CNN anchor Rick Sanchez was fired from the international news network on October 1st following comments he made in which he accused Jews of controlling the media, and of using that control to promote prejudice.
Many saw his outspoken anti-Jewish bigotry as a justified cause for his firing by a network appalled at his views, but to die-hard anti-Semitic conspiracy lovers, it was proof that he was indeed the target of a Jewish media conspiracy.
In the hours after CNN terminated Rick Sanchez’s employment, comment sections on news sites and message boards were awash with posts claiming that CNN’s move was proof that the Cuban-American anchor’s accusations were true, and that he was the victim of a Jewish attack against him.
Rick Sanchez’s remarks embodied two of the key anti-Semitic beliefs: That Jews control the media (and banking, politics, etc. etc.) and that the Jews are for inherently a threat to others, especially to the blue-collar, right wing or traditionally minded people which Sanchez claims to represent.
The response to Rick Sanchez’s firing embody a third element of classic anti-Semitism, which is a natural outcome of the two: If Jews are in conflict with the rest of society, and Jews control the media, then obviously any action taken against an anti-Semite is not due to non-Jews disagreeing with his bigotry, but must be an outcome of a strictly Jewish conspiracy.
The cause and effect of Rick Sanchez’s termination do not seem to register on his supporters. For them, the supposed truth of Rick Sanchez’s bigoted accusations excuse their offensive nature, and therefore cannot be justifiable grounds for the end of his employment as a top newscaster.
