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A Racist Book’s Malign and Lingering Influence (Camp of the Saints)
New York Times ^ | November 22, 2019 | Elian Peltier and Nicholas Kulish

Posted on 11/24/2019 2:19:15 PM PST by karpov

One morning in 1972, the French author Jean Raspail was at his home on the Mediterranean coast when he had a vision of a million refugees clamoring to enter Europe.

“Armed only with their weakness and their numbers, overwhelmed by misery, encumbered with starving brown and black children, ready to disembark on our soil,” he wrote. “To let them in would destroy us. To reject them would destroy them.”

At the time Raspail was a respected writer best known for his travelogues. But the racist novel that resulted from that episode, “The Camp of the Saints,” would become his most famous, most controversial and, surprisingly, most influential work.

For some 30 years, “‘Camp of the Saints’ has been one of the top two books in white supremacist circles,” said Heidi Beirich, an expert on extremism at the Southern Poverty Law Center. The center leaked emails earlier this month in which the Trump adviser Stephen Miller touted the book to Breitbart staffers as a work with strong parallels to recent waves of migration.

Published in 1973, the dystopian novel details how a flotilla of Indian migrants reach France’s southern coast to invade the country. Political elites fail to respond to the influx, and the continent is overrun. For nearly half a century, the book has stoked fears of immigration that have, to its supporters, seemed increasingly prescient as growing numbers of refugees and asylum seekers have arrived in Europe in recent years.

“Raspail can boast himself about being a prophet,” said Jean-Yves Camus, an expert on the far right at the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs. “People now buy ‘The Camp of the Saints’ because they want to read the book written by the writer who saw what would happen before everybody else.”

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; US: New York
KEYWORDS: 2020election; aliens; bookreview; campofthesaints; dnctalkingpoint; dnctalkingpoints; election2020; elianpeltier; europe; europeanunion; heidibeirich; jeanyvescamus; literature; mediawingofthednc; nato; newyork; newyorkcity; newyorkslimes; newyorktimes; nicholaskulish; nyt; partisanmediashills; presstitutes; raspail; smearmachine; splc
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To: monkeyshine

They hate this Stephen Miller guy for some reason
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Same reason they hate Donald Trump.
He sides with the citizens and the rule of law and wants to help the citizens keep their country.

The elite will not allow that.


21 posted on 11/24/2019 3:48:58 PM PST by Lurkinanloomin (Natural Born Citizens Are Born Here of Citizen Parents_Know Islam, No Peace-No Islam, Know Peace)
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To: karpov

I read this book (in English) in the late 70’s and while it was depressing, I told myself it could never come true. I was wrong.


22 posted on 11/24/2019 3:53:05 PM PST by RightGeek (FUBO and the donkey you rode in on)
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To: karpov

I read it. It’s a good book.

L


23 posted on 11/24/2019 3:53:53 PM PST by Lurker (Peaceful coexistence with the Left is not possible. Stop pretending that it is.)
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To: All

Kindle is $10. the rest are wildly overpriced.

https://www.amazon.com/Camp-Saints-Jean-Raspail/dp/1881780384/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1HEWQNUG2ZBCT&keywords=camp+of+the+saints+by+jean+raspail&qid=1574641374&sprefix=camp+of+the%2Caps%2C263&sr=8-1


24 posted on 11/24/2019 4:23:46 PM PST by dynachrome (Build the wall, deport them all. And send her back!)
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To: karpov
I remember looking up Camp of the Saints on Wikipedia prior to the 2015 hijrah into Europe. Wikipedia did not describe the book as racist. Looked it up again last year and the "editors" had revised it as racist.
25 posted on 11/24/2019 4:27:58 PM PST by MacNaughton
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To: RightGeek

I originally read it about the same time. Given to me by a friend who was stationed in the UK. I kept it and reread it about ten years ago.

Very prescient in an Orwellian and Rand sense.


26 posted on 11/24/2019 4:30:34 PM PST by Bruiser 10 (Roger, Wilco, Over, and Out!)
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To: RightGeek

It was about Indians, not Muslims, if I’m reading the article correctly.

IMHO, Indians from India are mostly charming, bright, interesting people who do fit in with our culture while bringing us really delish food. I’d kill to find a decent Indian restaurant near me.

I think only their music is terrible. Plus, they are natural capitalists. Maybe not the poor classes, but some of the wealthiest people in the world are Indians.

Am I missing something?


27 posted on 11/24/2019 4:36:18 PM PST by Veto! (Political Correctness Offends Me)
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To: karpov

Bump


28 posted on 11/24/2019 4:41:51 PM PST by Incorrigible (If I lead, follow me; If I pause, push me; If I retreat, kill me.)
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To: MuttTheHoople

yep.


29 posted on 11/24/2019 4:44:24 PM PST by sauropod (I am His and He is mine)
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To: karpov
"Published in 1973, the dystopian novel details how a flotilla of Indian migrants reach France’s southern coast to invade the country. Political elites fail to respond to the influx, and the continent is overrun. For nearly half a century, the book has stoked fears of immigration that have, to its supporters, seemed increasingly prescient as growing numbers of refugees and asylum seekers have arrived in Europe in recent years."

Not having read the book, I can't evaluate whether it's "racist," but the Times' synopsis suggests that it was just a warning about the ill-effects of uncontrolled mass immigration of people who either can't or won't assimilate into Western culture.
30 posted on 11/24/2019 4:55:34 PM PST by Steve_Seattle
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To: karpov

He foresaw what’s happening today... the de-Europeanization of Europe by hordes of third-world invaders.

Nothing “racist” about it.


31 posted on 11/24/2019 4:56:10 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (Democrats only believe in democracy when they win the election.)
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To: monkeyshine

“I don’t know about this book...”

You can download the PDF here:

http://www.jrbooksonline.com/PDFs/Camp_of_the_Saints_2col%20.pdf


32 posted on 11/24/2019 4:57:49 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (Democrats only believe in democracy when they win the election.)
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To: Steve_Seattle

http://www.jrbooksonline.com/PDFs/Camp_of_the_Saints_2col%20.pdf


33 posted on 11/24/2019 4:58:54 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (Democrats only believe in democracy when they win the election.)
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To: rustyboots

http://www.jrbooksonline.com/PDFs/Camp_of_the_Saints_2col%20.pdf


34 posted on 11/24/2019 4:59:37 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (Democrats only believe in democracy when they win the election.)
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To: suthener

http://www.jrbooksonline.com/PDFs/Camp_of_the_Saints_2col%20.pdf


35 posted on 11/24/2019 4:59:47 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (Democrats only believe in democracy when they win the election.)
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To: dynachrome

bkmk


36 posted on 11/24/2019 5:01:34 PM PST by sauropod (I am His and He is mine)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I read it about 4 years ago....found it just fair. One chapter was absolutely gag inducing,and not necessary.


37 posted on 11/24/2019 5:06:30 PM PST by Mears
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To: Mears

Did he, or did he not, predict what is actually happening?


38 posted on 11/24/2019 5:13:45 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (Democrats only believe in democracy when they win the election.)
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To: karpov

Prescient and prophetic book! He intentionally chose Indian Subcontinent people for the book to avoid charges of racism in early 1970s because Arabs were already becoming a politically correct hot potato. The theme of the book is Liberalism nihilism kills a culture


39 posted on 11/24/2019 5:52:22 PM PST by Jan_Sobieski (Sanctification)
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To: Mears

I assume you are talking about the “semen” chapter. However, given the sexual abuse and rape culture the Muslims have brought to Europe, it was very accurate


40 posted on 11/24/2019 5:54:26 PM PST by Jan_Sobieski (Sanctification)
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