June 13, 2005

SICK

My in-laws are visiting, so I haven't been sitting at the computer much. This weekend we went to Nuremburg and spent some time at the Dokumentationszentrum Reichsparteitagsgelande, which is a heck of a name for the Nazi Party Rally Grounds. To be honest, besides a few details, we didn't learn much at the museum, but I did get to see footage of Nazi rallies and photos of Hitler's adoring crowds. And walking through the museum, I couldn't help but think of the travesty that is modern comparison. Googling "Bush Hitler" brings 2,140,000 hits, including a website that tracks Bush=Hitler comments. ("Saddam Hitler" only brings a third as many hits, despite the fact that if we have to compare someone to Hitler, as all are wont to do these days, Saddam fits much nicer in my eyes.) And seeing things like this t-shirt and this German website about how much Bush is like Hitler make me absolutely sick. Even worse are the websites where people claim that Hitler was better than Bush.

As I walked through that museum, I grew angry at both the past and at the present. But time revealed the true horrors of 1930s Germany, just as I believe time will vindicate the early 2000s someday. I just wish we didn't have to wait that long.

Posted by Sarah at June 13, 2005 09:02 AM
Comments

Yeah, it's interesting. At that time, there was a tendency by the general public in Germany, to justify the anti-semitism, by saying the Jews had brought it upon themselves. And nowadays there is a tendency by many to justifying the actions of terrorists, by saying that America has brought it upon itself.

Posted by: CaliValleyGirl at June 13, 2005 05:33 PM

Sarah,

"Sick" is the only way to put it. That's the only word I could think of when I clicked on those links.

Posted by: Erin at June 13, 2005 08:43 PM

Those who forget the past (or bastardize it) are doomed to repeat it.

So, will we recognize the real danger when it rears its' head? Probably not. I just heard a poll result that 6 out of 10 Americans think we should get out of Iraq.

Posted by: Pamela at June 14, 2005 12:56 AM

Saw a show the other day where German high schoolers were talking about the Holocost. One kid said, "Yeah, it was bad, but not as bad as the Americans in Vietnam."

Whaaaaaa?

Posted by: MargeinMI at June 14, 2005 03:00 PM