Banker who admired Nazi economics gone

UPI via IA ^

[Stew Padasso]

Banker who admired Nazi economics gone

CHICAGO, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- The president of an suburban Chicago bank who praised Hitler's economic prowess has resigned amid Jewish outrage, a report said Friday.

David Raub, president of Glenview State Bank, stepped down voluntarily, the Chicago Sun Times reported.

The remarks appeared in a monthly newsletter Raub wrote for the bank's trust customers: "The Great Depression of the 1930s saw falling prices, staggering unemployment and shattered stock markets all over the world, and the world's leading statesmen seemed helpless to defeat it. Except for one. His name was Adolph Hitler."

Last week, Raub said he often uses economic history to discuss the outlook for the economy and markets today.

Those newsletters, which Raub had said he had written for 15 years, will cease "temporarily," said David Kreiman, vice president and director of marketing. Kreiman said the Jones family, which owns the bank, did not ask Raub to step down though they did not disagree with Raub's decision to do so.

[gcruse]

The only thing necessary is to admit that Hitler, for whatever reason and for however long, did resurrect the German economy from depression. The banker has lost his job for telling the truth. Did you know that in England, truth isn't a defense for libel action? We seem to be on our way there.

[MattinNJ]

I agree 100%.

[lmr]

Socialism never works, In the case of Germany, It defeated itself. The argument being made here is that Nazi's are bad and deserve no regognition for anything. With that in mind, one should emphasize that the Nazi's were Socialists and that Socialism is one of many bad things the Nazi's did. Comparisons can be made between Nazi's and modern Socialists in this country and in many ways would be true. Although, it's always Conservatives who are put down as "Fascists", when in fact the opposite is true.

[gcruse]

I am still not convinced Nazism belongs on the left wing of the spectrum. But let's take that as agreed. What characteristics would a government of the extreme right have?
Anything bad? Or just unending goodness?

[habs4ever]

For extreme Right, try Spain under Franco.You get to keep your money, but have to shut your mouth.

[Zeroisanumber]

The liberals get Stalinism, we get Nazi Germany. There's always evil to be found on the extreme ends of either political ideology.

[austinTparty]

This is why "left" and "right" comparisons are so much smoke and fog... the only scale that makes sense is the Hayekian model of a sliding scale from totalitarianism to anarchy. "Far left" and "far right" both qualify for the former. Communism and fascism are two sides of the same coin.

[gcruse]

Yes. I agree completely. However, common discourse does not use that model, and that is what is being addressed.

[austinTparty]

Be a pioneer... change the discourse!

Seriously, though, this model strips away the excuses and the name calling and shows totalitarians of all stripes for what they are. That's one more reason why it should be the accepted standard...

[gcruse]

For extreme Right, try Spain under Franco.You get to
 keep your money, but have to shut your mouth.

I'm not an expert, but that sounds like Nazi Germany, too.

[gcruse]

Works for me. Let's do it! :)

[lmr]

The current governing congress and executive branch tend to be a little spend-happy. I understand politics, but Bush hasn't met a government program he didn't like. I am not Bush-Bashing because it would be much worse if we had Algore in office. I don't think that all this Socialism is a good thing, so a few people, like myself, and many others I know have to be so far to the right because we help bring the pendulum back to the center or maybe even swinging a little to the right. I am not a liberatarian, or an Anarchist, because I feel a little government is necessary. I just want the government to be small. We do live in a nation where the people believe in caring for their elderly, sick and less-fortunate, but many Americans have their own solutions as how to accomplish this. IMHO, Conservatives offer the best solutions and not all of them are government programs. I feel that Conservative Republicans are not as "conservative" or "right-wing" as the left makes them out to be. Historically, in this country, modern day conservatives may even be considered to be slightly liberal. Anything to the extreme is not good, but don't call me a Liberal or a Centrist for saying that. In relative terms, I am a conservative.

[gcruse]

Libertarians are not anarchists, believing in no government. It used to be said by libertarians that federal government should defend the country, deliver the mail, and stay the heck out of the way. Nowadays, I'm not so sure about the mail. If this sounds appealing, you may be a small 'l' libertarian. Or at least conservative leaning libertarian.

[habs4ever]

The Nazis had a command and control economy, pure Third Wave nonsense.Big Business worked hand in iron fist for the Nazis.Spain didn't have that, but they took too long to deregulate,IMHO.

[gcruse]

Command and control, aye. Seeing how the USSR couldn't make total command and control work, I suspect most of the microeconomic decisions in Germany were made by the industrialists,though, not the government. I don't think Adolf put nearly as much control onto the lives of Germans as the Politburo did onto the Russians, either. There was such a difference, that I don't think it makes sense to posit Naziism as a government of the left. Dictatorships are just that. The proletariat has no say.

[ztiworoh]

Although the banker in question could use some PR skills and could have phrase this a little more gently, this is a perfect example of what Leo Strauss called the "Reducto Ad Hitleram", meaning that just because Hitler shared an idea doesn't make it less credible.

[lmr]

I know this sounds funny, but at my place of business, the mail carrier that delivers our mail is Libertarian. We get along really well because we are equally conservative on many things, other than Religious beliefs. Being Christian, I have real problems with abortion and the homosexual agenda, he doesn't have problems with Abortion but does agree with me that the Homosexual agenda is not a good thing. He listens to Boortz and Rush as I do.

[habs4ever]

I concur they were totalitarian, but the Nazis hated traditional Rightists, too.It was the thugs and opportunists who latched on, or large business' thinking they could handle the Nazis and be left alone.It's one jumbled up ideology maybe best suited for a psychological explanation rather than a political one :)

[gcruse]

LOL Worx for me, too. :)

[Stew Padasso]

"Being Christian, I have real problems with abortion and the homosexual agenda, he doesn't have problems with Abortion but does agree with me that the Homosexual agenda is not a good thing. He listens to Boortz and Rush as I do.

I *lean* LP and feel that abortion should be illegal (with the exception of rape, incest or life threatening). Homos don't really bother me as long as it is not in my face. Meaning: don't do it in public and I won't stumble into a gay bar.