The danger of Anne Frank Syndrome

Bookworm Room (Blogspot) ^ | 27 January, 2006 | "Bookworm"

[Salem]

The danger of Anne Frank Syndrome

On July 15, 1944, after having spent exactly two years in hiding from the Nazis, Anne Frank wrote her most famous words:

It'’s a wonder I haven'’t abandoned all my ideals, they seem so absurd and impractical. Yet I cling to them because I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart.

It'’s utterly impossible for me to build my life on a foundation of chaos, suffering and death. I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness, I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too, I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too shall end, that peace and tranquility will return once more.

Every school child learns that "people are truly good at heart," and just yesterday I heard an ultraliberal acquaintance opine the same thing, in virtually those words. I did not get a warm, cuddly feeling. Instead, I actually started thinking about those words.

Anne freely admits that she wrote those words because she needed the thought to give meaning to a life spent in hiding. Two weeks after writing them, based on information from an informer, the annex's residents were rounded up by the Nazis and shipped off. Here's what happened to them:

Mr. Van Daan was gassed immediately on his arrival in Auschwitz.

Mrs. Van Daan was shuffled from Auschwitz, to Bergen-Belsen, to Buchenwald, to Theresienstadt, and finally to another unknown camp were she apparently died shortly before war's end.

Peter van Daan survived a death march from Auschwitz to Mauthausen, only to die three days before the camp was liberated.

Mr. Dussel, after having spent time in either Buchenwald or Sachenhausen, died in Neuengamme a few months after being arrested.

Mrs. Frank died in Auschwitz from starvation and exhaustion.

As for Anne and Margot:

Margot and Anne Frank were transported from Auschwitz at the end of October and brought to Bergen-Belsen,concentrationton camp neHanoverver (Germany). The typhus epidemic that broke out in the winter of 1944-1945, as a result of the horrendohygienicnic conditions, killed thousands of prisoners, including Margot and, a few days later, Anne. She must have died in late February or early March. The bodies of both girls were probably dumped in Bergen-Belsen's mass graves. (From the Afterward to The Diary of a Young Girl : The Definitive Edition, published by Anchor Books Doubleday in 1996)

Anne Frank did not die peacefully or gracefully. Instead, her last days on earth were a nightmare of cold, hunger, loneliness and fear:

Anne was briefly reunited with two friends, Hanneli Goslar (named "Lies" in the diary) and Nanette Blitz, who both survived the war. They said that Anne, naked but for a piece of blanket, explained she was infested with lice and had thrown her clothes away. They described her as bald, emaciated and shivering but although ill herself, she told them that she was more concerned about Margot, whose illness seemed to be more severe. Goslar and Blitz did not see Margot who remained in her bunk, too weak to walk. Anne said they were alone as both of their parents were dead.

Why am I emphasizing all this? Because I want to make it clear that Anne Frank was wrong. People are not innately good. Her words were whistling in the dark, written to give herself faith and courage under terrible circumstances. They cannot and should not be used as a yardstick for measuring humans' natural state.

And for Liberals to cling to this "ideology" moves beyond optimism into idiocy. First off, anyone who has children knows that, while they have a tremendous capacity for love, and have within them the seeds for reason and kindness, their innate state is more Lord of the Flies than anything else. Children are naturally violent, greedy and jealous.

What tempers children is a society's externally imposed value system. And these value systems don't spring out of whole cloth. They are the results of centuries of give and take, violence, refining, and thought. In a chauvinistic way that I'm not even going to bother to defend, I think our modern Judeo-Christian value system is one of the best ever created -- and it's not innate, it's learned. I'll go even further here: I don't like the current fundamentalist Islamic value system, with its denigration of women, Jews, and non-Muslims, and its obsession with visiting extreme physical violence (and I include beheading and other slaughters) on those so denigrated.

So, I don't think we in the West are innately good, or that those in the fundamentalist Islamic Middle East are inherently bad. I do think, however, that we have the better value system, and that it's absolute idiocy for someone to go around mouthing Anne Frank's touching but misguided words about humans' innate goodness.

And of course, if it were merely one person's idiocy, that would be irritating, but fine. What's a problem is that people seek to impose this willfully naive view on American foreign policy, hampering America's ability to protect herself against those whose value system calls for our subjugation or death.

