respected member of this board.

What exactly are you insinuating?

Mysterious indeed.

Oh! And

[Cha]

90. Well Done, she!💙

💙

[sheshe2]

92. Thank you!

I love it my friend.

[lapucelle]

99. ...

[sheshe2]

101. ;)

[lapucelle]

87. You didn't post reality. You posted an opinion. (All caps does not render an opinion "REALITY")

Your opinion is that the thread was "pointless". I responded



---------------------------------------------

Sometimes people think something is pointless simply because they didn't understand the point. It's like calling a public figure "the unknown guy" simply because they don't know who he is. But in general, it is difficult to understand the the point if one doesn't even understand the title. Reading all the words might be a good starting point.

------------------------------------------------------------------

I've heard that it can be challenging to follow subthreads, so let me help.

The response "Cusack himself said it was anti-Semitic" is the response to all the folks saying

There's nothing anti-Semitic about a tweet showing an outsized hand with the Star of David on the fist crushing little people. Yes I know the tweet is captioned "Follow the Money", but that's because the tweet is really referencing big government.

Glad I could clear that up for you!

-----------------------------------------------------------------

One thing remains. What exactly are you talking about here? What other thread? Why are you "beginning to wonder" if I'm responding to myself?

Link to "that other thread" so everyone can see what you're talking about. What is mysterious? I myself would like to know.

I'm beginning to wonder if you're responding to yourself on that other thread. Your posting style is just about identical. Mysterious

.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Someone has already shown up here to to amplify your "suspicions", only they wrote "all those other threads" instead of "thread".

I'm sure it was a coincidence.