The Protocols of the Elders of Zion was an uncanny document for me as it was clear that antisemetic rhetoric and conspiracy theories have maintained the same themes and lies for the last 100 years. The idea of a secret jewish society attempting to gain control over the world, the idea of masonic ideas and beliefs being interwoven into Judaism, the idea that through a disruption of christian moral value society will collapse, and lastly the idea that only the wealthy christian elite serves as a barrier to these threats. This reading, painting Jewish people and leftist political theory as a threat to civilization and Christian Aristocracy as a savior class to the general public, reads like insane self insert fanfiction propanaganda. The upper classes have always wanted to portray their lifestyles and position in society as divinely instated, noble, and responsible so by creating a fake enemy in Jewish people they are able to blame any forward thinking individuals questioning the structure of society as ideological terrorists and conspiratorial despots. The idea that by removing religion and instilling science would degrade people into a controllable state is insane. These same conspiracy theories sadly persist in the modern day. Qanon and extended populist far right circles utilize these same talking points about Jewish secret deep state takeovers and the degradation of society by science and leftist thought. The playbook on how to radicalize people to reinforce a vast economic and political divide in society while blaming it on Jewish people was written in the pages of this reading. The only tangible difference I can find between this reading and modern antisemetic conspiracies is instead of general sabotage of Western Capitals the degradation now comes through everything listed previously but with the addition of a focus on immigrants being used as a tool. The populist right likes to, in public, push the idea that modern immigration is an economic and social burden on society. In private, they go as far as to say that Jewish people are directly behind the destruction of free western democracy through “great replacement theory”. It is easy for those burdened by the many disparities in society to turn towards easy answers, it is especially easy for those who feel like they are already owed something out of a place of privilege. These ideas are memetically targeting white christians who are unhappy and spoon feeding them ideas intended to radicalize them for the purposes of the authors of material like this. Truly disgusting.