Monday, November 14, 2011

Is History Getting Ready to Repeat Itself?

Only a short 73 years ago, the tragedy of the Holocaust started in earnest.  In just this short time, we hear pundits and pols bring up Hitler and Nazis for anything they find unpleasant.  It degrades the memory of those who were killed. And yet, it continues.
We must limit the words and images of the Hitler period to those crimes that match theirs. We must remember that there were 6 million Jews but an equal amount of others who also were victims of this regime. To say that someone is Hitler when they want to reduce taxes or benefits is an atrocity unlike spitting on some one's grave. In this case it is all of those who died as a result of the German machine.
Some of those who should know better are the perpetrators of this "hate speech."  What makes it even worse is that some of them are Jewish.  Any Jew who uses this type of language is, in our opinion,  self-hating. They are embarrassed that they are Jewish and willingly criticize everything Jewish, including Israel. 
 They blame Jews for the trouble around the world, for the economy, for the poor, for the downtrodden, for religious turmoil and for any other  problem which might come across their cerebral cortex. Why? In short, they are embarrassed that all Jews seem to be rich (not true) that they seem to be smart (not always true), and they seem to control all the money (not true.)  However, they buy into these stereotypes much like those who hate Jews for the very same reasons.  If their status in life i.e. middle class, average job and struggling to make ends meet, they start believing that "someone" must have held them back.  They would never consider themselves as the reason, it must be something else. It then dawns on them that it must be that they are Jewish. I know that sounds backwards or upside down, but they hate being Jewish because they are Jewish.

Most of these people disassociate themselves with the religion. They think that if I do not practice, it won't make me as Jewish. They go out of their way to put down anyone who is Jewish who has succeeded  by saying "they must have done something illegal" or some other rationalization. They hate their essence, their very being.

The biggest issue we have with self-hating Jews is that they bring credence to anti-Semites and anti-Israel believers.   Whether it is lies about Jews controlling the banks or the right of Israel to exist, these Jews bring "truth" to the lies. People who hate believe "if Jews feel that way, it must be true."

Anti-Semitic acts are increasing around the world much as was occuring 73 years ago.  Those who enable the haters, whether Jewish or not, should be ashamed of their actions.  Hate must be stopped if we are to learn the lessons of history. However, as we know, history has a nasty habit of repeating itself. I hope that we can learn and not repeat the mistakes of the past. It is up to each of us to make sure it does not happen (whether you are Jewish or not!)

Kristallnacht: 73 Years Ago The Holocaust Began-Is it About to Begin Again?

