American Jewish interests?
Traveling in the USA during convention season, when the two major parties choose their candidates for President, can be a daunting task. Everyone you meet wants to know where you stand, and once you commit yourself then you are either congratulated on your acumen or attacked as simple-minded. Comments vary from "you're absolutely right" to "you're an idiot!" depending upon whether or not the speaker is a liberal or a conservative.
What particularly engages me is the voting pattern of the Jews. While I was enroute a friend in California gave me an article entitled, "On the political stupidity of the Jews," by the well-known neocon Irving Kristol (published in Azure, Autumn 1999). Although I disagree with some of his analysis and I think his attitude is somewhat arrogant, nevertheless there is a kernal of truth in his main point, namely that the Jews do not vote according to their own best interests.
When I was younger I came across the phrase "Jews earn like Presbyterians, but vote like Puerto Ricans," and this aphorism still seems to hold. Although the Jews I met during my trip were predominantly wealthy, and some very wealthy, and none certainly were poor, nevertheless they continue to vote predominantly Democratic and liberal, while all other wealthy groups tend to vote Republican. Polls show that 75% or so of Jews are intending to vote for the Democratic candidate Barack Obama, and the highest proportion of Jews who have ever voted for the Republican candidate is ca. 40%. To understand this phenomenon one must go back in history to the earliest establishment of Jews in the USA and to their prior European history.
In Eastern Europe, where the majority of Ashkenazi Jews came from, there were no conventions, no candidates to choose, and no elections. There were monarchies and/or military dictatorships that were both nationalistic and anti-Semitic. The power structure was automatically against the interests of the Jews, and if they had had the vote they would have voted against it! As the Jews became more secularized, more assimilated and freer, they tended to gravitate towards the opposition groups, towards the liberals, socialists and communists. In the the Russian Social Revolutionary Party, the mensheviks (minority) were predominantly Jewish, particularly with the inclusion of the Jewish Bund party. When Lenin expelled the Bund from the RSRP that was how the bolsheviks (majority) obtained their majority. Needless to say, many of the Jews then joined the Bolsheviks and those that stayed in the Bund or supported the mensheviks for too long (like Trotsky and his followers) were subsequently killed by Stalin. Most of the Russian Jews who emigrated to the West during this period (1880-1930) were predominantly either members of or supporters of these parties. While they had no true understanding of the American system they automatically voted Democrat.
In Germany and other countries, the Jews were over-represented on the left. In Germany alone there was Ferdinand Lascalles, Rosa Luxembourg, Walther Rathenau and of course Karl Marx himself, and they were just the tip of the iceberg of Jewish inviolvement in liberal/leftist anti-State activity. The reaction when it came was extreme and devastating.
But, the Jews who had escaped from the cauldron of Europe to the West, particularly Britain and the USA held to their political convictions. In Britain the only Jews elected to Parliament were Labor supporters (Disraeli of course was brought up Christian) and it was considered a shanda if a Jew openly supported the Conservatives, who were controlled by land-owning aristocrats. That has all changed so dramatically since the Conservative Party was taken over by Margaret Thatcher, the daughter of a grocer, that elicited the phrase that in Margaret Thatcher's cabinet there were "more old Estonians than old Etonians," and now there are more Jewish Conservative MPs than Labor ones.
In the USA, the myth of the "melting pot" did not result in a homogeneous population, each group tended to retain its own culture and voting pattern. This was well established in the iconic book "Beyond the Melting Pot" by Nathan Glazer and Daniel Moynihan (published 1963). So the Jews, while being "upwardly mobile," and increasing their net worth relative to other groups, still continued to vote as if they were poor anti-State Europeans. One might argue that in the early days, when the Jews were still the poor and downtrodden that was appropriate, and one still remembers the millionaire communists, such as Armand Hammer, who despite their wealth supported the extreme left. Today one can quote George Soros, who has funded Obama's run for President and has boasted that he will elect a Black man President. One might also justify this retention of liberal instincts on religious grounds, the residue of Jewish beliefs in social justice trickling down to predominantly secular Jews. But, by now one might expect these old influences to have faded.
It is often said that "all politics is domestic" and if that is true then it is not surprising that the main focus of the current election campaign is the economy, where it is said that the USA is not doing well. Whether or not this is due to high oil prices, the sub-prime mortgage lending scandal or other factors, the fact is that from an economic point of view, most well-off Jews would be better served personally by voting Republican than Democratic. The Democrats traditionally support social welfare programs that require large amounts of funds and hence higher taxes, while the Republicans tend to support business and wealth accumulation. It is arguable whether or not social engineering by redistribution of wealth or the action of market forces is a better means of attaining greater equality of income (if that is what you want), but there is no doubt that Obama favors the former and the majority of Jews are tending to support him.
