CommentaryAPRIL 2020 The Rise of the New Jacobins BY CHRISTINE ROSEN The Boys from Laupheim ANDREW BERGMAN Jews Who Let Jew-Haters Off the Hook KARYS RHEA & KEREN TOLEDANO // MEIR Y. SOLOVEICHIK Christopher Caldwell’s Commentary Brilliant Provocation BARTON SWAIM APRIL 2020 : VOLUME 149 NUMBER 4 149 APRIL 2020 : VOLUME $5.95 US : $7.00 CANADA To m Wreck Side Story Stoppard’s TERRY TEACHOUT Octogenarian Masterpiece Reflections on a Virus JOHN PODHORETZ // WYNN WHELDON ROB LONG YitzakYitzakYitzak Rabin Rabin Rabin called called called Magen Magen Magen David David David Adom Adom Adom Israel’sIsrael’sIsrael’s second second second line line of line ofdefense. defense.of defense. WithWith Withthe the coronavirus, the coronavirus, coronavirus, we’re we’re we’re the the first. the first. first. 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Pesach sameach. sameach. afmda.org/protectafmda.org/protectafmda.org/protect EDITOR’S COMMENTARY The Virus and the Chicken Little Culture JOHN PODHORETZ EW YORK, New York, a hell of a town. We are The number of things we’ve been told were go- hunkered down, and who knows when we ing to kill us that didn’t—products like alar, salt (called N will hunker up. For the past few years, online “The New Villain” on a 1982 Time magazine cover), mobs have enjoyed the lubricious thrill of the “cancel saccharin, nitrites in hot dogs, and supposed threats culture” they have created—tanking careers and liveli- like nuclear winter, population growth, acid rain, the hoods and reputations. Well, welcome to the real can- list goes on and on—has made my bullshit detector cel culture, where there are no basketball games, no uncommonly sensitive and possibly hyperactive. parades, no large parties, and in short order, maybe no And so I greeted reports of the virus with usual live theater, no movies, no nothing. calm. After all, hadn’t we been here before, with bird I turn 59 this month. I feel like I have lived flu and SARS and MERS and H1N1—all global terrors through four unprecedented events in my lifetime. that entirely evaded me, my family, my friends, even The first two were glorious: In 1969, Neil Armstrong my enemies? How bad could this be, really? Besides and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon. In 1989, we which, I have been blessed with ridiculously, even un- watched as the Berlin Wall was brought down by revel- justly good health (considering how I might fairly be ers with pickaxes—with the fall of the Iron Curtain and accused of having abused the gift). the Evil Empire to follow. But I am part of an active Jewish community in The third was the opposite of glorious: 9/11. I New York, and we are almost all one degree of separa- lived in Brooklyn Heights at the time, with a window tion from one another—and when a lawyer living in that looked out on Lower Manhattan and Ground Zero New Rochelle came down with the coronavirus and a mile away as the crow flew. I watched for months as a gave it to a child of his at a day school in Riverdale, it black-and-purple gash in the sky hovered over the site wasn’t even a week before it became clear I could not like a demonic version of the divine “pillar of cloud” risk visiting my nonagenarian parents because I was that followed the Hebrews as they journeyed out of too close to the outbreak and they were in the highest Egypt. When the wind changed, I could smell the burn- of high-risk groups. ing plastic from the cords and electrical equipment It seems like once again, Jews are the canaries in that had helped create the sky gash. the coal mine. It’s like the old joke: “Lord, would You The coronavirus is the fourth. Now, I am by na- mind choosing someone else for a change?” ture both an optimist and an anti-alarmist. My usual If we do not respond properly to this pandemic, reaction to warnings about dangers is a deep skepti- some blame will have to be laid at the feet of our Chick- cism followed by an almost irrational annoyance. This en Little culture. We live in a wondrously free and pros- is due in part to the common discussion in the United perous country whose residents are constantly being States over the past half-century. It inclines toward bombarded with messages that they are at existential hysteria—hysteria that usually has a larger ideological risk when they are not. The irresponsibility of that and often anti-capitalist purpose. hysteria-mongering is now all too painfully clear.q Commentary 1 April 2020 Vol. 149 : No. 4 Articles Christine The Rise of the New Jacobins 13 Rosen Working for the revolution with or without Bernie Sanders. Andrew The Boys from Laupheim 18 Bergman Of my father and his savior, the movie pioneer Carl Laemmle. Karys Letting Anti-Semites Be Their Guide 23 Rhea and A progressive Jewish organization is committed Keren Toledano to letting preferred Jew-haters off the hook. Barton The Closing of the American Experiment? 27 Swaim Christopher Caldwell’s brilliant provocation. Politics & Ideas Josef Freeing the Captives 33 Joffe Genius and Anxiety, by Norman Lebrecht Tal The Lottery Isn’t Rigged 35 Fortgang The Theology of Liberalism, by Eric Nelson Naomi Boy Oh Boy 38 Schaefer Riley Tomboy, by Lisa Sellin Davis Politics & Ideas Robert The Ravitches of Sin 40 Pondiscio Slaying Goliath, by Diane Ravitch Michael J. The Year the Sky Fell 42 Totten Black Wave, by Kim Ghattas Kyle Not-So-Great 45 Smith Great Society, by Amity Shlaes Culture & Civilization Terry Wreck Side Story 47 Teachout How to ruin a great and singular musical. Wynn Tom Stoppard’s Great Jewish Play 51 Wheldon The foremost dramatist in the English language has produced a masterpiece at 82. Monthly Commentaries Editor’s Commentary Washington Commentary 1 John Podhoretz Matthew Continetti 9 The Virus and the Chicken Little Culture Primary Lessons Reader Commentary Jewish Commentary 4 Letters Meir Y. Soloveichik 11 on the February issue What We Need to Remember Media Commentary Hollywood Commentary 7 Christine Rosen Rob Long 56 Elizabeth Warren’s No, Mr. Bond, I Expect Amiable Panting Dogs You to Self-Quarantine! READER COMMENTARY What Next for the FBI? To the Editor: that John Brennan played a more 1 LI LAKE has written a very good dominant and crucial role in the E article about the investigation scandal. James Comey, the FBI, and Eli Lake writes: into the Trump campaign (“The to a lesser extent James Clapper EORGE DOUGLAS is correct FBI Scandal,” February). I’d add were initially duped by Brennan Gthat falsifying information for only one important point: Police but soon became enthusiastic par- a warrant is a serious crime. The in- reports, including wiretap warrants, ticipants in the faulty investigation. spector general agrees. He referred are considered to be under oath, and Brennan was the force behind Kevin Clinesmith for criminal in- falsification of a police report is felony turning the legitimate investiga- vestigation. It’s up to the Justice perjury. Intentional exclusion of ex- tion of Russian influence in the Department to determine whether culpatory evidence counts as misrep- 2016 election into an investigation and how he will be charged. It’s also resentation. There is criminal expo- of Trump-Russia collusion. Both possible that U.S. attorney John sure here. What the FBI did counts as Comey and Clapper initially pushed Durham’s report will recommend more than simply bad behavior. back on Brennan before eventu- more criminal charges. George Douglas ally acquiescing. There is, as Dale Rowe writes, Los Angeles, California I have spent some spare time circumstantial evidence that John trying to understand the Russia- Brennan was an early adopter 1 Trump collusion fiasco, and I’m of the Steele dossier.