Why Indeed?
Andrew Klavan ·
December 13, 2011 at 5:18pm
My talented pal Bob Parks from one of my favorite websites, Media Research Center, produces this video asking conservative Jews the question: Why Are Jews Liberal? It's a mystery, all right.
- Comment (16)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (0)
Comments:
Nov '11
Re: Why Indeed?
I go with The Ten Commandments on this one. Imagine if you witnessed miracle after miracle after miracle as God brought the plagues upon your enemies, and then parted the very sea to save you - but then Charlton Heston turns his back on you for five minutes and you're back to worshiping the silverware.
If you can't keep the faith in literally biblical times, what hope do you have in our godless modern age?
Mar '11
Re: Why Indeed?
Judith, here on Ricochet, gave the best explanation for this strange phenomenon - sorry, don't have the link.
One would think that with Newt's recent comments on Palestine, compared with Mr Obama's it would be a slam dunk - but no. We live in a bizarro word.
Aug '10
Re: Why Indeed?
Norman Podhoretz wondered too: http://www.amazon.com/Why-Are-Jews-Liberals-Vintage/dp/0307456250/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323803211&sr=8-1-spell. The short answer is history.
Sep '10
Re: Why Indeed?
It's a disturbing and complicated issue, but not particularly mysterious. I think many of the respondents in this video are correctly identifying elements in this syndrome. For me the most cogent revolve around the discomfort many liberal American Jews feel with identifying themselves AS Jews: fear of being ostracized or worse by mainstream America, which they identify more with Republicans (as classic establishment figures) rather than Democrats (who continue to successfully market themselves as outsiders and populists, despite their totalitarian tendencies).
Nov '10
Re: Why Indeed?
Some variant of stockholm syndrome?
Jun '10
Re: Why Indeed?
Inside Evangelical Protestant culture, ideally, there's just one way to get local permission to do something--fill out a form and patiently wait your turn, only one price to pay--the asking price, only one way to negotiate a deal--directly with no sweeteners, and, various other cultures (here as immigrants) considered that an odd way to do business. A crazy way. That was a significant culture clash for many immigrants from around the World, including Jews. "Who are these prudes? They're nuts." So, if Evangelical Protestants were crazy enough to always go through normal channels, and pay the asking price for goods, well, their conservative political ideas must be crazy too. "No soul, no imagination."
Apr '11
Re: Why Indeed?
David Williamson: Judith, here on Ricochet, gave the best explanation for this strange phenomenon - sorry, don't have the link.
One would think that with Newt's recent comments on Palestine, compared with Mr Obama's it would be a slam dunk - but no. We live in a bizarro word. · Dec 13 at 10:13am
Here's Judith's thoughtful reply to this question.
I'm sorry, I still don't get it.
Oct '10
Re: Why Indeed?
I went and read Judith's post and it is terrific, the most convincing explanation I've come across. Anyone interested in this issue should read it.
Apr '11
Re: Why Indeed?
Good book. Roger L. Simon does a 10-minute interview with Mr. Podhoretz here.
Aug '11
Re: Why Indeed?
Voting Democrat is part of the secular Jewish definition of being a "mensch".
From Paul Auster's novel "The Brooklyn Follies" (2005)
[60-ish Nathan Glass comforts his old-school Catholic lover who has just learned of her daughter's lesbian affair:]
“... Don’t go there, Joyce. Try to roll with the punches. Keep your chin up. Don’t take any wooden nickels. Vote Democrat in every election. Ride your bike in the park. Dream about my perfect, golden body. Take your vitamins. Drink eight glasses of water a day. Pull for the Mets. Watch a lot of movies. Don’t work too hard at your job. Take a trip to Paris with me. Come to the hospital when Rachel has her baby and hold my grandchild in your arms. Brush your teeth after every meal. Don’t cross the street on a red light. Defend the little guy. Stick up for yourself. Remember how beautiful you are. Remember how much I love you. Drink one Scotch on the rocks every day. Breathe deeply. Keep your eyes open. Stay away from fatty foods. Sleep the sleep of the just. Remember how much I love you.”
Edited on December 14, 2011 at 5:45amDec '10
Re: Why Indeed?
I've had a thought after re-reading Judith's post. Thank you, Charlotte.
What if we're asking the wrong question? The question, "why are most Jews liberal?" is slightly off the mark. I think the better question is, "why are Jews positively disposed toward socialism?" What is it about Judaism which forms a Marx or the members of the Frankfurt School at one extreme and your average American Jew Democratic voter on the other?
Someone I heard speak on the subject -- was it David Horowitz(?) -- said Jews, like leftists, believe in redemption through human agency. Specifically, Jewish human agency. After all, even Christians believe that salvation is through the Jews (although we have only one Jew in mind) and that chosenness gives Jews a central role in the ultimate fulfillment of the Kingdom of God.
Doesn't this suggest that Judaism itself promotes a belief in progressive ideas? That if economies and societies are managed by people of good intention, the world is perfectible? And every Jew has a role to play?
Apr '11
Re: Why Indeed?
I read Judith's post at the time, but had mostly forgotten it. It was well worth revisiting.
Without endorsing I.F. Stone's politics (although I do endorse his writing), I found Patner's brief biography of him very interesting, as it revealed some of the same motivations.
Apr '11
Re: Why Indeed?
Western Chauvinist:
Doesn't this suggest that Judaism itself promotes a belief in progressive ideas? That if economies and societies are managed by people of good intention, the world is perfectible?
I would say no, but I can't speak for the whole tribe, or even the religious sector, or even all the small number of Messianic Jews. It would be interesting to poll.
Dec '10
Re: Why Indeed?
Tikkun Olam in English means repairing the world. However, if you are a Jew who only knows the English meaning of this one phrase and not the rest of the Religion, you will be prey to socialism or worse.
Tikkun Olam is part of a vast mystical view that Judaism has been exploring for 3000 years. First, you must understand that Judaism is panentheistic. Pantheism implies that everything is really nature. Panentheism implies that everything is really Gd. This is quite literal as the full mystical systems start with the concept of zimzum. Zimzum says that at first Gd alone existed and then to make room, so to speak, for the universe Gd had to contract himself. This is just the beginning of an elaborate mystical system.(cont.)
Edited on December 15, 2011 at 2:46amDec '10
Re: Why Indeed?
What is important here is that ‘Gd as constucting the universe’ is taken much more literally then one might first expect. This is to emphasize that Gd (being omnipotent) could have constructed the universe without any flaws. We would then lead a perfect existence without challenge. Tikkun Olam in this system recognizes that Gd has intentionally left flaws (or call them challenges) in the universe for us to find and overcome. Gd has constructed the universe in such a way that we have a mission. Our job is to discover what that mission is and then do it. We have free choice because Gd wants us to make choices. In fact Gd wants us to make the right choices.(cont.)
Edited on December 15, 2011 at 2:47amDec '10
Re: Why Indeed?
Now if you take Gd out of this equation and leave only nature (pantheism) what happens? All purpose is removed from the construction of the universe. It is purposeless and random. Taken to the ultimate reductionist extreme (something that has been done very often in this century) we ourselves are without purpose. Purpose is only a psychological illusion according to extreme reductionist materialists. A hopeless robotic monsterous society is the result of this view point. To try to imagine Tikkun Olam without Gd is to imagine yourself being the repair man of a giant merciless killer robot (we are all physically mortal after all). Jews who try to be Jews without Judaism & Gd are in danger of being this kind of repair man.