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From: hsu@cvl.UUCP (Dave Hsu)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.flame
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Responsibility for the Holocaust: Reply to Saumya Debray
Message-ID: <425@cvl.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 11-May-85 01:07:02 EDT
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Posted: Sat May 11 01:07:02 1985
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Organization: Computer Vision Lab, U. of Maryland, College Park
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>>..  The Holocaust was the product of social forces and not
>> just one man.  It was supported by right-wing anti-semitism and anti-communism
>> that was endemic to German society.  
> 
>  I think the above statement has to be stated and repeated again and
> again. There has been a delibirate and malicious propoganda to the
> contrary assigning it to some individual say Hitler. Hitler is nothing
> but the logical consequence of imperialist "civilization"...
> ... It can be stated that human history has NEVER
> witnessed this kind of barbarism in its entire past history. And this
> WILL be repeated if the superpowers have their way. Their record 
> so far does not show in the least the peacenicks they proclaim
> themselves to be.

It would be more reasonable to say that the Holocaust was unprecedented
primarily because of its mechanization and the relative lack of publicity
concerning the slaughter.  One could argue that the average German was
responsible because he or she placed the blame for world problems on Jews.
However, it seems that the average German, while aware of the mass
interrment, did not know of the mass killings.  Many Germans were appalled
after being shown the internal workings of the camps; the invading troops
had no idea they exited until they overran the camps.

Calling the basic underpinnings 'never before witnessed' ignores the periodic
persecution throughout history of many (most?) ethnic groups at some time.
And don't call the concentration camps unprecedented either...note the camps
instituted by Mussolini in North Africa years before Hitler.

-dave hsu

David T Hsu 		Computer Vision Lab, University of Maryland
			College Park, MD 20742