Jewish Success is a Burden

By Mike Holmes mikeholmescpa@earthlink.net

and Walter E. Block wblock@loyno.edu

Many of the fears now burdening Jews emanate from their successes. These can be linked, to a great degree, to their famous ethnic performance in economic matters.

Some of that of course comes about because they were long considered outsiders and prohibited from other traditional means of economic activity. Many countries barred Jews from the professions, from owning land. They were not allowed to be farmers/herders, etc.

But generally, despite all this, they succeeded. Those societies which didn’t exclude or punish Jews for their successful characteristics also prospered. Jewish culture favored learning, teaching, and studying, education and acquiring useful skills. Also these People of the Book specialized in commerce and trading.

As they were often scattered in family groups, they developed strategies for remote financing of goods from one place being bought and sold in other places. Such finance requires trust, and Jews developed such trust via their families living apart. Ethical behavior was necessary and desirable. And valued. Banking then grew out of this phenomenon, as yet another Jewish specialty. Another specialization of this demographic is jewelry. The reason is obvious. They were continually expelled from one country to another. They could not take real estate with them, but could do so with gold, emeralds and pearls

This along with other characteristics allowed Jews to survive and prosper when allowed to stay and develop. Even with limitations.

As the New World opened up, particularly in North America, Jewish immigrants arrived and developed professionally and commercially with far fewer legal or cultural prohibitions. Jewish professionals and merchants arrived and pioneered successfully in frontier places like 19th century Texas and in western mining camps. And today, mostly successful as a group, they enjoy above average education and prosperity.

Yet like Amalek, there are those who fear and suspect Jews precisely because of their success.

This is especially true under free markets, “capitalism” as it is called. In this system of freedom, rewards are due to hard work and effort. Honesty and providing benefits to all, Jewish or not, by outworking and out-thinking others.

Under various forms of “statism”, whether hereditary feudalism or in modern ideological forms like fascism, communism or socialism, success depends on who you know, how your parents were regarded in society, and finding ways of using State power to enhance your slice of the pie.

In the extreme statist case of “national socialism” in Germany, Jews were regarded as the main source of all evil.

Jews were either excluded from feudal arrangements, or in ideological statism, even when allowed to work successfully (to the extent results mattered). Their ethnicity was still suspect because their hard work was often attributed to their “tribalism” as outsiders helping one another. Not merit.

While to some extent some Jews have succumbed to the temptation of socialist redistributionism in economics; Bernie Sanders is not a Christian. This as a means of blocking various forms of statist monopoly or privilege. But for the most part Jews recognize what Moses taught, that work and effort, and ethical behavior are the keys to success. Not fighting over who gets to pull what lever of state power in systems of class or anointed “virtue” by parentage historical construct.

Distrust of Jews for their behavior resulting in progress and economic prosperity is identical to the distrust of capitalism as a system of property rights and fair commerce. Jews have been successful under capitalism, along with everyone else, but are also singled out because of that.

The “doubt” spread by Pharaoh about the Jews is the same kind of “doubt” being advocated by the various forms of anti-free market, anti-capitalist peddlers of fantasy systems of State control. This applies over property, trade, economics and ultimately the details of your life.

Many, perhaps even most, of the great students and advocates of free market economics have been Jews. We must mention in this context Ludwig von Mises, Milton Friedman, Robert Nozick, Ayn Rand and Murray Rothbard. They did not doubt themselves nor the ideas they carefully studied and developed. And shared with the world at large.

Jews should not doubt themselves. They should not doubt clear and constant evidence of success and superiority. Jews as a whole were forced to become excellent capitalists because other forms of State favoritism and bias in economics were usually denied to them. And often totally prohibited.

Not everyone can become a “doubt-free” Jew. But everyone can become a “doubt-free” capitalist.

Mankind learns from what works and what does not. If we don’t, we cannot advance as a human civilization.

The Jewish state of Israel is not perfect. It cannot be; it is comprised of imperfect human beings. But Jews should tune out the chronic doubters who fear it is too successful. Likewise with capitalists and those who support this system. It is “doubted” because of its successes. It too cannot be perfect.

What is true for the Jewish people is also true for capitalists of any religious belief, or none at all.

Students often revile the “brain” in the class. They accuse him of bragging, since he is often the only one who can answer the teachers’ questions. Well, Jews are the “brain” of the world. Their IQ, on average, is higher than any other category demographic. If biology is responsible for childhood classroom behavior, it would appear that its influence has not much receded at all in adulthood, and likely becomes even stronger. How else can the widespread revulsion against Israel be explained for merely defending itself against invaders. No other country would be blamed for such behavior.

Should Jews, then, get into the closet? Take up lower paying jobs instead of disproportionately, those that require heavy brainpower? If so, the world would lose out on a lot of advances in medicine, physics, mathematics, philosophy, law, etc.?

An appreciative world ought to celebrate a people who have made so many important contributions to so many important issues. We will not be holding our breaths on this matter.