My family are like Jews; the comment...

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One of my work mates said,” Why are you concerned with money and saving it” after a discussion about another of my workmates spending £17 on a windscreen when I have only pent a £1. I said my family are like Jews. I did not upset anyone but one of them said they would be of they were Jewish.

I wouldn’t think it would be an issue if I had said American, or Republicans. I know that in history the Jewish people had a very difficult time, but now there very name JEW has become tainted because one has to so careful. Is it so we have to be careful in a world because there is so much hated and disrespect where man does not have love for each other.

The answer to the original question why should why should we waste a resource that we work hard for. Being careful with money is equivalent to a wage increase. I recently bought some new shoes for £2.50,in a car-boot sale, after haggling them down from £5. I new I was taking the piss, as the shows new cost £40. But it worked and I saved money, sometime I don’t save face though.

I dunno if I'd be offended if I was Jewish, but don't you agree it'd get the same point across if you said "My family are stingy"? Why attribute the adjective to a group? Causes too much trouble. Also, I know a few extravagant American Republicans who add rooms to their house that they don't even enter, not sure if stingy even applies to those groups.

I can see myself using that joke with close friends but I can also see how people would find it offensive.

Perhaps your're unaware of the old usage of the phrase "to Jew" someone. It meant to cheat someone. Speaking of Jews in that connotation is offensive to many, not just jews. Jews had the stereotype of being penny-pinchers. Stereotypes, no matter good or bad can be found offensive. Asians are good at math, blacks are athletic, etc. Even if they are "good" associations to race, they are still stereotypes. Don't judge a book by it's cover, a person by his color, etc. It's just rude and offensive.

-This is a touchy subject with me because I have adopted 2 black children and the racial stereotypes bother me to no end.

There are many other ways to get your point across without resorting to stereotypes.

From what I heard when I lived in the UK members of the Jewish community sometimes had a reputation of being tight fisted when it came to money. Given the number of Jewish charities I would say that this is incorrect. I also heard the same comment made about people from Yorkshire and people from Scotland.

Ed Almos

other stereotypes for 'stingyness' are Scottish and Yorkshire people (in the UK) and in europe it seems to be the Dutch!
stereotypes are offensive and should be used with caution if ever.
I think the haggling the shoes was a bit extreme! but I do share your philosophy to some extent, I have had to be careful over money for most of my life and now I have a good job I don't see the point of living more extravagantly (you never know how long the good times will last). I do think it important to treat yourself to something occasionally though as otherwise life can become too bleak.

[quote="Aspie_Chav"]One of my work mates said,” Why are you concerned with money and saving it” after a discussion about another of my workmates spending £17 on a windscreen when I have only pent a £1. I said my family are like Jews. I did not upset anyone but one of them said they would be of they were Jewish.

quote]


Yes, Aspie_Chav, I'm Jewish (by heritage, not religious conviction). This kind of thing gets said a lot and it really is hurtful! Do you actually know any Jews? I doubt you do or you would know better than to say that. I don't blame you. I don't think you know that you are repeating an old slander. It is always a bad idea to repeat generalizations about groups, especially when you don't know where they come from. I geuss you were trying to fit in.

This one has a very very old history. In the Middle Ages Jews were subject to very restrictive laws in Europe. For several hundred years Jews were not allowed to live in England at all! In France and Germany Jews were not allowed to own land, they could be tenant farmers at best and often were not allowed even that, though they usually lived in their own segregated communities.

Jews were forced into professions that were considered low or dirty. They were allowed to be money lenders because this was considered unlawful for Christians. In eastern Europe Jews were protected by the Kings but in return they had to make their living by collecting taxes. This is not a way to be popular! It is from these unloved professions that the association between Jews and money took root in people's minds. Jews were different, they were strange to people who didn't understand their customs or their circumstances, and they were blamed for the taxes they collected or for the interest they collected on loans. Jews also were forced early to be merchants and live in cities and country folk have traditionally hated and feared people in cities. All these stereotypes about Jews were used by Hitler, and despite the shame people feel at the Holocaust these stereotypes still get repeated.

And believe me, Jews are no more likely to be cheap or even frugal than other people! Some Jews like to save, some Jews like to spend, some Jews are poor and don't have enough to eat!

