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Donald Trump calls bankers 'Shylocks', drawing criticism for antisemitic term. (www.usatoday.com)

submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by Davriellelouna@lemmy.world to c/usa@midwest.social

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Shylock is a fictional Jewish money-lender invented by Shakespeare.

The story ends when Shylock is defeated and forced to abandon Judaism.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shylock

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[–] OccamsRazer@lemmy.world -2 points 1 day ago (12 children)

Not sure I follow. He did say Shylock right? Clearly referring to the Shakespeare character? What else could he have been referring to? Or is Shylock somehow associated with Jews otherwise?

[–] LetMeBeMe@lemmynsfw.com 6 points 23 hours ago (11 children)

It's a racist slur for a Jewish banker

[–] OccamsRazer@lemmy.world -1 points 16 hours ago (10 children)

Do you think Biden was also being racist when he used the term? Or was he using it in a more general sense, as a term to describe immoral and unethical bankers in general?

[–] goferking0@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

This time? https://www.politico.com/story/2014/09/joe-biden-shylocks-reaction-111053

Pretty obviously him being racist

Biden used the term when he spoke at the 40th anniversary celebration for the Legal Services Corporation and referred to his son, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, and his experience while in Iraq.

“People would come up to him and talk about what was happening to them at home in terms of foreclosures, in terms of bad loans that were being — I mean, these Shylocks who took advantage of these women and men while overseas,” Biden said.

[–] OccamsRazer@lemmy.world 2 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

It's not obvious at all. It used to be a commonly used term for dishonest bankers, and it's still defined as such in most dictionaries, though many of them also note that it is less common now because of more awareness of the harmful stereotype.

[–] goferking0@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 4 hours ago

Sounds like it's always been used as a slur/terrible stereotype, hell Shakespeare made the entire character a stereotype....

https://time.com/3394403/shylock-biden/

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