UPDATE: Dennis Prager writes powerfully about the new Arab anti-Semitism, which he considers even worse that Nazi anti-Semitism. The Nazis hid their death programs, not believing that the entire public would get on board. The Arabs have 100% public support. Additionally, Arabs have no fear of death, if they can, by their deaths, kill Jews. Prager makes other points about Arab anti-Semitism, but I thought this one was especially important in light of Anne Frank Syndrome:

We Jews have reasons to worry because the West ignores this Jew-hatred. One reason is that Third World evil is rarely taken seriously among Western elites. A second reason is the psychological and political need of Westerners to believe that Islamic societies are, with the exception of "a few extremists," tolerant societies. And the third reason is that Arab/Muslim anti-Semitism is dismissed as a temporary phenomenon that will disappear when Israelis and Palestinians make peace. But this belief inverts reality. The lack of peace between the Jewish state and its neighbors is not the cause of Arab anti-Semitism, it is the result of that anti-Semitism. Since 1948, there has been one reason for the Arab-Israeli conflict - the Arab/Muslim world rejects the concept of a Jewish (or any non-Muslim) state in its midst.

For this update, a tip of the hat to the wonderful American Future.

[Salem]

Good one.

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[pillut48]

"Lies! Exaggerations!! It's all made up!! That Frank girl was probably complaining because her tea got cold at tea time! There was no Holocaust!!"
/President of Iraq off >:-(

I agree with the writer--there IS evil in this world. :*(

[pillut48]

Sorry--not Iraq, IRAN.

"Lies! Exaggerations!! It's all made up!! That Frank girl was probably complaining because her tea got cold at tea time! There was no Holocaust!!"
/President of Iran off >:-(

I agree with the writer--there IS evil in this world. :*(

[Alouette]

FRmail me to be added or removed from this Judaic/pro-Israel/Russian Jewry ping list.

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[Uri’el-2012]

Because I want to make it clear that Anne Frank was wrong. People are not innately good. Her words were whistling in the dark, written to give herself faith and courage under terrible circumstances. They cannot and should not be used as a yardstick for measuring humans' natural state.

Total depravity.

This is the doctrine that affirms the whole corruption of man's nature

b'shem Y'shua

[Zionist Conspirator]

Why am I emphasizing all this? Because I want to make it clear that Anne Frank was wrong. People are not innately good. Her words were whistling in the dark, written to give herself faith and courage under terrible circumstances. They cannot and should not be used as a yardstick for measuring humans' natural state.

'Amein!

[netmilsmom]

I feel that one of the biggest problems with our world today is that we have decided that there is not evil in the world. That is wrong.

When my niece was five and her brother three, their mom said the boy not to do something. He did it anyway. The mom told the boy that he was being bad. My niece told her mom he wasn't bad, he was misguided.

That's good for a five year old, not an adult.

[tomahawk]

Denial of evil allows evil to flourish.

[humint]

What's a problem is that people seek to impose this willfully naive view on American foreign policy, hampering America's ability to protect herself against those whose value system calls for our subjugation or death.

There is an undeniable quest for ideal society that is not bound by time or culture. The most oppressed among us obsess about it. They agitate the rest of us who are relatively content with the society we have. If society never changed then it would be easy to silence these agitators but society does change. Society is extremely dynamic. The most dynamic of societies embrace agitators.

Anne was oppressed and we can and should forgive her for her fantasies. Ultimately, her fantasies were not far fetched. Peace and multiculturalism thrive under the right governance. That’s the key! Governance! Yes, this author is right, individuals in any given society are sick and certain cultural characteristics accentuate sickness. Lest we forget, depravity and violence is rampant under our value architecture too, but what is important is that intolerance and depravity are not sanctioned in the same way as it is by the Iranian government or some other Muslim nations.

Believing the world can be a better place is a very dangerous thing to believe! Challenging the status quo is a dangerous thing to do! But that’s what America was born to believe and do. There is nothing safe or popular about the role America was born to play. We can debate the pace at which progress might be made toward responsible governance around the world but there can be no safeguard from those among us who try to fashion American foreign policy to make the world a better, safer place for all of its inhabitants. The story of the conception of the United States makes clear our nation was born with that risk. Sure it may kill us… liberty or death right?

[tutstar]

bump

[Fred Hayek]

Another one of Dennis Prager's points is that the downfall of liberalism is its denial of true evil. Modern liberalism views evil as any disagreement with liberal orthodoxy (racissexisthomophobicfacistbigotpigs), yet disregards the actions of truly evil people.

