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Barkley: I can accept most of what you say. But, I did not read the 
article as making as strong a case of anti-Semitism as you and Greg do. 
But perhaps I read it too generously. One would have to question Reder as 
to his intentions. 
 
My view is that even if all three are found guilty on the evidence, the 
charge is not that serious. We know that there were real and dangerous 
anti-Semites about. And none of these three can by any means be included 
in them. It was by no means rare that negative stereotypes were 
considered appropriate social commentary. It is only our heightened 
conscienceness following the horrors of the holocaust that makes even the 
most benign stereotype objectionable. In the milieu in which they lived 
they don't stand out as particularly anti-Semitic. We should make a 
distinction between those who, unthinking, adopt prevalent stereotypes 
and those who have considered the matter and decided to become an active 
anti-Semite, racist or misogynist. 
 
There were heroes who spoke out against anti-Semitism during this period 
and it seems that on the evidence that I have seen that none of these 
three belong in that category. But when the crunch came and choices had 
to be made, they seemed to make the right ones. Yes, some anti-Semites 
claim that "some of their best friends are jewish." But the reverse does 
not hold: i.e, that some one who claims jewish friends is an anti-Semite. 
 
I agree that the case against Keynes is the strongest of the three. But 
here I would suggest that Keynes may have made similar comments against 
anyone that was not of the upper echelons of British society. By all 
accounts he was an elitist jerk. But perhaps less so than many in his 
position. 
 
Greg has convinced me that Reder's scholarship is somewhat lacking. An 
attempt to discern Hayek's veiws would require a much wider reading of 
his personal papers. 
 
Rod 
 
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