Brand’s embrace of religion is a real cross to bear

Finn McRedmond’s opinion piece in The Irish Times yesterday

Baptised in April, Russell Brand is now selling £180 amulets to ward off wifi

The one thing going for Russell Brand and his strange Christian conversion is that, despite his evident distance from the Kingdom of God and his weak grasp on serious theology, he does at the very least look a bit like Jesus. (At least in the caricature of our imaginations.)

The substance, if we can call it that, seems to stop here. Brand’s version of Christianity – its closest denominational analogue seems to be evangelism – has little basis in the modern practices of the mainstream church.

Brand has been on quite the journey. He was an MTV presenter, then a small- screen comedian known for his brashness. Later, he had a turn as a film star while also trying on the guise of a political activist (he endorsed Ed Miliband in 2015, and led some anti-austerity protests).

Cranking up his messianic aspirations, Brand launched a YouTube channel and began to anxiously rant to millions of followers about a shadowy elite pulling the strings of the world, offering vague and rapturous warnings about Covid-19 and vaccines. The downward spiral set in motion by the YouTube conspiracism was turbocharged. Last year, a joint investigation by The Times and Channel 4 revealed several women had accused Brand of sexual misconduct or assault – charges he denies. Since then, he has found God.

Just last week, during Hurricane Milton, Brand gave us an inside look into his faith: “In the middle of this crazy story in Florida ...” (Brand was in Miami, hundreds of miles away from the eye of the storm) “[it is] worth thinking how the metaphor of the storm affects us all ... a demonstration of the almighty power that is beyond our control ... it helps me to understand that I must listen and watch for Christ.”

Deep state

Since 2023, Brand has been tracing his journey into Christianity. He was baptised in the Thames in April. Since then, he has been seen performing a Baptism himself in a river and his underwear. And more recently he has taken to his knees to pray on stage with fellow members of the new American right, first Tucker Carlson and then Jordan Peterson, in front of packed out arenas. The Brand of 2015 is a long way away – this year, he asked God to shine a light on the “dark forces” operating the “deep state”. His latest act of piety is selling “amulets” for £180 to ward off nasty things like wifi and ill-defined bad vibes. (I’m listening!)

Brand has company. Peterson – a professor who became the first public intellectual to sell out the O2 – is an agnostic who happily had Brand pray onstage with him. Carlson has long been associated with the Christian right. Both men are kingpins of a new version of American conservatism, and use the language and guise of religion to spread their word. Joe Rogan – a podcaster who averages more than 10 million listens per episode – has increasingly leant in to conversations about faith. These men do not share a homogeneous ideology, but emerge from a similar place. And religion has become shorthand for belonging to their group. A cynic might say Brand was looking for an in.

Catholic revival

But there are plenty of strands to the new religious revival. The aesthetics of Catholicism – rosary beads, ermine, images of the Virgin Mary – have been wielded as fashion statements since the late 2010s. What was once intended to be transgressive has fully made its home in the mainstream: the Met Gala theme in 2018 was Fashion and the Catholic Imagination; Fleabag’s “hot priest” will be among the 2010s’ most memorable characters.

Now Sally Rooney’s best- selling new novel Intermezzo finds religion as its central theme. And the current Pope adopts a liberal bent (defended as a survival mechanism for the declining church). Given all of this we might expect some shift in the data, some proof that all of this religiosity means something. But there has been no accompanying flurry of young people re-embracing the church. This version of the Catholic revival – a distant land from Carlson, Brand and Rogan – is clearly skin deep.

Still, there is something that links them both. Without the architecture provided by a culturally religious society, the Christian God quickly becomes a cipher for a political identity. In Brand’s case, that’s membership to the American right-wing guru class. In the mainstream adoption of Catholicism, it’s something different: proof of membership to a liberal class that no longer fears God but can instead mock his pieties. Faith takes a back seat to the political signalling.

This might not matter much at all: Christianity has been around for some time, and I suspect it will weather this particular trend cycle, no matter Russell Brand’s risible public display. And these Christian gurus will find a new cause celebre in no time at all.

Meanwhile, there are wifi-warding amulets to be sold and American megachurches to be attended. God may or may not be there.

End

EWTN’s Raymond Arroyo interviewed Donald Trump on 'The World Over’ yesterday.

