Pre Nazi-Germany

[Black Wolf]

Now, I'm of course not saying that the Holocaust was acceptable.

But before Nazi Germany, many Jews had control of the industry. They owned the colleges, banks, auto industries, financial institution, and about 96% of the economy. The politicians did not particularly care, because they owned what the jews didn't.

Now, I'm not an economist or a historian, but is there any economic explanation for how the majority of industry was owned by Jews? I've been told by many people that jews owned the colleges, auto industries, banks, and everything. Hitler was certainly not unique in being denied access by Jews.. almost everyone did. The business owners would do it on purpose, and it was very difficult to get a job.

My concern here is: Maybe the only reason why so many Jews owned industry is because their religion holds education to be a virtue. I really am trying to avoid sounding as racist as posisble, but.. is it really their fault if they refuse to stop acheiving just because nobody else will achieve? What do people want the politicians to do about the people who refuse employment

[softwareNerd]

... is there any economic explanation for how the majority of industry was owned by Jews?

This does not sound at all likely. Do you have a reference.

A quick search brought up this Nazi propaganda document, where the that the Jews own 4% of the country's net worth even though they comprise less than 1% of it's population. One would expect the Nazi's to be lying by inflating Jewish wealth rather than the other way around. Still, these figures sound closer to what one would expect.

Edited June 2, 2010 by softwareNerd

[DerekN]

Racism: Jews are evil.

Marxism: Capitalists are evil.

----------------------------------- +

Nazism: Jews are evil capitalists.

Also just found this:

Finally, the Nazis call the business mentality Jewish. Tacitus informs us that the German tribes of his day considered it clumsy and shameful to acquire with sweat what could be won by bloodshed. This is also the first moral principle of the Nazis. They despise individuals and nations eager to profit by serving other people; in their eyes robbery is the noblest way to make a living... (Omnipotent Government, Von Mises)

[DerekN]

What I meant to say more clearly is that I think it's a Marxist myth that the majority of the industry was owned by Jews and that they refused employment. I've heard the claim a couple of times before, but it doesn't sound believable, and I never found an argument to support it. I think it was just an excuse to take them out of the economic competition, and people still believe it. I also hear the claim about Jews today (once or twice), like it's a stereotype or something.