I understand what you are saying. However, there will always be cultural differences. Some races will be different then others. I know that immigrants from India appear more frugal then most.

Weather it is the case or not, it is their prerogative. We cannot pretend that we are all the same in order to be politically correct. UK is a melting pot of diversity, and the cultural differences are strong.

I am not going to say that if everyone were the same the world would be a boring place, as we would only evolve to handle boredom. I am going to say that nature made us different for a logical reason. If nature didn’t need diversity, every animal would all be the same.

It can is too easy to say that a Giraffe long neck doesn’t help it much, but it does because it wouldn’t have evolved a long neck. But my observation is correct; a Giraffe does have longer neck the most mammals. Same applies to people.

This stereotype goes way back. The origin is that lending with interest is considered immoral in Christianity and Islam. So the only money lenders around in many places in the olden days were Jewish. So they were given this reputation of keeping an eye on the purse strings.

Where I live is not exactly considered a bastion of political correctness. I actually think there is less tension here because of that. I have met quite a few Jews, and maybe it's just because they get used to it, but they do not seem to be offended by all of the Jew jokes. I myself have cracked a few Jew jokes towards Jews, but they understood it was all in fun. Most of the Jews themselves crack those jokes all the time and have a very thick skin about it, at least here. Whining about stereotypes only adds to the tension in a conversation with a diverse group because then people become uneasy about saying something because they are afraid of offending one of the people in the group and the more NT people in the group sense the uneasiness which creates tension. If you're able to freely joke about it, as long as it's just in fun there shouldn't be a problem. This only works however if you're willing to have the other people make a mild joke about your own differences. I don't have a problem with people joking about me being white or a WASP, so they shouldn't have a problem as long as no harm is intended.

Although maybe it's safer for us aspies to avoid this kind of banter. Next time instead of calling it Jewish call it shylocking, it means the same thing.

The older males in my family are mostly like Jews too... circumcised. I don't find most of the other stereotypes to be very useful.

Go to a curebie website and read all of the stereotypes of aspies, and I'm sure you'll see what I mean.

This is one of the advantages of being married to my Aspie husband. We are financially secure due to our common sense with money.

Whereas his brother, who loves the finer things in life, has just had to sell their house because they couldn't afford the repayments anymore.

As for the Jewish comment, probably wise not to use it again in future.

Helen

I used to work with Jews, a lot of them in New York in a financial institutions group that dealt with specialty finance companies. You know, hated debt trap monsters like Providian or the now maligned sub-prime mortgage lenders. What many people do not realize is that much of the personal debt industry is dominated by Jews. From the companies that make those unethical loans to the hedge funds that then gambles with the ensuing packaged debt, Jews rank supreme. The reason for the dominance might have to do with the clannishness of Jews who even today still insist on a certain separateness. They would not deal with a man unless they were certain that he was a Jew who understood and obeyed the rules. With America feeling ever more the tightening of the debt noose, how will a more fundamentalist America treat the Jewish financiers who got them into this position in the first place?

Although political correctness can reach silly
extremes,it's wise not to risk offence or be fooled by stereotypes that narrow the mind.Cultural diversity is good though as it broadens the mind.

The general rule is when a group stereotypes or makes fun of themselves, it is ok. When others do it, it might be ok depending on the context and how well they know you. Or it might be taken as very offensive.

Words are symbols, and they aren't always interpreted by others the way we mean them to be. Given that aspies often have difficulty with facial expressions, tone, and other subtle parts of communication, I think it is a good idea to stay away from anything that might be misinterpreted and taken as offensive.

The "N word" is another good example. Black people sometimes call each other N!@#RS as a term of affection or as a harmless joke. But if white people call black people that, it is usually very sensitive and not taken in a jovial spirit.

And speaking as a Scottsman, I would say that the Scots are indeed very tight with their money, except when they go to the pub. Alcohol has a strange way of dissolving the stingyness.

I would be disillusioned to see such filthy anti-Semitic opinions here, but I suppose I have to accept that the autistic community covers the same broad range of types as the neurotypical world. Needless to say, I am Jewish, and Chav's and Zeno's comments are both highly offensive in any context.