Crass waste of money on the banks of the Dodder

Great improvements have been made to Lower Dodder Road , especially between Rathfarnham Bridge and Ely’s Arch in Churchtown.

Fabulous path and a two-way cycle lane and all along the side of the River Dodder.

The cement is hardly dry when contractors have arrived to dig up the ramps. The ramps, put down some months ago, are being replaced with differently designed ones.

What an extraordinary waste of money.

Will anyone be held to account for this crass waste of taxpayers money? Is there anyone who cares?

Basil Hume tells Damian Byrne to tidy up Timothy Radcliffe

Readers may have missed this comment.

Your piece about Timothy Radcliffe is excellent.
When Damian Byrne was Master of the Order, on a visitation here in England he went to see Basil Hume in Archbishop's House in Westminster. Hume enquired of Damian: "is Timothy episcopal material” , "of course”, responded Damian and then the cardinal added: "but do please tidy him up a bit."
Slán agus beannacht

Edward Walsh 

Is SF's media approach similar to that of the churches?

The current controversy and scandals surrounding Sinn Féin has seen many commentators write on the behaviour of the party and why there is such secrecy about how it is governed.

The Sunday Times columnist Brenda Power has suggested that Sinn Féin feels the world is out to get it and as a result of that it is defensive in how it behaves and reacts to criticism. The party has also been likened to a cult. The main political parties constantly questioning how it is governed.

In the current furore over the party’s three running scandals, one might be forgiven for seeing similarities in how Sinn Féin handles the media and how the churches deal with the press.

Just a thought and an observation.

Iranian jail sullies the charm and beauty of its people

This week’s Mediahuis Irish regional newspapers’ column

Michael Commane

Bernard Phelan is an Irish man, born in Dublin, has Irish and French citizenship and is married to a French man.

His book ‘You will die in Prison - My time as a state hostage in Iran’ was launched by Tánaiste, and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin in Dubray Books on Dublin’s Grafton Street on Thursday, October 3.

Some days earlier Bernard appeared on RTÉ’s Oliver Callan Show, where he spoke about his 222 days in an Iranian jail.

I was quickly drawn into his story. I have been to Iran and the Irish Dominicans have a priory in the capital city, Tehran. The house was founded in 1962 and there has always been a respectful relationship between the Dominicans and state authorities. At a local level the Dominicans cherished their contact with the people they encountered.

Bernard spoke about his horrific time in prison. He saw people shackled and a father handcuffed to his child.

He referred to his accommodation in his prison in Mashad as ‘Satan's Block’,which he shared with political prisoners, drug traffickers and condemned inmates awaiting execution. He stressed the importance of the need for a good sense of humour in prison.

While he had harsh words to say about life in prison he spoke in glowing terms of the Iranian people. And I was immediately able to identify with that. During my short stay in Iran I visited a number of cities, including the capital, Shiraz and Isfahan, everywhere the people could not have been more friendly and helpful. 

On one occasion I asked a policeman for directions to the railway station, he hailed a car and I was brought straight there. Every step I took I was aware that I was walking over centuries of sophisticated culture and learning.

That dichotomy between governments and people is always an extremely interesting if not complicated and subtle topic.

Micheál Martin referred to Bernard’s case as ‘complex’ and that it required great skill to get his release, which involved the help of other EU states, including of course France. He spoke about Bernard’s arbitrary arrest. His words were carefully chosen and couched in diplomatic language.

And just as Bernard in his book is critical of the Iranian authorities, he writes and speaks with passion about the kindness and charm of the Iranian people.

That is always something that intrigues me. I have met people from countries all over the world. I’ve met Israelis, Palestinians, Russians, Ukrainians, Chinese, Taiwanese, people of all different types and styles. 

Is it a silly question to ask, what is it about human nature that we are on occasions hardwired to see another people, another nation as our enemy and then head out and kill and maim them?  Why do we keep doing it?

Timothy Radcliffe stresses the importance of listening

Newly named cardinal, Timothy

Radcliffe was interviewed on BBC Radio 4’s Sunday yesterday.

He believes he was chosen to be a cardinal because of his involvement in the current synod. He stressed the importance of listening, whether it be at the synod or in preparation for preaching.

