Re: [CTRL] A Look At The Powerful Jewish Lobby In America

[Al Hidell]

-Caveat Lector- Jewish people make up roughly 2% (I've also heard 3%) of the US population, yet numerically they have an extremely disproportionate reperesentation and influence in the legal system, the healthcare system, nass media, entertainment, news, banking and finance, higher education, and politics. Not bad. Admirable, in fact. (To put the 2% number in perspective, in 2000, people aged 85 or more constitutued an estimated 2 percent of the US population. In other words, in a random sampling of Americans, Jews should be about as common as people aged 85 and over.) How did this come to be? To an extent, it is self-perpetuating; if an ethnic group is numerous and influential within a sector of society, a combination of tradition, family expectations, and flat out favoritism will tend to maintain the status quo. Non-whites, non-males, and the poor of any ethnicity have known this all too well. Another factor, one that I and my fellow goyim may not like to hear, is that Jews may simply be as a group more tenacious, clever, intelligent, and creative than non-Jewish people. This is the conclusion that I would probably reach if, say, people 85 and older were so prevalent in the above-named fields and arenas. At any rate, I believe that the disproportionate number of Jewish people in positions of power and influence is not in and of itself sufficient to prove a "conspiracy." The situation would be ominous only to the extent that these people were working for common goals, a "Jewish Agenda" of some kind. Certainly, Jewish PACs are extremely powerful in Washington, and any PAC by definition seeks to influence government and promote a certain agenda. But I am not yet convinced that this extends beyond the political arena. There is no question that bankers, lawyers, entertainment executives et al. pursue certain common goals and agendas. But I believe these are more accurately described as financial, legal, and media industry agendas rather than Jewish agendas. Conversely, I believe that people who criticize the goals and conduct of "the bankers", "Hollywood" etc., should not be smeared with the "anti-Semitic" label. The issue of Jewish power in America is, like the issue of white male power in America, worthy of discussion and debate. Jews are no more and no less worthy of scrutiny than any other segement of society. I think it is simple common sense to assume that groups of Jews conspire to some degree, just as groups of, for example, Freemasons or oil executives conspire. Writing about the latter two is commonplace within the conspiracy community, and even in some mainstream venues. But even a hint of discussion or analysis of the first group is quite rare, even in the realm of so-called alternative media. Look, there is good research and bad research, theories that are plausible and theories that are ludicrous. I try my best to evaluate material along those two lines, regardless of the group that is the subject of the material. And I think freedom of speech is a concept that was meant to protect unpopular and controversial viewpoints, not popular and accepted ones. It rubs me the wrong way to see ANY idea or topic dismissed or censored out of hand, and it seems to me that this is by and large one of those topics. Indeed, as someone who considers himself to be an open-minded supporter of forums for alternative viewpoints, I feel distressed and hypocritical that at first I didn't think this posting was even worthy of discussion, and was even somewhat fearful that I too would be branded with the label of anti-semitism if I expressed myself in this regard. It's ironic, actually, that someonw who regularly criticizes and scrutinizes such baddies as the CIA, Freemasons, Big Oil, etc. would be afraid to address this issue. Speaking for myself only, Al Hidell <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om