tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-405489505661198992.post3703244785041690720..comments2023-09-23T04:24:21.355-04:00Comments on Smoking Toward New Jersey: On Madoff, the Jews, and MeTamar Wyschogrodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16753681671510193847noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-405489505661198992.post-33692655462025217712009-03-15T22:50:00.000-04:002009-03-15T22:50:00.000-04:00A- I always question anybody's motives when th...A- <BR/>I always question anybody's motives when the phrase "The Jews" is used as often as in Epstein's article.<BR/><BR/>(Which Jews please???)<BR/><BR/>Happened to me with the title of Neil Gablers book on "How the Jews Invented Hollywood"<BR/><BR/>It's only the "the" that I find disturbing. <BR/><BR/>If you want to tell me that "Jews" built Hollywood, well, yeah, okay ... But ALL of them? <BR/><BR/><BR/>B- isn't the tilte "Uncle Bernie and the Jews," taken from an Elton John song?<BR/><BR/>("- With his mohair rekel, <BR/> - & His Farkakteh Shoes, <BR/> - you know I read in Tikkun & Haaretz ,ohhh...<BR/><BR/>uh-uh-uh-Uncle Bernie and the Jewzzz")<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>C- Scum like Madoff are just scum. They hold no special social significance greater than the esteem in which they hold themselves. <BR/><BR/>They are cheaters, and look for the most easily discerned path to what they want-which often means that they present themselves primarily to a "niche" marketplace, to which they have some semblance of entre. <BR/><BR/>In this case, Madoff seems to have relied on what Vonnegut called a "Karass" (google it if needed) as his point of entry into a lot of peoples lives.<BR/><BR/>The lesson to be learned by Jews (and any other distinct groups) is probably- to beware of false Karasses ("Grandfaloon"). <BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>D- melting pot versus salad bowl. <BR/><BR/>I would pick salad bowl, but at best what is all-too-common is the SALAD BAR model- where the individual elements are all in separate containers, on ice, behind a sanitary sneezeguard.<BR/><BR/>Ingredients are only combined when there is a purpose-and just as in real life, you'll rarely find grapes and walnuts in the same salad bowl as seaweed or shrimp. (some ingredients "need not apply")<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>E- For my views on golf- please see the movie "Falling Down".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com