"Preaching is never any good unless we listen. "Imagine the people to whom you are speaking and then of course listen to the word of God with all your imagination”, he said when asked what it means to be a good preacher.

“We can never be unafraid to listen, not so as to reply but so as to learn,” he said.

Radcliffe recalled how when he started out as a university chaplain he thought he was a great preacher but: “I had nothing to say until I opened my mind to students. You have to imagine the people with whom you speak.” He went on to stress how it important it is to listen to the Word of God and then to apply that to the world of today.

Fr Radcliffe said that Pope Francis has appointed cardinals from all over the world, many of them people who have not important jobs. He believes he is going to learn a lot. “Because they are from all over the world, discussion will be unpredictable,” he said.

When asked if he will have to wear the ‘elaborate gear' of a cardinal, he replied: I asked the Pope to be excused and I have been dispensed, thank God,” he smiled.

The programme Sunday was broadcast yesterday on BBC Radio 4 at 7am and is available on the BBC website.

Obama rallies the troops in Pittsburg on the subject of truth

 “It used to be we had arguments about policy. But we didn’t have arguments about whether you should tell the truth or not. When did that become okay? When did we go along with that,” he asked, before returning to the essential message of optimism that marked his first coming.

“And together we will keep building a country that is more fair, more just, more free. That is our task. That is our responsibility. Let’s go do it. Thank you, Pittsburgh. Thank you, Pennsylvania.”

Remembering a Jesuit priest imprisoned in the Soviet Union

An interesting news item from this day, October 12, 1963. 

After almost 23 years of imprisonment, US Jesuit priest Walter Ciszek was released by the Soviet authorities. He was Greek Orthodox. An interesting story. Did his story ever hit the headlines and that he was a Jesuit and a Greek Orthodox is also interesting?

Is a capitalist Russia any less cruel than a communist Russia?

The scandal of food waste – and how we can stop it

Well worth a read.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/08/the-scandal-of-food-waste-and-how-we-can-stop-it?CMP=share_btn_url

A 'follier upper' from the idiot’s apostrophe

To follow on from yesterday’s blogpost on the German attitude to the valid use of the English apostrophe, what about all the times we see the apostrophe incorrectly used in the English language: potato’s sold here. And the computer doesn’t recognise that as incorrect.

Regularly heard these days - I have went, I done. What about I’ve gotten, I’ve proven? Split infinitives are now the norm.

And then there is confusion with less and few. Sinn Féin in a recent pamphlet writes: “It also means less people living in emergency accommodation or in overcrowded family homes." Ouch, of course it should be fewer. But it is correct to say fewer slices, less butter.

The difference between about and around. It seems to be custom and practice now to say “around 100 people were present", when it should be “ about.....” You go around in circles about 100 times.

Donald Trump at a rally in Butler last week said: “... have showed"

Has it all something to do with a living language? Who decides? It’s like everything these days.

Germans decry influence of English apostrophe

This is brilliant and tells many stories.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/07/germany-influence-of-english-idiots-apostrophe?CMP=share_btn_url 

BBC’s 'Bombing Brighton’ gripping television

Last evening  BBC 2 Television screened Bombing Brighton: The Plot To Kill Thatcher.

The documentary included interviewing Patrick Magee, the bomber and Jo Berry, daughter of Sir Anthony Berry, who was killed in the bombing.

Jo and Patrick have met over 300 times since his release from prison.

It is gripping television and highly recommended. No doubt it will be shown again. Unfortunately BBC iPlayer is not available in Ireland.

It’s a powerful story in what happens when people can engage with each other. Some can manage it, others find if difficult and there are those who simply cannot.

Use new rural transport link or you’ll miss the bus

This week’s Mediahuis Irish regional newspapers’ column.

Michael Commane

Two weeks ago in this column I was critical of how Bank of Ireland treated me. The issue has been settled, the bank apologised, offered me redress and has guaranteed that it intends changing its practice in how it deals with complaints and will take a new look at its advertising policy.

On one other point before I get to this week’s issue, I met a young Ukrainian, who fled his country. His two brothers live in Russia, they could easily be called up and the thought that he might be fighting against them forced him to leave Ukraine. The very thought of that.

We all moan and groan from time to time and Government is an easy target.

