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Supremacy and Trump

Related to this story and a string of posts expressing admiration for Mr. Adelson.

Sheldon Adelson Dies article from NPR  

Interestingly, the issue of supremacist beliefs becomes more complex than it is usually treated in this conversation and may help to explain why both white supremacists and certain factions of the community of people identifying as Jewish stood in support of Donald Trump.

A conversation related to my last post concerning the legacy of Sheldon Adelson. The person who is identified as “me” was asked if she minded my publishing our conversation. She said no because she did not wish to be spammed and such if I did so. I attempted to ask her if it would be okay with her if I published without her being identified but was informed that the message was being blocked. I publish having removed her identification. I do not publish to in anyway harm or belittle her. Some, I have to believe, will agree with what she says. Others will not but no one, through my act of publishing this as it is being published can do her harm for expressing her beliefs. 

She

It’s a hard day for so many of us. As you know the real measure of his strength was apparent in his insatiable need to give back. In the Jewish faith the highest honor we attribute to man is that of a righteous person who gives to heal the world anonymously. I personally witnessed this over and over with him. That’s how I will judge.

Stephen Lafer

He did not help Israel, really. Nor did he help American democracy by using his wealth to buy power to take away the power of the people to participate in fair and honest deliberation for the sake of sane and humane governance. He corrupted. That is his legacy.

She

 I doubt you speak for the Israeli people or the Israeli government. Not only would the majority of the population disagree with you , in the style and character of an Israeli they would vehemently disagree with you and let you know to your face.

She

 , btw He worked tirelessly to ensure that those murdered in the Holocaust would never be forgotten, contributing generously to ensure Yad Vashem endures. Have you been there ? have you seen the magnificent Holocaust Museum and Memorial that he funded?? So that didn’t help Israel? Explain your way out of that one.

Stephen Lafer

All good. And then he supported and helped get elected a Trump. Go Know.

Stephen Lafer

 Those who are not Jewish would, sadly, have to agree with me. If one is Jewish and only thinks of Jews when thinking about humanity, that person will inevitably act inhumanly. There were lessons that should be learned from the Holocaust that seem never to be considered and the likelihood of inhumane people becoming leaders–there is one in Israel right now and in the USA–is heightened.

She

 , inhuman leaders??? Yes here’s my list. Rashida Talib , Ilhan Omar , Alexandra O Cortez. Etc etc. thinking only of Jews?? Really ? Let’s begin your education with the billions donated to medical research and rehabilitation centers in this country and all over the planet. Funded by the Adelsons. You don’t even have to look farther than here in Clark County to see the medical institutions flourishing through his generosity. Basically you name the significant charity and we can probably find the generous gift. We can move on if you’d like to The old age homes and children’s programs for inner-city and the indigent. Or maybe you’d like to talk about the veterans programs and opening the hotel up to wounded warriors in the United States. I could just keep going but I haven’t had my morning coffee yet. I’ll circle back around after the buzz and give you about another 50 organizations that he single-handedly supported or spearheaded they don’t have the word Jewish in them. 

Stephen Lafer

 I would love to sit down at a table with you and discuss the complexity of the good of donors and what it buys them. Guaranteed that such people are, in good part, the reason there is a need for their charity, this reflected in their use of their money to manipulate the democratic process and the legal system to allow them to hold so much money and then decide how much the rest should have to get along, the decisions made too often favoring the existence of poverty and underfunded public services. You are blinded to the fact before your eyes that people like SA are political influencers who consistently influence to benefit themselves. They give back and get people like you to think that their goodness–a PR feature of their existence–outweighs the damage their selfishness causes, their fight to insure massive inequality in the distribution of wealth and political power a primary deterrent to sane and humane government. Your list of inhumane leaders is pathetic because it reflects a truly profound lack of an essential quality that allows for sane and humane governance. That is empathy. The people you list fight for something other than growing their own wealth and power and you prefer SA over them, label them inhumane and he humane? And the issue of Jewish? A big problem in the thinking of too many with Jewish heritage. I have that heritage but early on realized that Jewish meant nothing in terms of the real character of a human being. I knew of too many my community held in high esteem who did rob from the poor and looked down on people of color while robbing them, using degrading yiddish terms to describe to other Jews the people off of whom they made their livings, people allowed into their neighborhoods only to clean their homes and mow their lawns. Jewish is demeaned when it is used as a term to divide, to confer special status, especially when that status has little to do with the merits of actions. I am Jewish but not Jewish first. I am a human being first, one who happens to be born of parents who were born of Jewish parents. That is it and it really means little. This craziness that is Jewish, the idea that Jewish is a distinct form of human being causes considerable trouble because it warps the thinking to too many Jews who divide the world into Jews and non-Jews and automatically label the Jews, no matter what their deeds, better people than the non-Jews. That is warped thinking and it leads to acts of inhumanity made good because the perpetrator was of particular parents who were of particular parents and little more.

SM

 unfortunately I cannot debate ignorance and hatred. I’m sure he believes Soros is a righteous man because he funds radical leftist organizations that want to destroy Western civilization. I could care less what communists think, they serve no purpose on earth

Stephen Lafer

Are you implying hatred and ignorance in my comment? If so, I would love to be taught.

She

, wow. Self hating is a serious disease. The differences between you and I are many. But most glaring is that it’s first hand knowledge I have. Been there when the generosity flowed. Watched it in real time. Saw the benefits to our community in real time. You don’t know me or anything about me if you did you would never engage in this debate about Sheldon. Yours is conjecture mine is first-hand witnessing. Really big difference. So sorry counselor you would lose that one on an early motion to dismiss for lack of any factual foundation. His largesse, his tremendous generosity impacted countless lives. Otherwise to those of us with a soul no matter what our religious persuasion , may this righteous man rest in peace and may his memory be a blessing to all.

Stephen Lafer That term “self hating” used to describe people who do not think they are special because they were born into Jewish families is beyond absurd, reflecting an attitude of superiority for nothing they have done that is necessarily good enough to deserve such status. There is nothing inherently good about being a person born to Jewish parents. That said, receiving first hand the benefits of a person with great wealth used to buy great power does not necessarily make the giver a good 

By lafered

Retired professor of education concerned with thoughtfulness

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