Holocaust Denial: Embarrassing Facts

People who would just as soon not believe that Islamic terrorists flew airliners into New York City's World Trade Center aren't alone.

One of the simplest and quickest ways of dealing with uncomfortable or embarrassing facts is to deny those facts.

Iran's President Ahmadinejad has called the Holocaust "a myth." I think his claim is understandable, considering his government's policy toward Jews - and the generally negative opinion about Germany's WWII-era attempt to exterminate Jews, Poles, and other undesirable people.

I believe I understand the desire to make believe that unpleasant realities never happened. But, I also believe that it's wiser to face facts, than to deny them.

There's a pretty good reality check at Emory University's website:

"Holocaust Denial > Learning Tools > Myth/Fact Sheets"

I learned that I need to revise my view of the Dresden bombing, which I picked up in the proto-PC 1970s.

Ahmadinejad's Plan for Peace: Banish the Jews to Alaska

President Ahmadinejad of Iran apparently has a non-violent 'final solution' in mind for the Jews.

It seems that I wasn't very far off. I opined that "the Muslims who celebrate Al Quds Day would be delighted to see Jerusalem free of Jewish control. They'd also, I suspect, just as soon have Jerusalem and Israel a Jew-free zone."

Here's how an Associate Press article put it. "The Iranian president once again said Palestinians should not pay any price because Europeans committed crimes against Jews in World War II. He said they could give a part of their own land in Europe or Alaska so that the Jews can establish their country there.

"'I ask European governments supporting Zionists and the American people ... will you allow occupation of part of your land under a pretext and then talk about a two-state solution?' Ahmadinejad said after the rallies."

Well, comparatively non-violent. I doubt that Jews in Israel would go quietly.

Thanks to the likes of U. of C., Boulder's Ward Churchill, 'everybody knows' how awful America was, committing genocide and/or moving people like the Sioux around without their consent. That seems to be why 83 Columbus Day Parade protesters spread fake blood and dismembered dolls on the Denver, Colorado, parade route today.

It's odd, how high-minded people are upset by the blatant treaty and human rights violations of 19th century America, but remarkably silent about what happened to Armenians around 1916.

One reason may be that Turkey says that what happened wasn't genocide, just a series of regrettable accidents that just happened to coincide with the deportation of some Armenians.

I'm inclined to see the attitude of many academics and journalists this way:

• Treatment of American Indians - Genocide!!!
• Armenian Genocide - What Armenian Genocide?
• Death to America! Death to the Jews! - America wants war!!!

Maybe that's unfair. It's been a dark, dreary day here in Minnesota: Maybe I'm just grouchy.

Or, maybe some of the important information gatekeepers in today's American culture don't see the big picture.

Related posts, on Individuals and the War on Terror.

Ahmadinejad at Columbia, What Happened?

John Bolton, former UN ambassador, had something to say about President Ahmadinejad's appearance at New York's Columbia University. Bolton said that some people, Ahmadinejad included, have no regard for truth, and those people have no place in academic debate.

I'm inclined to agree, but I spent enough decades in American academia to realize that standards of veracity vary, according to the viewpoint of the speaker or writer.

For my part, I think that the Columbia's giving Ahmadinejad a platform may have done some good.

To my surprise, there were a few serious question asked, and in at least one occasion, his non-answer was not accepted. That, for me, was a very pleasant surprise.

My fear had been that Ahmadinejad would be given a sort of softball treatment, with questions intended more to give him opportunities for giving talking points, than to draw out meaningful answers.

My opinion of Columbia University went up a bit.

Ahmadinejad said that the Holocaust happened, that in happened in Europe, and that it is the (hyped) reason that Israel is (according to him) torturing children and oppressing the Palestinians.

One last thing. I missed a little of Ahmadinejad's remarks. Apparently, he said that Iran's women were the freest in the world. Interesting assertion.

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