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The reader of this set of Dearborn Independent articles will immediately be struck by markers of its historical period and the virulence of its author's antisemitism. The use of vocabulary long out of use and the editorialised prejudice functions as a time stamp. The small town newspaper the Dearborn Independent was purchased by the American industrialist Henry Ford, and whilst the editorial articles were not Ford’s work they were directed and edited with his input from the time of its purchase. Shocking as they may be this work is notable not for the views that it expresses about Judaism and its adherents, but for the scope of the Jewish conspiracy that it envisages. The International Jew, although distasteful to the modern reader, has the unique attribute of showing us a piece of writing that we can be certain made it across the Atlantic Ocean and influenced the fevered thinking of senior Nazi party figures. Those who approach history as an opportunity to learn, an opportunity to ensure it never comes again, are here offered a chance to understand the pernicious rhetoric that lulled a party and more than one population less than a century ago. At all times the reader should hold on to the knowledge that the chief influence on this writing was considered a potential presidential candidate, these articles were stacked in waiting rooms, car dealerships and parroted by the national press. A powerful reminder that we must always remain vigilant and a precious resource, reminding the reader what to watch for.
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