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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!alice!jj
From: jj@alice.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: "Imperialism", Hitler, Holocausts, and misleading argument style
Message-ID: <3706@alice.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 10-May-85 10:26:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: alice.3706
Posted: Fri May 10 10:26:59 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 11-May-85 02:25:15 EDT
Organization: New Jersey State Farm for the Terminally Bewildered
Lines: 58

>>..  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". To see what
>this "civilization" is all about one should see the documentry about the
>concentration camp which is being shown in Frontline in PBS this
>week(week of May 8). 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.


I just can't resist pointing out the emotional deception in this
note.  The first part "...product of social forces..." looks good
to any reasonable person.  The person commenting, realizing this,
tries to slide one by the reader (and make emotional and
political points) by first agreeing (and predisposing the reader
to agree further) and then coming up with one of the
standard nutnews "proof by blatant association" crocks,
saying that it is the `logical consequence of imperialist "civilization"',
a conclusion that is at best appears to be uninformed.

The writer goes on to say that "human history has NEVER witnessed
this kind of barbarism in its entire past history." a statement
that (given my own ancestry) makes me wonder if the writer's
ever read Afghani, Irish, Scot, Australian, African, Indian (as in India),
or Amerind history. (That's just what comes to mind off the top of
my head.  I'm sure there's a lot more that I know about, but the
point is depressingly well made.)  A lot of the genocidal behavior
I've listed has nothing to do with the current society,
thus disproving any possible connection to `imperialist "civilization"'.

I find  this article quite disturbing for two reasons.  The first
is the was the writer uses emotional deception almost as
a matter of course.   The second is the lack of perspective
evident in the comments about barbarism.  The Nazi Germany
treatment of the Jewish regretably has many equals in history,
albiet most on a lesser scale because of the lesser populations
involved.  (Ok, folks, you're all going to move to nice, new,
farms right up next to the Arctic circle.  Move along, move along...)


It's true, I believe, that democracy can only survive in an
informed society.  From what I see (sometimes deliberate)
on nutnews, among the presumibly "informed elite", I think
we're in BIG trouble!
-- 
TEDDY BEARS ARE OPINIONATED! AFTER ALL, SOMEONE HAS TO BE RIGHT!
"Then one said to the other, I think we must be gone,
We'll leave a present for our friend before me move along..."

(ihnp4/allegra)!alice!jj