Same here. I put time into studying the thing myself and I thought it was safely dead, an object of worship only for a handful of cranks and cultists. With few exceptions I think even the most politically and historically aware of us, if we’re honest with ourselves, will have to admit we underestimated it staying power.
One thing I also missed is how adaptable it was. I knew all about the Blood Libel, for example, but it was only until I started reading about Qanon that I realised that not only was it a new variant but that a disturbingly large number of Americans had accepted it.
I used to joke about the over-the-top and absurd claims of the “Protocols”. I haven’t since 2016.
