Sir: I think you're right about the racially riven nature
of American society, and the pretend-blind refusal to recognise it which sometimes goes by the name of political correctness (`Taboo or not taboo, that is the question', 19 November). But there was an important difference between the article by Amity Shlaes about white fear in New York City and William Cash's piece on Hollywood Jews.
The first was straight, objective report- ing: Shlaes described unpalatable facts. Cash, however, both ruined his argument and invited the charge of anti-Semitism by adding in a large dollop of stereotyping: his film mogul Jews got to be where they are because of their (in his view) racially deter- mined qualities of fierce competitiveness, negotiating talent and compulsion to tell stories. In other words, he projected his own highly tendentious cod racial theories on to a phenomenon (Jewish control of the various information highways) which he seems, to judge by your other correspon- dents, to have exaggerated in the first place.
No doubt there has been an over-reac- tion to Cash's article: it is a long way from gas ovens. But speaking personally, as a (lapsed) Jew with none of the above facili- ties, I found it irritating and rather unpleas- ant, like most attempts to ascribe stereo- types to a race or religion. It was immature, not evil. I'm with you in your efforts to get Americans to face their national divisions, which are destroying the country. But, quite honestly, with Cash you have picked a bum- mer. Right war, wrong battleground.
David Rose 12 Hopefield Avenue, London NW6
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