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https://history.stackexchange.com/questions/7605/why-hendry-ford-antisemitic-and-was-he

There are tons of claims that ford is anti semitic (just search for ford anti semit in google). However, I seriously doubt he really is. So I want to know why ford is antisemitic IF at all. If you think he's not explain why. If you think he is explain why... That sort of thing.

-4 downvotes. Am I touching a touchie subject?

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  • And why this question is downvoted too? You mean this type of question is not suitable for meta?
    – user4951
    Commented Feb 8, 2013 at 9:04
  • See my response to the other question regarding this question. I don't think this "question" merits reopening. meta.history.stackexchange.com/a/396/85
    – Steven Drennon Mod
    Commented Feb 8, 2013 at 12:45
  • @JimThio Voting is different on meta. It simply expresses agreement or disagreement, not helpfulness.
    – Luke_0
    Commented Feb 11, 2013 at 19:44

2 Answers 2

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I wasn't one of the downvoters or one of the closers. As such I'll let the community decide if they want it reopened. I see no votes in that direction as of yet.

I will say that IMHO the question is still low quality. It isn't the subject matter, so much as it is the fact that its very painful to read. Even the title has really bad grammar (the first phrase has no verb, and the second depends on implicit information from that same first. Parsing that thing takes twice as long as it should). It goes on in that same demi-grammatical vein for several screens. The quote you posted is overly large, and contains unprintable characters, which again make it a pain to read. The link you added was just a raw link (going on for 6 lines on my screen!) rather than a nice bit of text hyperlinked. The posting tools make the latter easy to accomplish, so its tough to understand why you didn't do that simple thing for your readers. If it was a short two-paragraph question, I'd be tempted to edit it myself, but its sheer length makes the task daunting.

I don't normally like to be critical at length on other's writing. My own spelling is notoriously bad (an editor here once compared it to a war crime), so I know I'm throwing stones in a glass house here. But you did ask, and that's what I'm seeing.

Now as I said, I wasn't a downvoter. For all I know they had other reasons. But my suggestion would be to clean up the grammar and the other things I mentioned, make the whole thing easier on the eyes, and perhaps some folks will be able to look at it long enough to see the merit in it.

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I think the question isn't really within the scope of the community itself. For example, did Henry Ford's antisemitism have anything to do with something of historical significance, other than the fact that he was Henry Ford? I know that the FAQ says you can ask questions about "Famous People," but they also have to be questions that are practicable and answerable.

Here, it seems like you are pretty sure that Henry Ford was antisemitic, but you ask the community to answer definitively. Well, absent a confession on Ford's part that is out there somewhere, no on can answer that question definitively.

I really think, contrary to T.E.D., that the subject matter is really what is at issue here.

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    I could be misreading his English, but it looks like he states in his question that he does not think so.
    – T.E.D. Mod
    Commented Feb 8, 2013 at 14:37
  • My point is that I don't know why his antisemitism is of any significance either way. For example, the Ted Nugent example from awhile ago was significant because Nugent has been such an outspoken pro-war critic, despite his past.
    – ihtkwot Mod
    Commented Feb 9, 2013 at 20:12
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    IMHO it is quite historically significant. Henry Ford, like Charles Lindbergh, was a public figure at a time when the USA was deciding what should be done (or not done) about the rise of the Nazis in Germany. Many other leading citizens felt this way, and as a result the prime object of American diplomacy in Germany until way too late was just to get our banks repaid. Anti-semetic statements from such men did in fact have an impact on history.
    – T.E.D. Mod
    Commented Feb 10, 2013 at 14:55
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    Actually that's the issue. I and Ted think it's historically significant. In fact, despite Hendry may not be a real anti semitic, his anti semitic acts are often used by real anti semites, including Hitler. So yes it is very significant.
    – user4951
    Commented Feb 10, 2013 at 18:01
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    -1. I was on the fence; but T.E.D.'s comment threw me on the "on topic" side. However, the question really is quite poor at the moment so I'm not sure I would be willing to VTRO.
    – DVK
    Commented Feb 12, 2013 at 14:33
  • I'm clearly in the minority here, so that is why I have let it be.
    – ihtkwot Mod
    Commented Feb 13, 2013 at 1:32

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