Socialismand Fascism 163tratedagainstthem”—wasthattheysucceededin “the economicdominationand exploi-
tationof all mankind.”^94
In the wordsof ColomaCollegehistorydepartmentchairPeterLane(b. 1925),Hitler
andBritishfascists“blamedthe world’s economicproblemson Jewishbankersandin-
dustrialists.”^95
In a nutshell,GeorgeL. Mosseputsit, “NationalSocialismdid not acceptthe existing
capitalistorder... The enmityof NationalSocialismwasdirectedtoward... the banks
and the stockexchange.”^96
Despitehis attemptsto downplaythe Nazis’ anti-capitalism,^97 RichardGrunberger
admitsthat,underthe NSDAPregime,“Jewswereattackedas the embodimentof capital-
ism,and departmentstores,” beingpredominantlyownedby Jews,“wereboycotted.”^98
JoachimFestobservesthe 1920sstereotypeof GermanJewsthatHitlerhad exploited:
“The typeof personalitythe Jewshad developedcorresponded... to the urban,” reason-
oriented“styleof the age.That,as muchas the fact that they... controlledvirtuallyall the
majorbanksin Viennaanda considerableportionof localindustry—producedin the
Germansa senseof dangerandof beingoverwhelmed.... Generalizedanxietycon-
densedinto the chargethat... nothingwassacred” to the Jews,“that their‘cold’ intellec-
tualitywasopposedto... Germansentiment.” Festgoeson, “In fact,the equatingof
Judaismandmodernity,like the thesisthatJewshada specialtalentfor the capitalistic
free-enterpriseeconomy,was not unfounded.”^99
SocialscientistsIan BurumaandAvishaiMargalitagreewithFest—“Jewshavebeen
associatedfor so long,in Christianas wellas Islamicsocieties,withtradeand financethat
theyare almostinvariablyincludedin hostileviewson capitalism.” Moreover,dueto
theircosmopolitanismand abilityto assimilateintovariouscommunitiesthroughoutthe
West,Jews“are also associatedwithWesternclaimsto universalideas,suchas... secular
law,” whichalsocaststhemin a negativelighttowardmanywhoupholda Romanticist
philosophy.^100 Throughoutthe nineteenthand earliertwentiethcenturies,writesGeorge
L. Mosse,“The associationof Jewswithfinancecapitalwas Europe-wide.. .”^101
Thereis a tragicirony,of course,in howJewsare associatedwithfinancialservices.
Theassumptionis thatif a Jewishmancouldchoosewhateveroccupationhe could
possiblyenter,financewoulddefinitelybe his primarypick.In fact Jewswereconfinedto
the financialindustrythroughoutthe MiddleAgeson accountof mostotheroccupations
beingclosedto them.In Christian-dominatedEurope,Jewswereproscribedfromowning
landandthereforecouldnot be farmers.Likewise,theirhavingbeenbarredfromthe
artisanalguildsprecludedthemfrombecomingcraftsmen.Theirfew opportunitiesarose
fromthe fact that ChristianEurope,consideringmoney-lendingto be a sin, prohibitedby
law any ChristianfrombeingusuriouswithanotherChristian.Jewswerepermittedto
becomeusurerson the condescendingpretextthattheywerealreadysinfulsecond-class
citizens.As the Jews’ soulswerenot consideredworthyof savinganyway,the Christian
governmentdeemedit not necessaryto sparethemfromengagingin so sinfulan act as
usury.As Jewswereallowedto be usurersthroughoutthe MiddleAges,theyhonedtheir
skillsin this uniqueenterprise.^102
RecallfromLife in the MarketEcosystemthatthe welfarestategoesbackto the chancel-
lorshipof Ottovon Bismarck.It is not surprisingthathis reignfosteredanti-Semitismas
well.Universityof PennsylvaniahistorianJonathanSteinbergwritesthatby thistime,
“capitalismbroughtits [laissez-faire]liberalideologyand the demandfor free trade,free
movementof peopleandgoods,freeaccessto craftsandprofessions,banks,stockex-
changes,insurancecompanies,andtraders.Intothe thrivingnewcapitaliststate,Jews
emergedas its mostadeptpractitionersandits mostambivalentsymbols.... From
1811... to July1918,” Bismarck’s partisansportrayedthe Jews“as draft-dodging,black
marketers.. .” As far as manyGermanswereconcerned,Jews“representedthe corrupt