Disturbing Echoes by Judy LaPietra
A recently discovered publication which continues to be disseminated in the Charlotte area Little Libraries (free neighborhood book exchanges) provides us with a disturbing, yet familiar example of the power and reach of dangerous propaganda. The 42-page booklet, titled The Breeds of Sneeds, authored by Doktor Süss, is presented as an allegory, drawing on the Dr. Seuss-like rhyme, imagery, and use of colorful characters. Unlike the works of the celebrated American cartoonist, its genre is not children’s literature, but intended for an adult audience.
The story proclaims historically asserted theories of human racial hierarchies, attempting to simplify complex critical race theory (CRT), which has recently been the subject of controversy and debate, particularly in recent political and educational contexts. In doing so, it uses historic antisemitic tropes to advance the belief that Jews are a biologically separate race of people. While the information is presented as new and revelatory, there is nothing new about the disinformation presented.
Early racial theories emerged as early as the 16th century with the advent of early European colonization. However, it was the “scientific racism” that surfaced in the 19th century that provided a durable foundation for the implementation of extreme racist ideology in the 20th century. This dangerous precedent framed race in terms of biologically distinct groups, with certain physical traits used to define and categorize people. These racial theories reinforced a history of social hierarchies and discrimination. While these ideas have since been thoroughly discredited by contemporary biology and genetics, they persist today to fuel racist ideologies and political agendas. Which is where we find ourselves with this insidious publication.
The Breeds is replete with charts, data, and footnotes to lend credibility to its message, with the goal of overwhelming readers with complex and abstract information. As it takes the reader on a journey of distorted logic, it becomes clear that the author’s intent is to not only advance disturbing racial theories, but to offer solutions to the perceived problem of racial diversity.
The underlying antisemitic message of the publication bears unsettling resemblances to those of the Nazi era. Central to Nazi ideology was the notion that Jews constituted a distinct and inferior race, providing crucial justification for the Nazis’ agenda of exclusion, discrimination, and eventual genocide. By framing Jews as a separate race, the Nazis sought to reinforce antisemitic stereotypes and legitimize their policies. It was this lethal combination of racial pseudoscience and antisemitic stereotypes that resulted in attempts to exterminate an entire ethnic group. Perhaps the darkest element of this modern-day promulgation is the suggestion once again that through selective breeding, the ills of society could be cured by the elimination of so-called inferior races.
As we witness a resurgence of antisemitic rhetoric and propaganda today, we recognize the disturbing parallels between contemporary and historic antisemitism. The Breeds of Sneeds revives tired old theories and puts them into a modern context. Rather than dismissing it as trivial, our vigilance in identifying the historical similarities can work to protect our society from its insidious effects. By remaining committed to education and advocacy, we can work towards a society where such prejudice remains marginal and has no place.
