Damn, damn, damn. My Internet connection will be down for the coming two weeks and I seriously doubt I could get to the chat in the specified time on a friend's puter. I'm afraid you'll have to do without me. If this chat turns into more than a one-time thing, though, you can count on me to show up. I'd love to to talk to a few of you in person.

Keep up the good work!

If I remember correctly, Deborah Lipstadt mentioned that over-tolerance of Holocaust deniers is sometimes justified as support for "free speech." I can well imagine what she would make of Noam Chomsky. Chomsky's supporters say he was only defending French Holocaust denier Robert Faurisson's right to free speech, not his noxious views. Yet Chomsky seems rather cozy with him, even downplaying his weirdness by saying he was actually some kind of "liberal."  You have to wonder whether Chomsky has crossed the line, especially since he doesn't ever support the right of "free speech" for his ideological adversaries.

The Holocaust is a big part of the foundation of support for Israel, whether because it demonstrated the Jews' need for their own state or because the compassion felt for the Jews usually spilled over into support for Israel. Of course, Zionism had existed long before World War II, but the Holocaust looms large in discussions about Zionism, perhaps because many believe that the Jews were granted their state in compensation for the Holocaust. So, if you want to de-legitimize Zionism, I suppose you'd have to de-legitimize or at least neutralize the major intellectual and emotional source of sympathy for Zionism.

This normalization often involves saying that the Jews were not the only ones who died in the camps. Or there’s the head-count approach, which says that in absolute numbers the war killed more Soviets or Poles or whomever than it did Jews. Then there is the argument that, after all, there have been other genocides since then: Look at what happened in Cambodia or Rwanda. So the Jews aren’t really so special. Pitting the Jewish Shoah against other tragedies, as if there were a competition, is a pernicious approach precisely because it’s a hard one to argue against. You end up in a lose-lose situation: Either you concede the argument, and thus cede the right to consider the Holocaust as somehow unique, or you stand your ground, and get accused of ethnocentrism.

I think that Lipstadt was right in saying that we should vigorously oppose Holocaust deniers, but without obsessing about them and building up their importance. However, I think that those who don’t deny the Holocaust—but who try to normalize it or relativize it—are far more dangerous than the deniers. Why? Because they seem so reasonable. They seem to argue in favor of a more open-minded view that cares about other peoples of the world, instead of focusing narrowly on one group.

But it’s an apparent goodness in the service of a not-so-good end. After all, when Palestinians recount their sufferings, no one reminds them that two million people have died in Sudan, that millions of children are starving throughout Africa, and that tens of millions of Chinese lost their lives under Mao.  No one tells the Palestinians, “you’re not the only ones who are suffering, and you’re not suffering the worst.” This comparison game only happens with the Jewish Holocaust. That fact alone reveals a certain bad faith.

It’s easy to denounce someone who says the Holocaust never existed, since most of the world regards that view as crazy, anyway. But what do you do when faced with someone who argues that the Jewish narrative of the Holocaust should no longer take center stage? Against someone who is using seemingly reasonable arguments to undermine sympathy for Jewish national aspirations. It’s harder to fight a subtle evil than an obvious, crude one.

I understand Dr. Lipstadt's idea that anti-semitism could have started with over-simplifying the events of 33 AD to say "the Jews killed Jesus", but I think she could have left out the comment of Christianity being "a myth".  It's just that much more headwind in strengthening support among Christians.

John M:  As a Christian, I typically let those kinds of comments roll off my back.  I'm fully aware of what Jews think of my beliefs, and if I expressed shock when they put voice to them it would be really disingenuous of me.  As a Protestant, I felt the same way when the Pope called the Catholic Church the One True Church.  Both are just saying what they believe, and what I already know they believe, so it shouldn't be shocking.

Perhaps there's always a place for tact.  Should Dr. Lipstadt have refrained from using that phrase in order to not offend those would would be offended?  Eh, maybe.  I just think that those Christians on her side would not all of a sudden start supporting Holocaust deniers because she used the word "myth" so in this case it's probably not that big a deal.

All but the most cursory examinations of anti-Semitism gets beyond the "Jews killed Jesus" point. To say nothing of the fact that if someone hadn't killed him (lets just pin it on the Romans shall we as they aren't around anymore) we'd be in the position of believing that Jesus (shall we call him Isa?) lived on to die of natural causes. And I think we, here, can all agree that's not viable.

The accusation of killing Jesus is good for the mob but it doesn't explain it's longevity and deep rooted position , especialy with so called educated people. For these sorts we need something better and that has to come in the form of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

And at the root? Jews came up with the all men are equal concept. Simple really, rather amazing that nobody thought of it before. And when you join that to the concept of Man created in God's image you have the ultimate recipe to deny Dictators the right to abuse people. And that is why the Jews are hated. Freedom is the curse they gave to a mankind composed of 99.9% of individuals who would rather be led than truly free.

I've posted about SNN and thrown you a link over at the Protein Wisdom Pub. Keep up the good work!

 Two questions:

1. Have you ever interviewed Jeff Goldstein? He'd probably be willing, and is particularly good on the issue of academics providing cover for Islamic extremism.
2. What's the sound clip in between each piece of Blog News? Is it from a Muslim Call to Prayer?

Eric,

I'll make sure Tom checks out Jeff.

As to the piece of "music". To be honest we don't know what it says. I asked an arabic speaker to listen for me but he couldn't work it out either. Somehow, however, it just seems to work and we just hope it isn't saying anything like "Love the Kuffar". That would be too strange.

Brian

Eric,

I'll make sure Tom checks out Jeff.

As to the piece of "music". To be honest we don't know what it says. I asked an arabic speaker to listen for me but he couldn't work it out either. Somehow, however, it just seems to work and we just hope it isn't saying anything like "Love the Kuffar". That would be too strange.

Brian

The holocaust is a scam, and sure enough I am convinced you believe in good faith it's a true historical occurence.... mega-looool.

 I am sure rocks have more intellectual faculties than you.

Good luck loosers.

Unbelievable, never heard some much shite, even my bluetooth headset which normally work flawlessly doesn't stop crashing listening to that pack of nonsense.

No facts, just some blah blah blah with no substances.

 To my fellow goyim, get the truth and check www.iamthewitness.co, watch "money as debt" on google.

looooool

The armenian genoside was performed by the turks after they were taken over by the Donmehs (jews from salonika), they did that at the same time they destroyed the ottoman empire passing as muslims when in reality they were jew (crypto), and this because the khalif did not want to give palestine to them, they eventually got it with the balfour (farfour ???) declaration.

Pretty much what's happening today in the US, Jews pretending to be american, are driving the government, and false flagged the WTC to depopulate Iraq which was the biggest threat to israel and is a territorial goal of israel (the 2 blue stripes represent the nile and the euphrates).

 Wake up goyim.

www.iamthewitness.com

PS: I am actully suprised my comment are not moderated, let see how long they stay there before being removed.

For Ziobots are so dumb.

Thank you for your comments and welcome to the site and the show. I have personally addressed your comments in the latest show. Feel free to take a listen.

Brian of London