Seen from a foreign policy perspective, most Jews are bitterly opposed to George W. Bush, they opposed the Iraq War (while justifying the Afghan War) as a waste of American riches and men (Jews abhor suffering) and they extend this to John McCain (dubbed by some "Bush III"). But, they fail to recognize that the US is engaged in a world wide war against the forces of Islamist terrorism, and then the question is, who would be better to safeguard America and the Western world. If one notes that Hamas in Gaza supports Obama, that the Arab world predominantly supports Obama and that the anti-war movement in the US and Europe predominantly supports Obama, then there is not much question about who would be the better candidate in protecting America. Let's face it, the Iraq war is essentially over, and whatever the situation in Afghanistan, the US cannot afford to disengage from that region. McCain with 20 years experience in the military (that some scoff at - why?) and 30 years experience in the Senate, is miles more experienced and competent than any novice with only 3 years in the Senate.
The Jews of Israel, and American Jews living in Israel, have been polled 3 to 1 in favor of McCain. So you might say, well Israel has different interests than American Jews, but the overarching question for Israelis is survival. And this is not an abstract concept as it might be for Americans sitting thousands of miles away from the main threat, Iran. This is a concrete issue, who would support Israel if push comes to shove and the IDF and Israeli Govt. conclude that the Iranians are close to attaining their aim of being able to "wipe Israel off the map." The Jews should consider their interests in this matter, what happens when all the talking ends. The political decisions of large numbers of Jews in Europe in the 1930's was disasterously wrong.
The vast majority of American blacks (who often don't vote in large numbers) are going to vote for Obama, the majority of white Middle West conservatives are going to vote for McCain. But, forget this pattern, the question is what is in the interests of the Jews as a group to vote for, what are their true interests. For me the conclusion is clear, we no longer need to oppose the power of the State, it is not antagonistic to us, we no longer need to vote for the interests of the poor, we are no longer among them, we no longer need to put social justice first as our cause, we have attained our freedom, what matters most is the survival of Western civilization, with America at its head. You must decide who is best qualified to carry this burden today.
What particularly engages me is the voting pattern of the Jews. While I was enroute a friend in California gave me an article entitled, "On the political stupidity of the Jews," by the well-known neocon Irving Kristol (published in Azure, Autumn 1999). Although I disagree with some of his analysis and I think his attitude is somewhat arrogant, nevertheless there is a kernal of truth in his main point, namely that the Jews do not vote according to their own best interests.
When I was younger I came across the phrase "Jews earn like Presbyterians, but vote like Puerto Ricans," and this aphorism still seems to hold. Although the Jews I met during my trip were predominantly wealthy, and some very wealthy, and none certainly were poor, nevertheless they continue to vote predominantly Democratic and liberal, while all other wealthy groups tend to vote Republican. Polls show that 75% or so of Jews are intending to vote for the Democratic candidate Barack Obama, and the highest proportion of Jews who have ever voted for the Republican candidate is ca. 40%. To understand this phenomenon one must go back in history to the earliest establishment of Jews in the USA and to their prior European history.
In Eastern Europe, where the majority of Ashkenazi Jews came from, there were no conventions, no candidates to choose, and no elections. There were monarchies and/or military dictatorships that were both nationalistic and anti-Semitic. The power structure was automatically against the interests of the Jews, and if they had had the vote they would have voted against it! As the Jews became more secularized, more assimilated and freer, they tended to gravitate towards the opposition groups, towards the liberals, socialists and communists. In the the Russian Social Revolutionary Party, the mensheviks (minority) were predominantly Jewish, particularly with the inclusion of the Jewish Bund party. When Lenin expelled the Bund from the RSRP that was how the bolsheviks (majority) obtained their majority. Needless to say, many of the Jews then joined the Bolsheviks and those that stayed in the Bund or supported the mensheviks for too long (like Trotsky and his followers) were subsequently killed by Stalin. Most of the Russian Jews who emigrated to the West during this period (1880-1930) were predominantly either members of or supporters of these parties. While they had no true understanding of the American system they automatically voted Democrat.
