This morning, Adidas cut ties with Kanye West over his antisemitic rantings. It is the latest of many corporations to answer the pleas of Jewish leaders to do so.
‘I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda,’ he tweeted on Saturday in a series of messages. The tweet has since been removed and West’s account locked.
(The Guardian, October 9, 2022)
It’s understandable why they’re canceling Kanye. Indeed, it’s arguable that corporations should have cut ties long ago.
Except that Kanye would argue that canceling him proves his point. But Kanye has announced Trumpian plans to purchase his own platform to spread his hate without moderation.
Kanye’s racism is okay, but his antisemitism is not?
Kanye is a “jackass” who deserves to be “canceled.” But why did it take his antisemitism for corporations to cut ties? After all, Kanye has been spewing racist bile, like “slavery is a choice,” for years.
How often do we have to learn the same lesson from Martin Niemöller about the imperative of standing up for others when persecuted?