International high finance against the nation?
Antisemitism and nationalism in Austrian print media debates on the
economic crisis
This article analyses antisemitic elements in the Austrian print media discourse
about the 2008–2010 economic crisis. The relevant discursive statements are
examined in the light of a theoretical understanding of antisemitic discursive
threads as found in the prevalent modes of presentation of the economic and
financial crisis in the media. The first main finding is the broad avoidance of
openly antisemitic stereotypes, with the exception of the Neue Kronen
Zeitung. The second main finding is that structurally antisemitic
discursive elements appear above all where (a) specific groups (“high finance”,
“financial sharks”, “speculators”) are singled out as the main culprits, (b)
these are opposed to a homogeneously constructed “us” (the
“Volk”), and (c) where the formers’ greed is stressed and
where they are accused of harming the people. Here we find nationalistic and
latent antisemitic discourses, the stereotypical contrasting of finance and
production, conspiracy theories and anti-Americanism closely interwoven.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Theoretical background: Modern antisemitism disguised as anti-capitalist revolt
- 3.Media presentations of the financial and economic crisis
- 3.1Methodology and data
- 3.2Types of crisis presentation
- 3.2.1The economic and financial crisis as a natural phenomenon: natural event, natural disaster or wild beast
- 3.2.2The economic and financial crisis as consequence of human nature
- 3.2.3The crisis as a matter of the decay of morality and values
- 3.2.4The crisis as the result of the actions of certain social groups
- 3.2.5The crisis as the result of systemic failures
- 3.3Close analysis: Constellations of structural antisemitism
- 4.Conclusion
- Acknowledgments
- Notes
-
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