In Germany and other countries, the Jews were over-represented on the left. In Germany alone there was Ferdinand Lascalles, Rosa Luxembourg, Walther Rathenau and of course Karl Marx himself, and they were just the tip of the iceberg of Jewish inviolvement in liberal/leftist anti-State activity. The reaction when it came was extreme and devastating.
But, the Jews who had escaped from the cauldron of Europe to the West, particularly Britain and the USA held to their political convictions. In Britain the only Jews elected to Parliament were Labor supporters (Disraeli of course was brought up Christian) and it was considered a shanda if a Jew openly supported the Conservatives, who were controlled by land-owning aristocrats. That has all changed so dramatically since the Conservative Party was taken over by Margaret Thatcher, the daughter of a grocer, that elicited the phrase that in Margaret Thatcher's cabinet there were "more old Estonians than old Etonians," and now there are more Jewish Conservative MPs than Labor ones.
In the USA, the myth of the "melting pot" did not result in a homogeneous population, each group tended to retain its own culture and voting pattern. This was well established in the iconic book "Beyond the Melting Pot" by Nathan Glazer and Daniel Moynihan (published 1963). So the Jews, while being "upwardly mobile," and increasing their net worth relative to other groups, still continued to vote as if they were poor anti-State Europeans. One might argue that in the early days, when the Jews were still the poor and downtrodden that was appropriate, and one still remembers the millionaire communists, such as Armand Hammer, who despite their wealth supported the extreme left. Today one can quote George Soros, who has funded Obama's run for President and has boasted that he will elect a Black man President. One might also justify this retention of liberal instincts on religious grounds, the residue of Jewish beliefs in social justice trickling down to predominantly secular Jews. But, by now one might expect these old influences to have faded.
It is often said that "all politics is domestic" and if that is true then it is not surprising that the main focus of the current election campaign is the economy, where it is said that the USA is not doing well. Whether or not this is due to high oil prices, the sub-prime mortgage lending scandal or other factors, the fact is that from an economic point of view, most well-off Jews would be better served personally by voting Republican than Democratic. The Democrats traditionally support social welfare programs that require large amounts of funds and hence higher taxes, while the Republicans tend to support business and wealth accumulation. It is arguable whether or not social engineering by redistribution of wealth or the action of market forces is a better means of attaining greater equality of income (if that is what you want), but there is no doubt that Obama favors the former and the majority of Jews are tending to support him.
Seen from a foreign policy perspective, most Jews are bitterly opposed to George W. Bush, they opposed the Iraq War (while justifying the Afghan War) as a waste of American riches and men (Jews abhor suffering) and they extend this to John McCain (dubbed by some "Bush III"). But, they fail to recognize that the US is engaged in a world wide war against the forces of Islamist terrorism, and then the question is, who would be better to safeguard America and the Western world. If one notes that Hamas in Gaza supports Obama, that the Arab world predominantly supports Obama and that the anti-war movement in the US and Europe predominantly supports Obama, then there is not much question about who would be the better candidate in protecting America. Let's face it, the Iraq war is essentially over, and whatever the situation in Afghanistan, the US cannot afford to disengage from that region. McCain with 20 years experience in the military (that some scoff at - why?) and 30 years experience in the Senate, is miles more experienced and competent than any novice with only 3 years in the Senate.
The Jews of Israel, and American Jews living in Israel, have been polled 3 to 1 in favor of McCain. So you might say, well Israel has different interests than American Jews, but the overarching question for Israelis is survival. And this is not an abstract concept as it might be for Americans sitting thousands of miles away from the main threat, Iran. This is a concrete issue, who would support Israel if push comes to shove and the IDF and Israeli Govt. conclude that the Iranians are close to attaining their aim of being able to "wipe Israel off the map." The Jews should consider their interests in this matter, what happens when all the talking ends. The political decisions of large numbers of Jews in Europe in the 1930's was disasterously wrong.
The vast majority of American blacks (who often don't vote in large numbers) are going to vote for Obama, the majority of white Middle West conservatives are going to vote for McCain. But, forget this pattern, the question is what is in the interests of the Jews as a group to vote for, what are their true interests. For me the conclusion is clear, we no longer need to oppose the power of the State, it is not antagonistic to us, we no longer need to vote for the interests of the poor, we are no longer among them, we no longer need to put social justice first as our cause, we have attained our freedom, what matters most is the survival of Western civilization, with America at its head. You must decide who is best qualified to carry this burden today.
posted by Jack Cohen at 6:27 PM
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