The worst thing about writing this article is that I know, even as I write it, the latest revelation about Jeremy Corbyn will change nothing.
He will continue as Labour leader. The hard left will deny that he has done anything wrong, while the soft-left will shuffle out with the same utterly pathetic mantra about staying and fighting.
As outlined by Daniel Finkelstein for the Times on Tuesday evening, Mr Corbyn wrote, in 2011, a foreword for the reprint of a 1902 book called Imperialism: A Study.
The work describes how “international capitalism” is “controlled… by men of a single and peculiar race, who have behind them many centuries of financial experience.”
One chapter is titled: “Economic Parasites of Imperialism”.
It goes on to say “there is not a war, a revolution, an anarchist assassination, or any other public shock, which is not gainful to these men; they are harpies who suck their gains from every new forced expenditure and every sudden disturbance of public credit”.
Another passage asks: “Does anyone seriously suppose that a great war could be undertaken by any European state, or a great state loan subscribed, if the house of Rothschild and its connections set their face against it?”
Jeremy Corbyn’s foreword made no mention of the vile antisemitism contained in the work. Instead, he called it a great tome, containing ideas which were “brilliant, and very controversial at the time.”
There are already those hard at work trying to convince people that this is not a big deal. I have already seen excuses along the lines of “but these are just a few sentences in the book”, which sounds like arguing “the gangrene is only in the index finger”.
But what will happen now? I don’t think there is a single person out there who believes that this, finally, is what will cause the whole rotten edifice of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership to come crashing down.
His most fervent supporters will find increasingly tortuous ways to defend him and deny reality (if all else fails, the cries of ‘smear’ are a perennial favourite).
For a few Labour members, this has indeed been the last straw – I have seen a few photos of cut up membership cards – but for most, it will be business as usual.
The fact that their party is led by a man who shouldn’t be able to show his face in polite society must not be allowed to get in the way of The Greater Good™, which for them is a Labour government.
And on and on it goes. The current government is on its last legs. It is now altogether possible, perhaps even likely, that before the year is out, 10 Downing Street will be occupied by someone who, at best, is totally unable to recognise blatant antisemitism.
And at worst, believes something similar to what is written in the book he praised.