Jeff Dunetz - Yid With Lid, November 8th, 2011

Do Not Stand Idly By While Your Neighbor Bleeds~ Vayikra (Levitucus) 19:16
Kristallnacht also known as Night of Broken Glass was an anti-Jewish pogrom in Nazi Germany on November 9th-10th 1938. Kristallnacht was the day Hitler's final solution “came out of the closet.” It is viewed by many historians as the beginning of the final solution, leading to the genocide of the Holocaust.
In a coordinated attack on Jewish people and their property, 99 Jews were murdered and 25,000 to 30,000 were arrested and placed in concentration camps. 267 synagogues were destroyed and thousands of homes and businesses were ransacked. This was done by the Hitler Youth, Gestapo, and the SS. Kristallnacht also served as a pretext and a means for the wholesale confiscation of firearms from German Jews. Kristallnacht was part of a broader Nazi policy of antisemitism and persecution of the Jews. Kristallnacht was followed by further economic political persecutions and horrible genocide.
Throughout the world we remember Kristallnach, the night the Nazi's began the Holocaust in earnest. Its amazing how little has changed in almost seven decades. In Arab countries children textbooks are filled with anti-Jewish hatred while others call them Moderates. Islamic Clerics throughout the world call for the death of Jews. In Venezuela and Iran leaders are whipping the population into Anti-Semitic fervor.
At my dinner table on Friday night, a holocaust survivor admits that she is trying to persuade her son to take his family out of Europe to America, Canada, Australia, Israel…’They say they can’t leave me, but I tell them: “Go, get out. My parents left my grandparents behind in Berlin and brought me to safety in England. Now I want you to leave so that my grandchildren will be safe.”’ There is an unbearable desperation in her plea. But she has a point.
As tens of thousands of demonstrators march through the streets of Europe, the chants are modified but the message remains substantially intact: ‘Hamas, Hamas, Hamas — Jews to the Gas’. Or, more simply: ‘Death to the Jews’. Many European Jews, even well-established, affluent Jews, have been checking the suitcase they keep packed under the bed. They have been here before and many are (albeit reluctantly) reading the writing on the wall.
To some extent I thought I was inured. I grew up in postwar apartheid South Africa where a subtle undercurrent of anti-Semitism was a fact of everyday life. So while I was disturbed by manifestations of mob anti-Semitism, I was also less vulnerable to shock. That’s just how people are. Living in genteel, leafy Hampstead Garden Suburb provides an additional layer of protection from such crass outbursts.
But my sanguine state ends abruptly when I am out walking on Saturday. A hundred yards from my front door, I encounter the slogan, freshly painted in yellow, across the pavement: ‘Kill the Filthy Jews’. I am shocked. And shocked that I am shocked. The message is too close for comfort. The leafy gentility is, after all, an illusion.
Source:The terrible warning of a Holocaust survivor
Sadly Davis' tale is not unique, mainstream politicians the United States rail against the “Jewish influence on foreign policy” a meme take from Anti-Semitic texts, TV commentators complain about the number of Jews on the Supreme Court. College campus' have become a safe haven for anti-Semitic professors.
Despite its rampant Antisemitism, Occupy Wall Street protests, supported by the major labor unions, the Democratic Party Leadership in Congress and even the President of the United States.
Today when Israel is attacked by terror, the rest of the world turns their head away just as they did during Hitler's final solution. FDR refused to allow Jews to escape to American shores, the British not only refused them entry into England but also closed down their access to the holy land, they could have saved millions but wouldn't. They were only Jews. Today the president of France calls the Israeli Prime Minister a liar and the President of the United States complains about having to deal with Binyamin Netanyahu for the same reason. They are trying to make the Israeli leader and his country a little less than human, their reason is the same as it was for FDR and Churchill, they are only Jews.
They even got help from the Jews. The Jewish-owned NY Times ignored the Holocaust while it was happening, just as today they extol a bias against the Jewish State today. The AJC discouraged open talk of the Holocaust while it was happening, fearing that activism would create an anti-Semitic backlash. This was documented in Naomi Wiener Cohen’s book Not Free to Desist: The American Jewish Committee, 1906-1966, published in 1972. Just as today they work with the ADL to prevent Jews from speaking out against an Anti-Israel President of the United States. Jewish politicians walk blindly behind their party's Anti-Israel President and damn the Jewish people with their silence just to be able to move up the political ladder will not be able to silence us either. We will speak out against your lies and appeasement.
Because as Brutus told Cassius in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar,
You have done that you should be sorry for.
There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats,
For I am armed so strong in honesty
That they pass by me as the idle wind,
Which I respect not.
Sorry AJC, Sorry Abe Foxman and NY Times, sorry all of you American Jews who are willing o support a party and a President who will take your campaign donations with one hand and stab you in the back with the other. I will continue to speak out, I will not be silenced. The Jewish People will not be silenced again, Am Yisroael Chai! The Nation and People of Israel, the Children of Jacob live! And will continue to live as long as we speak out against those who will silence us within and outside our ranks.
May the memory of what started 73 years ago today be a reminder of what happens when the world is silent. And may the memories of the victims of the Shoah always be for a blessing

8 comments:

  1. Thank you for posting on this topic. It is hard to grasp the anti-Semitic climate that is sweeping the world. Why any one race/nationality can be responsible for so much is beyond me? I can't understand how people can be so blinded by the ignorance of some of their beliefs. It's kind of like Hitler wanting a race of blond haired blue eyed people when he didn't look anything like that! Also, wasn't Hitler Jewish, I have read contradicting information on that.

    I agree that it is a tragedy to see OWS compared to Hitler/Nazi. What Hitler did cannot be compared to anything going on in America today! How would certain other groups like their history downplayed like that? It is atrocious to hear the lies and hate spreading like wild fire.

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  2. Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement: 
    We are seeing some individuals holding anti-Semitic signs at the "Occupy Wall Street" rallies, and some videos posted on YouTube from the rallies have shown individuals expressing classic anti-Semitic beliefs such as "Jews control the banks" and "Jews control Wall Street."  While we believe that these expressions are not representative of the larger views of the OWS movement, it is still critical for organizers, participants and supporters of these rallies to condemn such bigoted statements clearly and forcefully.
     
    There is no evidence that these anti-Semitic conspiracy theories are representative of the larger movement or that they are gaining traction with other participants.  However, history demonstrates time and again how economic downturns can embolden anti-Semites to spread malicious conspiracy theories and promote stereotypes about Jews and money. As a consequence, these statements must not be left unchallenged.    

    http://www.adl.org/PresRele/ASUS_12/6138_12.htm

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    There is a concerted effort among defenders of the banking system to smear the OWS movement by focusing attention on a few idiots who show up and advocate violence, anti-Semitism, etc. It is an open forum. People can come with whatever message they want to promote on their signs.

