Mikhail Bakunin

Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin (Trolo) (Russian — ?????? ????????????? ???????, Michel Bakunin — on the grave in Bern), (May 30, 1814–June 13, 1876) was a well known Russian anarchist. He was best known as one of the first generation of anarchist philosophers, and has been called one of the "fathers of anarchism".

Anti-Semitism

Bakunin is known to have repeated many common anti-semitic stereotypes, perceiving, for instance, the Jews as "one exploiting sect, one people of leeches, one single devouring parasite closely and intimately bound together not only across national boundaries, but also across all divergences of political opinion ... that mercantile passion which constitutes one of the principle traits of their national character" http://library.flawlesslogic.com/jtr_01.htm It is, however, unclear whether he was talking about Semites or about those practicing Judaism but it must be noted that he criticised all religions throughout his life and Christianity and Judaism were dominant in Europe at his time. Bakunin's anti-Semitism, like that of many at the time, likely grew out of a perception that they were behind the workings of European capitalism and politics, which he spent his life opposing. The following quote, part of a polemic attacking Karl Marx, illustrates his perceptions of European Jewry:

Related Topics:
Semite - Judaism - Christianity - Europe - Capitalism

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"Now this entire Jewish world, which constitutes an exploiting sect, a people of leeches, a voracious parasite, closely and intimately connected with another, regardless not only of frontiers but of political differences as well -- this Jewish world is today largely at the disposal of Marx or Rothschild. I am sure that, on the one hand, the Rothschilds appreciate the merits of Marx, and that on the other hand, Marx feels an instinctive inclination and a great respect for the Rothschilds. This may seem strange. What could there be in common between communism and high finance? Ho ho! The communism of Marx seeks a strong state centralization, and where this exists, there the parasitic Jewish nation -- which speculates upon the labor of people -- will always find the means for its existence...

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"In reality, this would be for the proletariat a barrack-regime, under which the workingmen and the workingwomen, converted into a uniform mass, would rise, fall asleep, work, and live at the beat of the drum. The privilege of ruling would be in the hands of the skilled and the learned, with a wide scope left for profitable crooked deals carried on by the Jews, who would be attracted by the enormous extension of the international speculations of the national banks..." -- Michael Bakunin: Polemique contre les Juifs, 1872.

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