Ron Kampeas at JTA.org worries about a decline in Jewish influence in America. I don't quite think he has cause to be worried. Lets look at the position of the Jewish people in American society. On September 19, a "bipartisan congressional resolution urging increased action by the United States and other countries to address resurgent anti-Semitism passed unanimously." I'm sure the Armenians wish they had such pull.
The antisemitism resolution came only a few short weeks after Secretary of State John Kerry (fairly enough) "said the recent rise in anti-Semitism is of great concern to the U.S. government."If only we could say the same thing for the massive invasion (41.3 million immigrants) of our southern border! One that has historically been promoted by a certain group which, we are told, is facing a worrying decline in power. Of course, that makes you wonder, even if Mr. Kampeas is right, who cares about the relative level of your influence when you're getting what you want?
But is this influence really declining? Mr. Kampeas' own article provides some strong counterfactuals:
And outside of the formal government, well, Hollywood, anyone? Even in an era of declining movie ticket sales, that has to count for something, right? And what about with the common Joe? Well, no bad news for Mr. Kampeas there, Jews are the most well-liked religious group in the US.
Are you getting the picture by now, Mr. Kampeas? I think you can sleep easy.
The antisemitism resolution came only a few short weeks after Secretary of State John Kerry (fairly enough) "said the recent rise in anti-Semitism is of great concern to the U.S. government."If only we could say the same thing for the massive invasion (41.3 million immigrants) of our southern border! One that has historically been promoted by a certain group which, we are told, is facing a worrying decline in power. Of course, that makes you wonder, even if Mr. Kampeas is right, who cares about the relative level of your influence when you're getting what you want?
But is this influence really declining? Mr. Kampeas' own article provides some strong counterfactuals:
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) said 19 members — 4 percent of the body — was still about twice the estimated Jewish representation in the population. In addition, Jews have constituted 10 percent of the Senate, a proportion not likely to shift after the midterms in November.In addition to these numbers, ranging from slightly to extremely disproportionate, we can add a stunning 33% of the Supreme Court. Given the importance of the court's rulings in recent years to how Americans live our lives, the value of these seats cannot be overstated. Another important facet of modern life is monetary policy. Guess the ethnicity of the current Federal Reserve Chair? The last two? Hardly seems like anyone's facing irrelevance any time soon.
And outside of the formal government, well, Hollywood, anyone? Even in an era of declining movie ticket sales, that has to count for something, right? And what about with the common Joe? Well, no bad news for Mr. Kampeas there, Jews are the most well-liked religious group in the US.
Are you getting the picture by now, Mr. Kampeas? I think you can sleep easy.
I'm surprised Mormons scored so low according to that. Have you ever met a dick mormon? I haven't.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's the polygamy thing... although with gay marriage passing polygamy seems the next logical step. Which I'm fine with I guess...
I've met dick *former* Mormons, but no dick Mormons. I think their low score comes down mainly to how few people have met any Mormons. East of the Rockies their population drops off precipitously.
ReplyDeleteWith no personal experience, peoples' opinions of the Mormons are going to track with their opinion of Mormon beliefs. Christians are going to dislike them because of their low theology (man can become God, God was a man) and, if they are more informed, because the early history of Mormonism is remarkably similar to that of Islam. (Basically, if the Arabs had encountered a sufficient military threat, say, if the Greeks had not murdered Emperor Maurice, destroying the peace with Persia, ISIS would be a charity right now. Greek aversion to reasonable austerity measures, destroying Western Civilization since 602 AD!)
Liberals, on the other hand, hate Mormons because of how wholesome they are, and because of their opposition to gay marriage. In short, the Mormons, by being who they are, have created a perfect storm to be hated in modern America.