Hello everyone I have a questions releated to another thread entitled "Guilty for owning a Benz".

I know that this is probably a way too touchy subject to bring up.. But here goes..

My wife's friend is Jewish and says Mercedes used Jewish slave labour to manufactuer cars and were horrible to Jewish people during the wars..

Now.. Is there any truth to this. I would like to hear a Jewish perspective.. Do Jewish people hate Mercedes?

I mean, really, I have no clue about this..

Thanks.

I would think that would fall along the same lines as Native Americans still being angry at the white man for stealing their land....or African Americans still being sore with Southerners for slavery. There are many regretable conditions throughout history and they were all caused by the people and cultures of the times. Blaming and being angry with the people and cultures of today, who had nothing to do with what happened in the past, is just plain ignorant. We can thrive in the past, or learn from it.

IMHO

Yeah, that is exactly what I said to my wife..

I mean, how can people of today be accountable for the actions of people in the past. Although, I am just asking about the perception..

I can't give a personal perspective on Jewish (whatever that is) reaction to the Mercedes brand, but I have an anecdote, for what it's worth. About 15 or 20 years ago my wife and I were driving in our BMW through Yellowstone National Park and stopped at Old Faithful. While we were waiting for the show a young woman approached us and asked for a ride in the direction we were going. It turned out that she was an Israeli who had just finished her military service and was hitchhiking across the U.S. (brave soul). Being the sensitive kind of guy I am, I volunteered that we were driving a German car and asked her if that was a problem. She had no idea what I was talking about until I pretty much spelled it out, then she said that Israel was full of German cars (especially M-B taxis) and that it was no problem. That's just one person, of course, but I thought it was interesting.

Wonder then why the Japanese car manufactures are doing so well today?

If people were to blame the actions of those former rulers of more than 60 years ago? Makes no sense.

My former lawyer was Jewish, and he hated the Germans because his grandfather was killed in the camps. I tried to explain to him that he shouldn't carry that thinking over to the Mercedes because of what had happened so long ago, but it was like talking to a rock!

There are to be sure, people (of many faiths, not just Jewish) who will not buy German products -- regardless of whether the company used slave labor or otherwise contributed to the German war effort. There are others who to this day will not buy Japanese cars. That is their right. I don't have any problem in buying MB or other German cars. I buy them for the attributes of the product, having nothing to do with who was running the company 60 or 70 years ago or who was running Germany 60 or 70 years ago. I do not consider buying a German car to be an act of forgiveness for the crimes committed by the *****, which were unforgiveable. It is therefore important to me, being Jewish, that we not simply say "it was a long time ago," not worth discussing and preserving the history so it does not repeat -- for us or any other group. Anyone who has seen some of the better exhibits on this -- like at the Imperial War Museum in London (especially the taped interviews with survivors), cannot come away feeling deeply affected, but it doesn't mean I won't buy anything made in Germany.

Very well put to be sure. That IS the way everyone should be looking at these situations. One can only hope and pray that these unfortnunate events are never repeated!

I’ll give you this; you got ***** (no offense).

For what it’s worth, all Jewish business acquaintances back in NYC have had or currently have MB vehicles – just about one for each family member. Here in AZ it’s a fifty/fifty split between MB and Lexus concerning Jewish families who are either neighbors or business acquaintances. My god, I can only hope that this will not be taken out of context or sound negative.

BTW, before any crap hits the fan my handle is Konigstiger which is German and relates to the German King Tiger Tank – most feared weapon of WWII. Can you imagine I had to defend myself here on the forum for this? Anyway, I’m not German but rather second generation Italian and the King Tiger was the most formidable tank built during WWII and I consider MB to be the most formidable vehicles offered.

Yeah I agree. When I lived in Queens (rego Park), my neighborhood was alot of Jewish and Russian residents and many Jewish people in my building were Benz riders...

I have heard of this such theory where it may have some veritas overseas, but at least in NYC, I don't see that as a valid theory...

Actually some of that perception is true. It is getting less so as more time goes by, but one of the reasons that Saab did so well (and why there was a very large percentage owned by people of jewish ancestry/ethnicity/religiousness) was because of it. This has obviously gone down much more as more time comes between WWII and present but it is still there - not necessarily the 'slave labor' aspect of it, but much more so with the whole German/Jew thing.