 

I want to scream from the rooftops, shouting a big thank you to Government for what it is doing with public transport.

On Monday April 17, 1939 the passenger train service between Castlegregory in West Kerry and Tralee closed. Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) promised to replace the train service with three buses a day. That eventually morphed into one bus a week, which ran on Fridays. Since August Castlegregory has five buses a day. 

And this reality is being replicated across the entire State. Dublin’s bus service is improving by the day as are the services linking towns and cities throughout the country.

It’s up to us now, the citizens, to use these new services whenever we can. It’s time for the moaners and groaners to zip it, get out of the car and jump on the bus and train. 

Of course it is not going to suit everyone and many of the new timetables are experiencing teething issues but the possibilities are endless and it’s important for us to play our part. 

An extra 10-minute walk, having to leave a few minutes earlier is not going to kill anyone. When I think of the man I met from Ukraine I can’t help thinking how easily we can be spoiled.

But for the life of me I cannot fathom how the relevant authorities are not advertising all these new services in a more vigorous manner, indeed, there seems to be no advertising at all. 

Yes, most of the information is available digitally but fortunately there is still a reality outside the digital world. It’s impossible to find a printed timetable of these new services. I have had to phone one of the services to find out where the terminus was.

I have not seen or heard a single ad in a newspaper, on radio or television about the new services. 

And I’m also at a loss to understand the difference between the National Transport Authority (NTA) and Transport for Ireland (TFI). It seems to be some sort of State secret, whereby they don’t want us, the general public to know what both the NTA and the TFI actually do. 

We have heard so much about timetabling problems on Dublin suburban trains. 

There’s more to Ireland than Dublin, and so much of it is great news.

US Bishop Robert Barron talking on X about the Synod

US Bishop Robert Barron, who has a high profile on X, is currently giving a weekly commentary on the Synod in Rome, which he is attending.

In his most recent comment it is not unfair to say that listening to what he says one might easily be reminded of what the archbishop of Dublin John Charles McQuaid said on his return from the Vatican Council, that it would  make no real changes to life in the Irish church: “No change will worry the tranquility of your christian lives."

Bishop Barron talks about how the architecture of the colonnade in St Peter’s Square reminds one of the idea of communion within the church. He says that’s ‘communio ecclesiology’. It would be helpful if the bishop could explain.

Listening to the bishop talk it is extremely easy to be distracted from what he is saying by the large ring he is wearing.

In his five minutes 30 seconds it’s difficult to know what actually is going on at the Synod.

Two Dominicans were named cardinals yesterday.

English man Dominican Radcliffe and Jean-Paul Vesco, archbishop of Alger, Algeria.

Timothy Radcliffe is a regular visitor to Ireland. In February he spoke in Haddington Road church on  what was happening at the Synod.

Not a word about the Russian honeytrap story on RTÉ today

BBC Radio 4 news this morning carries a story about a Russian honeytrap, that snares an Irish politician during the Brexit controversy. 

The BBC story says that the politician is still walking the corridors of Dáil Éireann.

Not a word about the incident on RTÉ’s Radio 1 morning news.

Balfour’s desk? Johnson’s spoof and Mid East slaughter

In his newly published book, Unleashed Boris Johnson relates on the occasion Binyamin Netanyahu visited Downing Street during Johnson’s premiership when he showed him the desk on which Balfour signed the declaration,  supporting the Zionist project to establish a Jewish homeland. And like so much to do with Johnson, he did not know whether that was the table or not.

On this day, October 6, 1973 Egypt and Syria coordinated attacks against Israel, beginning the Yom Kippur War.

Why can’t world leaders stop this slaughter right now? The major powers created the genesis of the problem, why can’t they fix it?

Liz Cheney campaigns in Wisconsin

Liz Cheney campaigned with Kamala Harris in Wisconsin on Thursday.

Below is a link to her talk. So simple, so real and a clear explanation why it would be a disaster for the people of the United States to vote for Donald Trump next month.

Liz Cheney is a former Republican Representative. She is the daughter of Dick Cheney who was Bush’s vice president.

https://youtu.be/7ilpQh3NfLE?si=DP7jZzXxFaJIr4PB

Abbington deserves the praise of all, especially men

Amanda Abbington is an actor, who appeared on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. She complained about the behaviour of her professional dancing partner Giovanni Pernice.

