In an era when popular culture and academic elites celebrate woke ideas about equity and socialism while denigrating equality and capitalism, do Americans still value those who work hard to achieve business success? Clearly not, and according to JNS editor-in-chief Jonathan Tobin, the cost of this cultural shift is enormous, both financially and politically.
Tobin is joined by entrepreneur and philanthropist Bernie Marcus, founder of the Home Depot chain of stores, to discuss his new book, “Kick Up Some Dust: Lessons on Thinking Big, Giving Back, and Doing It Yourself.” Marcus talks about his successful business philosophy, which is based on hard work and listening to both employees and customers, as well as his belief in the obligation of those who succeed to give back to their communities and to do so in a smart, productive way.
He also has strong words about the willingness of so many people to trash capitalism, which he says is a “good thing” and without which his business, and American prosperity, would be impossible. He is equally concerned about the rise in antisemitism, attacks on Israel and support for woke ideas enabling bigots—most of which, he asserts, are on the political left.
He’s just as angry about what he considers to be the self-destructive behavior on the part of American Jews, who continue to support institutions and universities that promote woke antisemitism. “Jews are not the brightest people in the world,” says Marcus. Antisemites “use their power,” he says, while “Jews sit back.”
Just as dangerous, he continues, is the fact that groups that are supposed to be defending Jewish interests, like the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee, are “not pulling their weight” when it comes to fighting antisemitism.
Assimilated Jews may think the antisemites won’t come for them, but in the end they will be targeted just as much as are the Orthodox Jews, who are more easily identified, he warns.
He is equally outraged about anti-Israel Jewish groups like J Street. Jews, he said, need to wake up and begin to defend their interests, just as Americans need to reject the left’s toxic woke myths.
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