Nutters.

The Guardian features a piece by Ian Buruma about Asian anti-semitism, a strange phenomena seeing as there aren't any major Jewish populations in East Asia and there are no historic religious antagonisms towards Jews.

Such conspiracy theories are not rare in Asia. Japanese readers have shown a healthy appetite over the years for books such as To Watch Jews Is To See the World Clearly, The Next Ten Years: How to Get an Inside View of the Jewish Protocols, and I'd Like to Apologise To the Japanese – A Jewish Elder's Confession (written by a Japanese author, of course, under the made-up name of Mordecai Mose). All these books are variations of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, the Russian forgery first published in 1903, which Japanese came across after defeating the Czar's army in 1905.

The article itself is interesting enough but the comments are something else:

• JohnMalkovich4

  09 Feb 09, 9:41am (about 1 hour ago)

  Ian

  Why do you think Asian people are antisemitic, is it genetic ?

  This is the second article in a week that insists there is no such thing as a Jewish conspiracy. It must be true then.

• Elhaam

09 Feb 09, 9:52am (about 1 hour ago)

So what explains the remarkable appeal of Jewish conspiracy theories in Asia?

Conspiracy theories in Asia? Where are Palestine, Israel, almost all Arab countries are located? In Asia and not Europe or America! There is no need for conspiracy theories any more, the world is not as blind and ignorant as it was 10 years ago.

The answer must be partly political. Conspiracy theories thrive in relatively closed societies

Thanks to the Internet, there is no more closed societies. The whole world can see and hear what is going on around all the corners of this world. The Gaza onslaught was brought into everyone's living room after the Christmas/boxing day holidays. Nice way to start the Christians New Year, Thank you Israel.

• Randywade

  09 Feb 09, 10:06am (54 minutes ago)

  When Dr. Mohammed was Prime Minister of Malaysia, a person holding an Israeli passport could not legally enter Malaysia. Israel, along with South Africa, N. Korea, and others, was considered a rogue state. Too bad other governments didn't follow Malaysia's example. To despise injustice is not to be antisemitic.

BoredWith119

09 Feb 09, 10:17am (43 minutes ago)

SpursSupporter 09 Feb 09, 9:54am

Do you mean "Some of the people at the highest levels of government and business happen to be Jewish"?

Yes and they facilitate Israel's aims very effectively - look at the impunity this thuggish state can attack its neighbours and slaughter thousands without a peep from the US. Look also at the massive flow of funds from the US to Israel to keep that country's basket case economy afloat.

• MilesSmiles

  09 Feb 09, 10:28am (32 minutes ago)

  And a recent article in a leading Filipino business magazine explained how Jews had always controlled the countries they lived in, including the United States today.

  Maybe they saw the shameful vote in Congress in support of the Gaza massacre. Or maybe they read about Olmert's phone call to Bush. Or maybe they just picked up a copy of Mearsheimer and Walt's book.

  Point is, you don't have to be a conspiracy theorist to explain this. It's all out in the open, but no less distasteful for all that.