The BBC spent six months analysing 17 complaints made by Amanda after she quit the show last year while partnered with Giovanni Pernice.

The report upheld some of her complaints and rejected others.

Amanda appeared on BBC’s Newsnight on Wednesday where she told Victoria Derbyshire a shocking story of the behaviour of Mr Pernice. She said he called her the C-word and made crude vulgar sexual remarks to her.

The arrogance of this man is unacceptable. Part of the moral of the story is never ever to put anyone up on a pedestal, never. And Ms Abbington has to be lauded and not reviled as The Daily Mail has done. Shame on them.

Why ‘they’re eating the dogs’ was a clever stroke

Joe Humphreys in The Irish Times on Monday.

Politicians who tell lies have an advantage because of what psychologists call the ‘false consensus effect’

It has become clear the US presidential election is an unfair contest. This has nothing to do with campaign finances, media bias or judicial independence. Rather, it’s because of human psychology.

The way our brains operate gives liars a huge advantage. And, not to be all “lefty-liberal” about this, but one candidate has much more experience in sales – which, as we all know, is basically lying – than the other.

“We start lying early in life – between two and three years of age,” says Geoff Beattie, author of Lies, Lying and Liars: A Psychological Analysis. “Charles Darwin in 1877 described how he caught his son William Erasmus lying when he was just over 2½. He had eaten some pickle juice that was forbidden to him and he lied about it. Darwin commented that he was surprised most by his son’s evident pleasure in lying, especially because he was so young.”

Like wee Billy Darwin, Republican candidate Donald Trump evidently gets a kick out of telling tall tales. And he has learned from a lifetime of flogging stuff the tricks of the fictionalising trade. “If you can embellish the truth or construct a new reality, that can always be more interesting and engaging than the truth,” says Beattie.

The Belfast-born professor of psychology at Edge Hill University in England delves into decades of research on lies for his book, which blends handy tips on how to spot a fibster with nuanced analysis on the pathology of deception.

Someone you don’t generally see quoted at length in new releases is Adolf Hitler, but Beattie looks closely at how the Nazi leader’s Mein Kampf provides a template for political scammers. “It would never come into [the public’s] heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously,” the fascist ruler wrote.

In other words, go “big” when lying. Hitler explained: “ . . . in the primitive simplicity of their minds [people] more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods.”

And if someone catches you out with fact-checking, don’t worry because “the grossly impudent lie always leaves traces behind it”, the Nazi leader observed.

Trump’s false claim about immigrants – “they’re eating the dogs” – could be called Hitlerite in this sense. Or you could call it political genius. Even if only a “trace” of the lie is left behind, it can be effective – resonating with those who wish it to be true.

Because they can prey on our psychological weaknesses, “politicians who lie do have an enormous advantage over truth-tellers”, says Beattie.

He explains further as this week’s Unthinkable guest:

What cognitive biases can be exploited by politicians who

lie to us?“Political liars understand that we ourselves tell lies in our everyday lives and we experience guilt when we tell them. Hence the advantage of the ‘big lie’.“We also suffer from a false consensus effect, believing that others are really just like us, and we project our attitudes, beliefs and feelings on to them. If you are a decent person, then you tend to think that most people are decent. If you hate lying, you assume that others will also hate lying. But other people may or may not be like us, and they may experience very different emotions when telling lies. Liars exploit this.

“Politicians – and certainly their advisers – know that the public are poor at detecting lies and they also exploit this.

“As the sociobiologist Robert Trivers has pointed out, lying can give you a clear evolutionary advantage – status, wealth and achievements can all be important in that great evolutionary battle in the survival of the genes. But self-deceit can also be evolutionary advantageous because if you can convince yourself of something, then it can make you more convincing to others, and therefore more effective.

“Perhaps politicians reason that we cannot bear the truth all of the time. What will Putin do next? Can we bear to know? They are lying for our benefit, like a ‘kind’ parent.”

Is there a way of counteracting the “false consensus effect”? Should we be more cynical, or less trusting of people in everyday life, as a way of heightening our perception of lies?

