by Skypod
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SOCIALIST#1: Q: And what have your learned, Sky?

Me: A: So many things....

First, and perhaps most important to me, is that most of the people who were exterminated in Nazi-controlled Europe cannot be labeled as "cowards". It is very hard to fight the enemy when you know that your wife and children will be tortured and murdered as a result, or that they will die without you by their side. In some cases, it took *extreme* courage to walk to their slow deaths with their families, rather than fight and be shot outright.

"Cowards" was one facet of the problem... and certainly some of them were, especially those who were afraid to change the status quo and prevented the others from fighting.

Also, I learned that Nazism was a SLOW process... first they outlawed one thing, then another and another... each time the people said "well, this isn't so bad, this too will pass," until it was too late to do anything about it. They were in the same state of self-denial as the people here are when confronted with the facts say "it could never happen here".

I also learned that England had in her power to grant as many visas to Israel as she wanted (and thereby saving millions), but being anti-Semitic herself, decided instead to limit them to a very small number.

Also, that the other countries in the world KNEW what was going on, and REFUSED to help. The burden of guilt does not rest solely on the Nazis; the Nuremberg trials were a total hypocritical farce.

Also extremely important was the fact that in countries like Sweden and Denmark, who REFUSED to comply with the Nazi laws, the Jews were protected and the Nazis couldn't do anything about it. In countries like Poland, the Nazis had the support of the government and the people, and that is why their exterminations were able to be carried out.

There were so many things working against the victims all at once, it is hard to simplify the situation.

One thing though: If they (not just Jews, but everyone) had seen what was going on and heeded the creeping signs of oppression, the Nazis would have been stopped in their tracks.

SOCIALIST#2: Q: So what are those signs. And please, be specific.

Me: A: Here are some, just off the top of my head....

* Laws against specific peoples of a society,
* Laws favoring specific peoples of a society,
* Laws prohibiting individual expression,
* Laws prohibiting defense of life and liberty,
* Laws prohibiting the pursuit of happiness,
* Laws favoring intrusive governmental control of various aspects of individual life,
* Governmental control of news media,
* Governmental control of education,
* Governmental approval of groups that favor any or all of the above.