It's also not just German and Jews. There are a lot of Chinese people who will not buy Japanese cars because of the atrocities the Japanese committed in China (several million dead there, but less of a percentage of total population than what the Germans did to the Jews). This has also gone down over time, but there are many older Chinese who still harbor ill feelings in the matter (you would think otherwise with the amount of Honda rice rockets out there, but thats the later generation).

It's a matter of personal preference. I think people have a problem with driving a German car since a car is such a visible purchase, something you live with and use everyday. I have a couple of friends whose parents will not purchase any German car, not just a Benz.

I'm Jewish, and my family is on its third Benz. And I'm sure my parents' next car will be another Benz. My grandmother went through the camps, though she went back to Germany and Austria (where she was originally from) in the 1970s. She died in 1984 when I was only 3, but I think (out of respect) my parents asked her if it would be OK to purchase a German car.

If anything, over-protective Jewish mothers (such as mine) would want their families driving around in a highly safe car such as a Benz. Maybe that's why my friends whose parents don't buy German cars usually drive Volvos and Saabs.

I'm jewish and I only work with german cars. Its kinda like ww2 vet's hating jap cars...... Yes the MB was used as a portable gas chamber.

If you really want to get technical, most large corporations were in bed with the ***** back then - Mercedes Benz, Porsche, BMW, IBM you name it.
The fact of the matter is most of these companies made restitution for using slave labor, and many have also issues apologies. Does this negate their former acts? No - but what more can be done?
Be vigilant and excersize your hard won freedoms to choose(even if that means shunning Companies like MB) and speak out if you belive an injustice has been wrought.
Doing so will bring honour to those who have fallen but are not forgotten.

There is more that could be said, but I think that is quite enough for a non political forum.

honestly..i just read the first post..tell that lady who cares,life was much different back than anyway,i can careless what happened to my people back than,get over it..these people have issues if they still bring up that crap..im not even gonna start,i can type a whole essay on this crap..go ahead and flame

No flaming. Good discussion. By the tone of your response it seems as though you are upset.

Anyone care to guess which brand of automobile is least likely to be owned by someone who is Jewish? It isn't Mercedes.

It is Ford. If you study your history, Henry Ford was one of the most outspoken anti semites in Amercan history.

Thanks for the education lesson. I almost always check these types of claims at snopes.com to determine whether they are true or false. Interesting.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1696581.stm
http://www.snopes.com/humor/jokes/ford.asp (last half of page)

Thanks again.

EDJ

Many, many Jews drive BMWs and Mercedes. Not VW so much (latter a joke). You may be interested to know that through the 1960s (at least), more Jews drove GM cars than any other brand because Henry Ford was a virulent anti-semite and **** sympathizer. I grew up knowing not to buy a Ford. (I have since) A Mercedes? Who could afford that - have you seen the price of lox! (OK; turn off the Henny Youngman & Jackie Mason) BTW, Germany is a major trading partner of Israel. The only Jews under age 80 you'll probably offend by driving a Mercedes are those who can't afford one

Age 70, not 80. I got a lot of flak when I bought an Opel in 1972. And even more when I put German tires (Semperits and Continentals) on it.

These days that seems to be a distant memory.

And the Japanese killed more than a few million Chinese. I believe the number is a few 10s of millions. And I knew many Chinese who would not buy a Japanese car.

Now both those countries are loosing their auto manufacturing to countries they used to despise as inferior.

We live from our mistakes...

Come to think of it...I've never seen a German driving a Jewish car! What does this mean?

I think this has turned out to be a waste of time folks. First of all, I don't want to be reminded of the Holocaust or the atrocities performed by the ***** to the Jews every day. Second of all, this topic can be fully exploited to include, but not limited to the following:

Should we tell the Natives to boycott American cars?
Should we tell the Chinese/Vietnamese/Pearl Harbor vets, etc. to boycott Japanese cars?
Should we tell Blacks to boycott European/American car manufacturers?
Should we tell the Aborigines in Australia to only buy non-Australian brands?
...

If a certain individual still harbors resentment, so be it. I am not going to convince that person otherwise if he/she fails to see other atrocities performed elsewhere.

No, not a waste of time. Just a few motoring enthusiasts trying to understand some of the perceptions of others. Good to have open dialogue. Doesn't always have to equate to being constructive but interesting.