Speaker A
In the last two years, you've been blamed for the financial collapse of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, and Russia.
An in-depth interview with George Soros discussing his role in financial crises, moral dilemmas, and his Holocaust experiences.
Key Takeaways
- Soros’s actions in financial markets are driven by profit, not social impact.
- His moral and amoral sides coexist within one person.
- Childhood experiences during the Holocaust deeply influenced his worldview.
- He sees himself as a competitor who must win but also as a member of society.
- He rejects feelings of guilt for his childhood role during the Holocaust.
Summary
- George Soros addresses accusations of causing financial collapses in several Asian countries and Russia.
- He explains his primary motivation is making money, not considering social consequences.
- Soros discusses the duality of his persona: engaging in amoral activities while striving to be moral.
- He recounts his childhood experience escaping the Holocaust by posing as a Christian.
- Soros reflects on witnessing the deportation of Jews and how it shaped his character.
- He admits to helping confiscate Jewish property during the war but felt no guilt as a child.
- Soros compares his role in markets to being a spectator in the confiscation of property during the Holocaust.
- He emphasizes the importance of anticipating events and thinking ahead due to personal threats.
- The interview explores the complexity of Soros’s identity as both a competitor and a concerned human being.
- Soros denies being uniquely powerful despite widespread blame for economic crises.
Chapters
- 00:00Accusations of Financial Collapse
- 00:12Soros on Profit and Social Consequences
- 00:29The Moral vs Amoral George Soros
- 00:52Holocaust Childhood Experience
- 01:41Character Formation During the Holocaust
- 02:11Confiscation of Jewish Property
- 02:36Lack of Guilt and Reflection
- 03:27Soros’s Perspective on His Role
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
All of the above. All of the above. Are you that powerful?
Speaker A
No, I think there's a great misunderstanding. I am basically there to make money. I cannot and do not look at the social consequences of what I do. As a competitor, I've got to compete to win.
Speaker A
As a human being, I am concerned about the society in which I live.
Speaker A
Which George Soros am I talking to now? The amoral George Soros or the moral George Soros?
Speaker A
Uh, it's one person. It's one person who at one time engages in amoral activities and at the rest of the time tries to be moral.
Speaker A
You're a Hungarian Jew, mhm, who escaped the Holocaust, mhm, by posing as a Christian.
Speaker A
Right. And you watched lots of people get shipped off to the death camps. Right.
Speaker A
I was 14 years old. And I would say that that's when my character was made.
Speaker A
In what way? That one should think ahead, one should understand and anticipate events, and one is threatened. It was a tremendous threat of evil. I mean, this was a very personal experience of evil.
Speaker A
My understanding is that you went out with this protector of yours who swore that you were his adopted godson.
Speaker A
Yes. Yes. Went out, in fact, and helped in the confiscation of property from the Jews.
Speaker A
That's right. Yes. I mean, that sounds like an experience that would send lots of people to the psychiatric couch for many, many years.
Speaker A
Was it difficult? Uh, uh, uh, not at all. Not at all. Maybe as a child you don't see the connection.
Speaker A
But it created no problem at all. No feeling of guilt?
Speaker A
No. For example, that I'm Jewish, and here I am watching these people go. I could just as easily be there. I should be there. None of that?
Speaker A
Well, of course I could be on the other side or I could be the one from whom the thing is being taken away.
Speaker A
Uh, uh, but there was no sense that I shouldn't be there because that was... Well, actually, funny way, it's just like in markets that if I weren't there—of course I wasn't doing it, but somebody
Speaker A
taking it away anyhow. You know, it was the whether I was there or not. I was only a spectator. The property was being taken away.
Speaker A
So, I had no role in taking away that property. So, I had no sense of guilt.
Topics:George Sorosfinancial collapseAsian financial crisisHolocaustmoral dilemmaeconomic crisisinterviewRasibul Haque NasifJewish historymarket speculation
