Author Larry Sternberg is an intellectual man of the Jewish faith who dedicates this book to uncovering what he feels are certain mysteries to the Jewish personality. He cannot understand, given the past injustices at the hands of government, why his fellow American Jews are so willing to embrace government as a protector rather than an enemy. He also cannot understand why Jews almost always vote for members of the Democratic Party in elections at all levels.
I can understand Sternberg?s bewilderment and I, too, think it is unusual whenever any group of people is so loyal to one political party. But some of his reasoning in this book just doesn?t fly. First of all, he misses the mark right off the bat when he says that the Republican Party supports and works to make government smaller. This is, of course, one of the great falsehoods in politics, for Republicans are every bit as hungry for power and cash as their Democratic counterparts. The only difference between the two major parties is how they spend the loot, not whether or not they want to spend it. Liberal Democrats would rather spend the money on social programs while Republicans would rather spend on national defense. These spending preferences could be one of the key reasons why Jews tend to be liberal, but Sternberg fails to make this connection.
Different topics are covered in this book, like health care, education, gun rights, affirmative action, and many others. In each case, Sternberg argues why the limited government position is the preferable one. I agree with him once again, but I think his explanations regarding how these smaller- government measures would benefit Jews is too vague and not very well- thought. He doesn?t really provide any concrete examples of liberalism harming Jews. His basis for the small government argument is only that Jews need to be wary of government power so that events like the German holocaust never occur again.
This book has a solid premise and a catchy title, which is why I obtained my copy. But its argumentation is not the best and it?s doubtful that it will do anything to change anyone?s mind. Read it, if you want, but don?t be surprised if you come away with only a small change of heart. It isn?t profound enough to get people to reconsider their political leanings, like the author intended.
The present conservative party, under George W. Bush, embraces bigotry, hate, and discrimination. Look at how they have treated Arabs, GLBTI minorities, and atheists and other non-Christians. It seems odd that after the persecution of Jews by Germans in the Twentieth Century and persecutions elsewhere, that they should embrace a party that persecutes other minorities. The conservatives also support the idea that the USA should be Christian country. All other people are not taken seriously and are generally shunned from the party.