“We need to be more analytic in everyday life and stop making assumptions about politicians based on first impressions and superficial cues. We know that people make very rapid judgments of trustworthiness based on looks – in a fraction of a second – and that is very dangerous. We are more likely to accept what a politician says once we’ve made that initial judgment of their trustworthiness. We also need to recognise difference and diversity of views and opinions and stop projecting our own characteristics on to other people.”In politics, or life generally, would we rather listen to an attractive fiction than a harsh reality?“Attractive fictions might well engage us and sweep us along, but fortunately or unfortunately the truth will out, as Shakespeare himself recognised. And then it’s not so pleasant for anybody, but especially the recipient of the lie.”

Relics and replicas

While the relics of St Bernadette are being brought to every diocese in the State, the St Martin Apostolate and The Moving Crib will be exhibiting a life-size replica of St Bernadette, complete with a first class relic from Monday, October 7 to Friday, October 25.

Plenty of sun and fun on a Grand Canal barge

This week’s Mediahuis Irish regional newspapers’ column.

Michael Commane

They were the best days of the year, Wednesday, September 18 to the following Saturday. 

A friend and I barged on the Grand Canal from Vicarstown in Co Laois to Rathangan in Co Kildare and back. 

We travelled 49.6 kilometres. I’ve walked and cycled along stretches of both the Grand and Royal Canal but never before experienced anything like this. 

Neither of us had navigated a barge. We hired it from Barrowline Cruisers. Orla and Philip showed us the routine and gave us all the necessary safety instructions. 

Off we set. We quickly had to get accustomed to using the tiller as it’s counter intuitive, in that you move it left to go right. The Grand Canal is narrow, a momentary lack of concentration and you could easily find yourself in the muck and reeds on the bank. After two or three kilometres we decided we were expert mariners. The fear had worn off and all we could do was laugh.

Very quickly we realised we were in the midst of extraordinary beauty. Travelling at less than four kilometres an hour, yes, a snail’s pace, we were surrounded by green trees and fields, not a soul in sight. Incorrect, from time to time flocks of birds would appear. 

On one occasion three ducks came out from the bank and cavorted with us before they decided to head back to their home base.

 

The mix of the overarching silence, the perfect beauty of the place and our slow speed made it an almost out of body experience.

Each of the three nights we parked up at a suitable spot. There was a great sense of adventure to that, tying up the barge, making sure the ropes were securely attached. The sleeping accommodation was fine, enough room for two.

It was three days of hilarious fun, laughter and messing. We went through a number of locks. Scary moments watching water gushing through the sluice gates and then being down in the bowels of the earth while in the lock, high walls on either side.

At Rathangan we had to turn the barge to head home. Not an easy operation, made more difficult by the low level of water in the canal. A few scary moments but we triumphed, thrilled with ourselves. Lucky too as we had the wind on our side.

On another occasion a road bridge had to be raised for us. Joe from Waterways Ireland opened and closed the locks and raised and lowered the road bridge. We phoned him ahead, usually about two hours before we would arrive. He could not have been more pleasant and efficient, and I’d say a great character too.

It was the holiday of a lifetime. Great fun, plenty of messing about. Yes, you need the sun and you need to be able to laugh and joke with your companion. We had both. I’m wondering, yet again, is the alternative lifestyle for me? Life on a canal barge?

Austrians give their vote to a nationalist party

In the not-to0-distant past in Ireland there was the general belief that our politics went back to the civil war and how Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael came into existence. Both parties stood for more less the same world view. Labour had some left wing policies but there was no great left wing divide.

Across Europe the major political parties  were clearly distinguishable. On the one side the socialist, communist parties and on the other side the conservative and liberal groupings.

In Ireland we felt we were missing out on a clearer political division.

Interesting what’s happening across Europe now. In Austria yesterday those divides fell apart and the populist far-right has surged becoming the biggest political grouping.

It’s similar in the former East Germany, the far-right AfD is surging. Left and right are being thrown aside in favour of populist nationalist parties. People are voting for extremes.

And the irony of that is that’s what has happened in Northern Ireland after the Good Friday Agreement. Sinn Féin took most of the SDLP vote and the DUP moved in on the UUP. Voters moving to the populist nationalist parties.

What’s happening is extremely dangerous. The leader of the now largest political party in Austrian  speaks words that are a reminder of another Austrian, who always blamed the scapegoat for all the woes of Reich.