Tommy and the Jews
"I"m in the private sector, and for the first time in my life I'm earning money. You know that's sort of part of the Jewish tradition, and I do not find anything wrong with that."
Former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, speaking to a meeting of the
Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. (1)
" A life of wealth and honor...."
Jewish prayer for the coming month
Before the end of the meeting Thompson added ..."If anybody took what I said wrong, I apologize." Since what the former governor said was neither false nor negative, I see no reason to apologize, although the demands of "political correctness" have impelled quite a few people to do so recently.
Although some Jews find it embarrassing to note, it is a fact that Jews earn more and have more than other Americans. This is also true in other countries with a free-enterprise system in which Jews are able to compete on a fair basis. Any list of the most successful businesses in the Milwaukee area since World War II would have to include MGIC, Manpower, Jack Winter, Astronautics Corporation, Fleet Mortgage, Towne Realty, Robert A Polachek Realty (now CB Ellis), Guaranty Bank, Stein Optical, Master Lock, Miller Compressing and Sampson Enterprises. All of these firms were founded and run by Jews, a group that never exceeded 3 percent of the population. Jewish professionals, such as doctors, lawyers, and accountants have also been among the leaders in their fields in this metro area.
As Thompson correctly noted, Jewish success in business stems from the traditions of Judaism, which have always had a healthy, positive outlook on acquiring wealth, as cited in the Rosh Chodesh prayer above. The Talmud considers Abraham's wealth, which was passed on to Isaac and then Jacob, as a sign of G-d's favor. Vows of poverty, still used by some Catholic orders, have no place in Judaism. In fact, the Talmud terms poverty as not much better than death. If you want to send your children to Jewish schools, eat kosher, and live near a synagogue, you need quite a bit of money.
Tommy Thompson, now seeking the 2008 Republican nomination for President, was simply trying to link his new affluence with that of his audience of Reform Jews. He also referred to Israel Bonds as "Jewish Bonds" and spoke favorably of the Jewish Defense League (JDL). The ex-governor apparently did not know that many Jews are uncomfortable with references to Jewish wealth and that Reform Jews hate the JDL.
Was this a "Brainwash Moment" like the one that sank Michigan Governor George Romney's 1968 campaign for the GOP nomination? (2) Probably not, since Reform Jews (the most liberal demographic in the US) would not have backed Thompson anyway. He has certainly pleased members of Milwaukee's orthodox community(3), but they are not influential in the national Republican Party. As a modestly-funded ex-governor of a medium-sized state, whose career as Secretary of Health and Human Services was undistinguished (4), Tommy Thompson was never a major contender for the 2008 Republican nomination.
If, despite everything, Tommy Thompson does emerge as the GOP nominee next year, I will admit that I was wrong. But I will not apologize.
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(1) Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, April 17, 2007, page 3A.
(2) Gov. Romney's campaign tanked after he told TV reporters that he had been "brainwashed" by US generals in Vietnam. His son Mitt, now also seeking the 2008 nomination, has so far avoided the term "brainwash."
(3) Tommy Thompson signed the legislation creating Parental School Choice vouchers, which account for nearly half the income of the Yeshiva Elementary School in Milwaukee. In 1995 Rabbi Ben-Tzion Twerski prevailed upon the Governor to persuade Marty Stein (1937-2006) to accept the Congregation Beth Jehudah Avir Yaakov Award. Thompson also spoke at the Banquet honoring Stein and Pillar of Chesed honoree Cissy Glazer.
(4) Clueless during the 2001 anthrax crimes.
Former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, speaking to a meeting of the
Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. (1)
" A life of wealth and honor...."
Jewish prayer for the coming month
Before the end of the meeting Thompson added ..."If anybody took what I said wrong, I apologize." Since what the former governor said was neither false nor negative, I see no reason to apologize, although the demands of "political correctness" have impelled quite a few people to do so recently.
