The way you relate to God determines the way you relate to others. Jews are taught they are the chosen people. The status comes with a burden, they will be targets of hate and oppression from nonbelievers. Their recent history (Holocaust) reinforces this concept even amongst secular Jews. Being a minority in all nations of the world, the Jewish survival model is reliance on big government for protection, and the way to do so is to possess unique technical skills needed by the ruling class and from it derive their ability to influence such government. If given a choice of a pro Jewish authoritarian government vs trusting the majority population, the Jews will lean towards government even if the government is not popular with its own majority population. For the Jews, a strong central government is one of the many safeguards against a non Jewish majority whom are by nature will be or can be anti Jewish (because of the belief of the status chosen people and the consequences of such Godly status). This pro big and powerful government tendency will make the Jewish fears of an anti Jewish majority come true especially when Jews would support a strong and big government even if it is authoritarian and unpopular with the majority non Jewish population. That is why Jews in general will make alliances with what we deem anti Jewish groups, because these groups are also minorities in the general population who want a strong central government to keep the majority population in check. Example Jews will side with an anti Jewish Muslim (big gov) movement then an anti Jewish KKK (small gov) movment. For the Jews it is better to support a coalition for big government and deal with the anti Jewish elements within the coalition then to live in a small gov nation and be at the mercy of the majority population.
Wow. Your theory of Jewish liberalism is the most sensible one I have heard.
Interesting perspective.
This is a great historical and probably future explanation in macro. But it doesn’t explain each individual, mostly apolitical, Jewish person today and how he thinks. See my post above for that.
Yosef Q. Public isn’t thinking about big government protecting him any more. He’s a liberal weenie afraid of his family and friends mocking him.
Interesting! Good post.
How do you explain Bibi and the emerging Tea Party in Israel?
I have spent some time over the past 35 years trying to understand this issue. Long before this current mess here in the U.S. Even read Hannah Arendt’s “Origins of Totalitarianism” hoping to understand how the late 1930’s happened for the European Jews. Still I failed to understand why.
So we are here where we are today again.
Hmmm. Almost makes sense. Too bad it was an all powerful big government that tried to implement a final solution to the Jewish problem...
Makes perfect sense, I tend to agree with your assessment.