Re: Is white racism nec. all bad?
Travis C. Porco (porco@pathos.Berkeley.EDU)
29 Apr 1995 02:42:40 GMT
In article <3npr2i$5i1@ixnews3.ix.netcom.com>,
Lane Singer <lsd@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>In <grizzy.55.000AB796@entriprise> grizzy@entriprise (eileen camilleri) writes:
>>
>>: >Hitler is the world's most famous despot because the Jews were very
>>: >successful in their goal to demonize him
This is a pretty long attribution tree you posted, Lane; I can't find the
original article to make sure who actually wrote this sentence.
If fact, the sentence you quote is true, because:
(1) Hitler was a despot.
(2) Hitler may well be the world's most famous despot.
(3) Since Auschwitz was a hell on earth, its ultimate master probably
should be demonized.
(4) Because Hitler tried to kill all the Jews, the Jews have made sure
that his barbarism is not forgotten.
As far as I can tell, the above four sentences are either true, probably
true, or reasonable.
The word "demonize" often has a disapproving connotation, as if the
criticism were unjust. Perhaps this is the reason you suspect that the
sentence you quoted suggests that its author hated the Jews, though of
course the author may not.
Efforts to demonize Hitler are quite reasonable, as are efforts to demonize
other great butchers. Naturally Jews will be more concerned with Hitler,
but almost all generalize from the experience and oppose all prejudice.
It is thanks to these efforts that the German events are not forgotten in
the way that the shocking annihilation of Armenians in Turkey seems to have
been, or in the way that the millions of death groans in Stalin's Kolyma
camps in Siberia seem to have been.
Of course, it is an error to assume that any nationalism, patriotism, or
awareness of race is Nazi or "leads to" Naziism, just as not all concern
with working conditions makes one a Communist.
--Travis
(not speaking on behalf of UCBerkeley)
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