Bret Stephens: Condemning Tucker Carlson is 'worse than useless' because he feeds off controversy
The NYT columnist appeared on i24NEWS's Opinionated to share his prescription for the optimum course of action in the face of rising antisemitism
Discussing his viral talk at the at the 92nd Street Y on the i24NEWS show Opinionated with Benjamin Anthony, New York Times columnist Bret Stephens offered the opinion that explicit condemnation of figures such as Tucker Carlson and Candance Owens is "worth than useless," because these provocateurs feed on controversy.
Speaking of the Anti-Defamation League, Stephens said that "The ADL performs genuinely useful functions. Reporting incidents of antisemitism gives us a clearer picture of how serious the problem is. I’m told they also work with law enforcement to track potential violent antisemites before they strike. All of that is important."
However, he went on, "when the ADL focuses on condemning figures like Tucker Carlson or Candace Owens—or other antisemitic enablers—it’s often worse than useless. These individuals feed off condemnation from groups like the ADL. That doesn’t help build thriving Jewish life in the United States."
His proposed course of action was to focus on the positive and the constructive: "What Jews can do is focus on excellence in every facet of Jewish life and build their own institutions."
"The problem isn’t just rising antisemitism," Stephens further added. "It’s the rise of ideas I would call 'antisemitic-adjacent.' For example, intersectionality is not explicitly antisemitic, but it often leads to antisemitic conclusions. The idea that “privilege” is inherently evil—replacing the older idea of success—also tends to lead in that direction, especially since the Jewish community has achieved significant success in America."
Watch the full show: