Rating: 
Summary: Another Perspective on the Subject
Review: Another reason for the enduring Jewish Wealth.
Hong Kong and the Sassoon Opium Wars
The 99 year British lease on Hong Kong expired in July allowing the Red Chinese to take over. Hundreds of newspaper stories and TV reports have covered this event but not one revealed how England first gained control of Hong Kong!
The truth lies buried in the family line of David Sassoon, "The Rothschilds of The Far East," and their monopoly over the opium trade.
Britain won Hong Kong by launching the opium Wars to give the Sassoons exclusive rights to drug an entire nation!
David Sassoon was born in Baghdad in 1792. His father, Saleh Sassoon, was a wealthy banker and the treasurer to Ahmet Pasha, the governor of Baghdad. (Thus making him the "court Jew" - a highly influential position.)
In 1829 Ahmet was overthrown due to corruption and the Sassoon family fled to Bombay, India. This was the strategic trade route to interior India and the gateway to the Far East. In a brief time the British government granted Sassoon "monopoly rights" to all manufacture of cotton goods, silk and most important of all - Opium - then the most addictive drug in the world!
The Jewish Encyclopedia of 1905, states that Sassoon expanded his opium trade into China and Japan. He placed his eight sons in charge of the various major opium exchanges in China.
According to the 1944 Jewish Encyclopedia: "He employed only Jews in his business, and wherever he sent them he built synagogues and schools for them. He imported whole families of fellow Jews . . . and put them to work."
Sassoon's sons were busy pushing this mind-destroying drug in Canton, China. Between 1830-1831 they trafficked 18,956 chests of opium earning millions of dollars. Part of the profits went to Queen Victoria and the British government. In the year 1836 the trade increased to over 30,000 chests and drug addiction in coastal cities became endemic.
In 1839, the Manchu Emperor ordered that it be stopped. He named the Commissioner of Canton, Lin Tse-hsu, to lead a campaign against opium. Lin seized 2,000 chests of Sassoon opium and threw it into the river. An outraged David Sassoon demanded that Great Britain retaliate. Thus, the Opium Wars began with the British Army fighting as mercenaries of the Sassoons. They attacked cities and blockaded ports. The Chinese Army, decimated by 10 years of rampant opium addiction, proved no match for the British Army.
The war ended in 1842 with the signing of "The Treaty of Nanking." This included provisions especially designed to guarantee the Sassoons the right to enslave an entire population with opium. The "peace treaty" included these provisions: "1) Full legalization of the opium trade in China, 2) compensation from the opium stockpiles confiscated by Lin of 2 million pounds, 3) territorial sovereignty for the British Crown over several designated offshore islands.
Sassoon's Use British Army to Drug An Entire Nation
British Prime Minister Palmerston wrote Crown Commissioner Captain Charles Elliot that the treaty didn't go far enough. He said it should have been rejected out of hand because: "After all, our naval power is so strong that we can tell the Emperor what we mean to hold rather than what he would cede. We must demand the admission of opium into interior China as an article of lawful commerce and increase the indemnity payments and British access to several additional Chinese ports." Thus, China not only had to pay Sassoon the cost of his dumped opium but reimburse England an unheard sum of 21 million pounds for the cost of the war!
This gave the Sassoon's monopoly rights to distribute opium in port cities. However, even this was not good enough and Sassoon demanded the right to sell opium throughout the nation. The Manchus resisted and the British Army again attacked in the Second Opium War fought 1858-1860. Palmerston declared that all of interior China must be open for uninterrupted opium traffic. The British suffered a defeat at the Taku Forts in June 1859 when sailors, ordered to seize the forts, were run aground in the mud-choked harbor. Several hundred were killed or captured. An enraged Palmerston said: "We shall teach such a lesson to these perfidious hordes that the name of Europe will hereafter be a passport of fear."
In October, the British besieged Peking. When the city fell, British commander Lord Elgin, ordered the temples and other sacred shrines in the city sacked and burned to the ground as a show of Britain's absolute contempt for the Chinese. In the new "Peace Treaty" of Oct.25, 1860, the British were assigned rights to vastly expanded opium trade covering seven-eights of China, which brought in over 20 million pounds in 1864 alone. In that year, the Sassoons imported 58,681 chests of opium and by 1880 it had skyrocketed to 105,508 chests making the Sassoons the richest Jews in the world. England was given the Hong Kong peninsula as a colony and large sections of Amoy, Canton, Foochow, Ningpo, and Shanghai. The Sassoons were now licensing opium dens in each British occupied area with large fees being collected by their Jewish agents. Sassoon would not allow any other race to engage in "the Jews' business."
However, the British government would not allow any opium to be imported into Europe! Sassoon "Monopoly Rights" Wrecked Lancashire - England's Textile Industry - Made Roosevelt Wealthy.
Sir Albert Sassoon, the eldest of David Sassoon's sons took over the family "business" empire. He constructed huge textile mills in Bombay to pay slave labor wages. This expansion continued after World War One and ended up putting mills in Lancashire, England out of business with thousands losing their jobs. This did not stop Queen Victoria from having Albert knighted in 1872.
Solomon Sassoon moved to Hong Kong and ran the family business there until his death in 1894. Later, the entire family moved to England because with modern communications they could operate their financial empire from their luxurious estates in London. They socialized with royalty and Edward Albert. Sassoon married Aline Caroline de Rothschild in 1887 which linked their fortune with that of the Rothschilds. The Queen also had Edward knighted. All 14 of the grandsons of David Sassoon were made officers during World War One and thus most were able to avoid combat.
Franklin D. Roosevelt's fortune was inherited from his maternal grandfather Warren Delano. In 1830 he was a senior partner of Russell & Company. It was their merchant fleet which carried Sassoon's opium to China and returned with tea.
Warren Delano moved to Newburgh, N.Y. In 1851 his daughter Sara married a well born neighbor, James Roosevelt - the father of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He always knew the origin of the family fortune but refused to discuss it.
The Sassoon opium trade brought death and destruction to millions and still plagues Asia to this day. Their company was totally operated by Jews ONLY! The corrupt British monarchy honored them with privilege and knighthood - to the disgrace of the Crown! To this day the Sassoons are in the history books as "great developers" of India but the source of their vast wealth is never mentioned!
Rating: 
Summary: LA Reviwer Does Disservice to Book and Author
Review: I find it incredibly interesting that this person was requested to edit his/her original posting. After reading the edited post, it doesn't take much imagination to understand why the Amazon editor made the request. I don't know if this poster is xenophobic, anti-semitic, or just plain ignorant. I lean toward ignorant.While I haven't thoroughly read the the book - yet - I've read enough to know that what the reviewer refers to as "cultural nepotism" the author refers to as "taking care of their own". Do most other minorities not do this? And if they don't, whose fault is that? The reviewer's logic is specious and fallacious. Equating the Jewish culture and the gay/lesbian culture??? Give me a break!! "It is a well known (sic) statistic that gays and lesbians are more successful than the average heterosexual"? I've heard that, too. Numbers, please. Where's the data to back it up and how was it derived? What about the Irish who emigrated from Ireland? They were discriminated against horribly when they came to America. They were indistiguishable from "everyone else"... until they spoke. Does someone have to "look different" to be considered a minority? I submit that this reviewer possesses an incredibly myopic view of the term "minority". I'd "venture to say" this holds true for his/her other beliefs, as well. The reviewer "ventures to say"? How about employing a term that reflects the actual meaning of that obfuscating phrase - "guesses". I'm sure that this person would draw similarly logical conclusions about a ship "disappearing" over the horizon. It must have fallen off the edge of the Earth! "Conclusion"?? A conclusion requires facts. The reviewer's post contains none. It's all based upon opinion and conjecture. Here's my "conclusion". The reviewer takes issue not with the substance of the book, but with the subject of the book and its title. Here's a question to ponder: Would the reviews change, positive or negative, if the title of the book was "The Japanese Phenomenon", "The Korean Phenomenon", or "The Gay Phenomenon"? Read the book, or at least browse through it, before you come to a conclusion - specious or otherwise.
Rating: 
Summary: save your time and money
Review: I have hesitated in writing a review for THE JEWISH PHENOMENON for some time now, the reason being the obviously controversial nature of this topic. As we all know, many have used Jewish success as a means of building propaganda against the Jewish people, saying that Jews are successful because they have robbed others of the ability to be successful. Further, there is some alleged inherent ability of Jews to make money, an ability the rest of us are not born with.... Well, THE JEWISH PHENOMENON shows that this is all wrong. What Jewish culture has is simply a very practical approach to life and money, an approach that can be emulated by people of any ethnicity, religion, national origin, etc. This approach is founded on the belief that money itself is not evil. In fact, Silbiger claims that in Judaism it is viewed as an honorable goal to want to be rich. There's so much in THE JEWISH PHENOMENON that I'd like to comment on, but for sake of brevity I will focus on the points that had the greatest impact on me. Steven Silbiger makes it apparent that one of the keys to Jewish success is the freedom of the Jewish intellect (Jews make up merely 1% of the general population, but 20% of Nobel Prize winners are Jewish). Silbiger contrasts the religious Jewish upbringing with the Christian religious upbringing, noting that in religious classes Jewish children are encouraged to ask questions. Christian children are given answers and are often discouraged from asking questions - often, to question is the near occasion of sin, an indication of lack of faith (this was certainly my experience in Catholic school). This sets a vastly different foundation for the Jewish child versus the Christian child. Silbiger theorizes that the Jewish child will carry this attitude of questioning on into the rest of his life, and this leads to a willingness to look at situations in new ways, to try new things, to be an entrepreneur. (Interestingly, Silbiger claims that Jewish people, in defiance of the usual trend, typically become more liberal as their wealth increases.) THE JEWISH PHENOMENON came into my life at a synchronistic time because I had just begun my study of the American education system, and Silbiger says that a reverence for education is one of the most important keys to Jewish success. In WHAT SMART STUDENTS KNOW, Adam Robinson argues that school distorts the learning process and has everything backwards: in the classroom setting it is usually teachers who ask the questions and students who give the answers. The problem with this system, Robinson says, is that the teachers are doing the hard part; it is in asking the questions that one is made to think. Knowing the "answers" is not as strenuous (it often entails mere memorization). Are you getting my point? Robinson says that if you want to be a smart student then you must realize that asking questions is more important than knowing the answers; Silbiger says that a key to Jewish success is a reverence for education, and Jewish people are usually encouraged from childhood to ask questions. This is a highly enlightening work! Andrew Parodi
Rating: 
Summary: Roadmap for any parent
Review: I have many Jewish friends and have always marveled at their verbal abilities. I read this book for some insight into these talents. The details of how to develop these things are missing, but overall it is good for general direction. Every night I question my kids about their day and beliefs and encourage them to explain to me their thoughts. Many reviewers have missed the point of this book, exclaiming that the scope should have been broader. Perhaps more description of Jewish sub-groups would have explained more but that does not diminish the value of this book.
This view into Jewish life is interesting as is the Yiddish dictionary at the end.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Have Motivational/Inspirational Book
Review: If you have an interest in becoming successful give this book a read. It takes no time to complete and gives plenty of suggestions to choose from on how to improve yourself professionally and that you can make a difference. For the Jewish Community it should be a required read. Several examples of how well off the Jewish Community is is illustrated in the book in order to explain how they have become so wealthy as a group. As a Gentile I found it to be enlightening as to how and what some of the differences are between the two religions just on a busniess level alone. You always think of the religious differences but not necessarily the other components of our lives, i.e. success in the business world. Please keep in mind this is not a religious book but rather a business book with stories of how the Jewish community is so successful in the world. Now we all know what the phenomenon is.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Have Motivational/Inspirational Book
Review: If you have an interest in becoming successful give this book a read. It takes no time to complete and gives plenty of suggestions to choose from on how to improve yourself professionally and that you can make a difference. For the Jewish Community it should be a required read. Several examples of how well off the Jewish Community is is illustrated in the book in order to explain how they have become so wealthy as a group. As a Gentile I found it to be enlightening as to how and what some of the differences are between the two religions just on a busniess level alone. You always think of the religious differences but not necessarily the other components of our lives, i.e. success in the business world. Please keep in mind this is not a religious book but rather a business book with stories of how the Jewish community is so successful in the world. Now we all know what the phenomenon is.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful wealth-building lessons for everyone
Review: One of my Jewish friends recommended this book to me and I found the advice to be excellent. However, as I reflected on the seven keys that Steven Silberger teaches, the thought occurred to me that I personally have practiced them to reach financial independence - and I am not Jewish. People who believe that this is a racist book or one that is trying to promote the idea of Jewish superiority miss Silberger's point entirely. Rather, he generously distills and shares the lessons of wealth-building and success taught by Judiasm that can be practiced by everyone regardless of their faith. Thank you, Steven Silberger, for a wonderful book.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: Steve Silbiger's "The Jewish Phenomenon" was a real eye opener for me. I was raised in a close-knit Irish Catholic environment and rarely had contact with Jews or other non-Catholics as a child. I finally met, lived with, and made lifelong friends with Jews at Princeton (undergrad), Columbia (MBA), and in the work world. But even after these experiences as a university student and a working adult, I never really understood what Jewish culture was all about or what accounted for the great success of the Jewish people in the face of many serious threats they had encountered over the centuries. "The Jewish Phenomenon" has given me valuable insight into seven principles that have allowed Jews to contribute to society far beyond their numbers. Just as important, I can look at my own conservative, risk averse background and use the seven principles that Silbiger highlights to help improve my chances of entrepreneurial success as a small business owner in the computer technology field.
Rating:
Summary: A WORK OF GENIUS !
Review: Steven Silbiger's "The Jewish Phenomenon" just published is brilliant. Never has anyone better told the story of nor made so understandable the extraordinary success of Jewish Americans individually and collectively. I do not know how his book will be received in the Jewish community but he should be lionized. Mr. Silbiger has been able to do what no one has done so well before lift the "mystery" from the unparalleled achievements of Jewish Americans for more than century. And what he tells us with riveting intelligence is there is no mystery (certainly no conspiracy whatever that means). At the individual level, at the family level, at the community level, and as he calls it the tribal level Jews "religiously" employ a series of principles to their lives and to their beliefs that virtually insures success. These accessible keys are available to all of us. Beginning with a glorious introduction Steven Silbiger offers "seven keys to Jewish success" and spends the next 200 pages weaving a torah like tome to enchant anyone with any interest in the dynamics of success and community, and as Steven begins his book prophetically, by stating " .....this book can be applied to individuals and groups from any background." His fascinating thesis will only disappoint those who see their own imperfections magnified glaringly in the achievements of others.
Rating:
Summary: Title is misleading
Review: This book is filled with interesting statistics but there is very little information on how others can apply the seven "keys" to their own lives. If you're interested in knowing the statistical information about the success of the Jews, this book is for you. However, if you're looking for a "how to" book on achieving financial success, I recommend you keep looking. Peronally, I enjoyed reading this book and I found the statistics truly remarkable.
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