    If you really want to know what the typical OWS protester believes about Jews, banks, etc., talk to a sample of the participants or note what appears common -- rather than exceptional -- among the signs and banners we display. All this hoop-la is intentionally designed to keep the focus on the protesters as a bunch of kooks instead of the banks as a bunch of international criminals who are wrecking the global economy with derivatives for their personal gain. This "Great Cartoon" Tom posted is a perfect example of the effort to discredit OWS.

    --David

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  3. David, The OWS movement is a mixture of people with disparate views and concerns. There is no one view of the movement, therefore it is impossible to determine the real goal of the group. In contrast, the Tea Party was made up of people who were pro-Constitution,pro-small government, pro-lower taxes. They also were anti-Obama due to his anti-Constitution, large government, higher taxes way of operating the government. The only thing the two groups had in common is that they all were organic without any real leaders.

    There are several significant differences that also needs to be pointed out. NO where were there anti-Semitic posters at Tea Party events and if someone did show up with them, they quickly were removed which did not occur at OWS. Secondly, the Tea Party members did not trash the area where they had their rally which is completely different from OWS. Thirdly, the Tea Party rallies were civil and to my knowledge there never were any arrests, no rapes, no shootings which has become the hallmark of the OWS. Lastly, the Tea Party elected representatives to Congress and I doubt that OWS will.
    There is a significant difference between these two groups which both are not happy with the current state of affairs in this country.

    We need to address the bankers and the products with which have caused much economic despair not only here but abroad. However, until we elect representatives who will do what is the best interests of the public and not their re-election chances, nothing will change.

    The only way to get real "representatives" is to remove the money out of the system by having government fund elections. Then you and I could run and maybe make a difference.

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  4. It is, indeed, unfortunate that anti-Semites, anarchists, and such fringe groups show up at OWS rallies, because they provide fodder for demagogues who wish to black-tar all of us in one brush stroke. It is akin to portraying Tea Party as ignorant racists because a small minority believe Obama is a Muslim born in Kenya and equate him to Hitler politically.

    The OWS is doing what it can (as the author of your article requests) to denounce such behavior….

    http://www.jpost.com/JewishWorld/JewishNews/Article.aspx?id=245555

    Isn't it interesting that in just the last couple weeks since Perry and Cain have imploded, Romney has not picked up any of their supporters? The Perry/Cain defectors are all going to Gingrich. If it becomes obvious that the choice comes down to Gingrich or Romney, who will win in your opinion?

    --David

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  5. Both Gingrich and Romney have pros and cons. Gingrich will be hung by the things he did when he divorced his wife (when she was sick with cancer.) He also has some bad things occur while he was speaker of the house. On the other side, he is one of the smartest people in this country. His ideas are revolutionary i.e. his 1994 ideas to take back the House from the Democrats.

    Romney is a successful businessman who made the Olympics profitable for the first time in years, if ever. He also started and ran Bain Capital, which bought and took apart companies. Now some would have a problem with that but, not all companies are meant to survive. On the negative side, Romney Care in Massachusetts has not been successful at all. I would like him to say "we tried it, it did not work." For some reason he will not. He also ran a very uninspired campaign in 2008. I was a supporter back then but not now.
    However, any Republican will be better than the current resident of the White House.

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  6. Okay, but you didn't answer my question. If the choice comes down to Gingrich or Romney, do you have an opinion about who wins? That was the question.

    --David

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  7. David, at present, I would believe that Romney has the inside track for two reasons. First, Gingrich seems to be the latest flavor of the month to be destroyed by the media. First there was Bachman, Perry, then Cain and now Gingrich. They seem to push these people to the front and then expose the dirty laundry to bring them down.

    So far we have not had that done to Romney who has the endorsement of the leaders among the party. However, he has had a problem getting more than 25% of the Republican vote so far and most Republicans want "someone else."

    The media (or the Obama team) might have something terribly disastrous on him and want him to be the candidate. They are doing (and will be doing) everything in their power to make sure he is the candidate so they can destroy him when he is running against Obama. I am very concerned with this.

    The odds as I see them today. Romney 55% chance of being the candidate, Gingrich 45%.

    I hope that answers your question. Agree?

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  8. Unlike Cain, Gingrich has been around D.C. for a long time. I don't think there will be any bombshells discovered. I think there is a good chance he will be the last man standing among the "not Mitt" candidates. Not sure, but I believe Romney is running better than him against Obama in the national opinion polls. If so, Obama would prefer to run against Gingrich.

    There seems to be a consistent 75% in the "not Mitt" camp since 2009. He is an epic flip-flopper. So if they want a more reliable conservative, they will vote for Gingrich in the end. If Romney beats Gingrich on the "electability" issue, it is going to become a difficult choice.

    At this point, I do not have a prediction. You probably have a better read on it than I do, so i will be following your prognostications as it all unfolds.

    --David

    P.S. I noted in the last debate that Ron Paul said he would not approve torturing people. Alas, one more strike against him!

    ReplyDelete

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