Although some Jews find it embarrassing to note, it is a fact that Jews earn more and have more than other Americans. This is also true in other countries with a free-enterprise system in which Jews are able to compete on a fair basis. Any list of the most successful businesses in the Milwaukee area since World War II would have to include MGIC, Manpower, Jack Winter, Astronautics Corporation, Fleet Mortgage, Towne Realty, Robert A Polachek Realty (now CB Ellis), Guaranty Bank, Stein Optical, Master Lock, Miller Compressing and Sampson Enterprises. All of these firms were founded and run by Jews, a group that never exceeded 3 percent of the population. Jewish professionals, such as doctors, lawyers, and accountants have also been among the leaders in their fields in this metro area.
As Thompson correctly noted, Jewish success in business stems from the traditions of Judaism, which have always had a healthy, positive outlook on acquiring wealth, as cited in the Rosh Chodesh prayer above. The Talmud considers Abraham's wealth, which was passed on to Isaac and then Jacob, as a sign of G-d's favor. Vows of poverty, still used by some Catholic orders, have no place in Judaism. In fact, the Talmud terms poverty as not much better than death. If you want to send your children to Jewish schools, eat kosher, and live near a synagogue, you need quite a bit of money.
Tommy Thompson, now seeking the 2008 Republican nomination for President, was simply trying to link his new affluence with that of his audience of Reform Jews. He also referred to Israel Bonds as "Jewish Bonds" and spoke favorably of the Jewish Defense League (JDL). The ex-governor apparently did not know that many Jews are uncomfortable with references to Jewish wealth and that Reform Jews hate the JDL.
Was this a "Brainwash Moment" like the one that sank Michigan Governor George Romney's 1968 campaign for the GOP nomination? (2) Probably not, since Reform Jews (the most liberal demographic in the US) would not have backed Thompson anyway. He has certainly pleased members of Milwaukee's orthodox community(3), but they are not influential in the national Republican Party. As a modestly-funded ex-governor of a medium-sized state, whose career as Secretary of Health and Human Services was undistinguished (4), Tommy Thompson was never a major contender for the 2008 Republican nomination.
If, despite everything, Tommy Thompson does emerge as the GOP nominee next year, I will admit that I was wrong. But I will not apologize.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, April 17, 2007, page 3A.
(2) Gov. Romney's campaign tanked after he told TV reporters that he had been "brainwashed" by US generals in Vietnam. His son Mitt, now also seeking the 2008 nomination, has so far avoided the term "brainwash."
(3) Tommy Thompson signed the legislation creating Parental School Choice vouchers, which account for nearly half the income of the Yeshiva Elementary School in Milwaukee. In 1995 Rabbi Ben-Tzion Twerski prevailed upon the Governor to persuade Marty Stein (1937-2006) to accept the Congregation Beth Jehudah Avir Yaakov Award. Thompson also spoke at the Banquet honoring Stein and Pillar of Chesed honoree Cissy Glazer.
(4) Clueless during the 2001 anthrax crimes.
posted by Gerald S Glazer at 1:50 PM
1 Comments:
Well this just represents life in the USA, you should be used to it by now. I have had a very educated Christian "friend" who knew I was Jewish use the term "jew them down" in conversation with me. He just never recognized that this really had anything do with actual Jews. The term was just so normal for him that he did not take it as being anti-Semitic. This also reflected that this person just had very little contact with Jews otherwise he would have recognnized it as racism.
I think this is really the message of Thompson's slip. He probably grew up in an anti-Semitic society where such terms were the norm and he had no Jewish friends to tell him that this was wrong. Basically, this represents ignorance more than racism.
Jews are not better in business than others, but Jews are on the average more succesful in whatever they do. There are more Jewish doctors and lawyers than businessmen. Jews are good captalists in capitalistic environment (e.g., Rothschilds) and good socialists in a socialistic environment (e.g., Marx, Engels, Trotzky).
But you are correct that Thompson has as much chance as being president as a Jew does in finding himself on death row.
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