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

THE JOOOOOOZ IN ISLAM:
THE HATE COMES DIRECTLY FROM THE UNCHANGEABLE KORAN!
KORAN [9.30] And the Jews say: Uzair [Ezra] is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away!

KORAN [5.51] O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.

HADITH Sahih Bukhari [4:52:176] Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar:
Allah's Apostle said, "You (i.e. Muslims) will fight with the Jews till some of them will hide behind stones. The stones will (betray them) saying, 'O 'Abdullah (i.e. slave of Allah)! There is a Jew hiding behind me; so kill him.' "

HADITH Sahih Bukhari [4:52:177] Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said, "The Hour will not be established until you fight with the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say. "O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him."

HADITH Sahih Bukhari [4:56:791] Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar:
I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "The Jews will fight with you, and you will be given victory over them so that a stone will say, 'O Muslim! There is a Jew behind me; kill him!' "

HADITH Sahih Muslim [41:6981] Ibn 'Umar reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying:
You will fight against the Jews and you will kill them until even a stone would say: Come here, Muslim, there is a Jew (hiding himself behind me); kill him.

HADITH Sahih Muslim [41:6982] Ubaidullah has reported this hadith with this chain of transmitters (and the Words are):
"There is a Jew behind me."

HADITH Sahih Muslim [41:6983] Abdullah b. 'Umar reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying:
You and the Jews would fight against one another until a stone would say: Muslim, here is a Jew behind me; come and kill him.

HADITH Sahih Muslim [41:6984] Abdullah b. 'Umar reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said:
The Jews will fight against you and you will gain victory over them until the stone would say: Muslim, here is a Jew behind me; kill him.

HADITH Sahih Muslim [41:6985] Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying:
The last hour would not come unless the Muslims will fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them until the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or a tree and a stone or a tree would say: Muslim, or the servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him; but the tree Gharqad would not say, for it is the tree of the Jews.

Hadith Sahih Muslim, Book 19, Chapter 41: THE MURDER OF KA'B B. ASHRAF, (THE EVIL GENIUS) OF THE JEWS [for authoring songs and jokes about Muhammad]

HADITH Sahih Muslim [19:4436] It has been narrated on the authority of Jabir that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said:
Who will kill Ka'b b. Ashraf? He has maligned Allah, the Exalted, and His Messenger. Muhammad b. Maslama said: Messenger of Allah, do you wish that I should kill him? He said: Yes. He said: Permit me to talk (to him in the way I deem fit). He said: Talk (as you like). So, Muhammad b. Maslama came to Ka'b and talked to him, referred to the old friendship between them and said: This man (i. e. the Holy Prophet) has made up his mind to collect charity (from us) and this has put us to a great hardship. When be heard this, Ka'b said: By God, you will be put to more trouble by him. Muhammad b. Maslama said: No doubt, now we have become his followers and we do not like to forsake him until we see what turn his affairs will take. I want that you should give me a loan. He said: What will you mortgage? He said: What do you want? He said: Pledge me your women. He said: You are the most handsome of the Arabs; should we pledge our women to you? He said: Pledge me your children. He said: The son of one of us may abuse us saying that he was pledged for two wasqs of dates, but we can pledge you (cur) weapons. He said: All right. Then Muhammad b. Maslama promised that he would come to him with Harith, Abu 'Abs b. Jabr and Abbad b. Bishr. So they came and called upon him at night. He came down to them. Sufyan says that all the narrators except 'Amr have stated that his wife said: I hear a voice which sounds like the voice of murder. He said: It is only Muhammad b. Maslama and his foster-brother, Abu Na'ila. When a gentleman is called at night even it to be pierced with a spear, he should respond to the call. Muhammad said to his companions: As he comes down, I will extend my hands towards his head and when I hold him fast, you should do your job. So when he came down and he was holding his cloak under his arm, they said to him: We sense from you a very fine smell. He said: Yes, I have with me a mistress who is the most scented of the women of Arabia. He said: Allow me to smell (the scent on your head). He said: Yes, you may smell. So he caught it and smelt. Then he said: Allow me to do so (once again). He then held his head fast and said to his companions: Do your job. And they killed him.

© Religion of Peace

KORAN: http://www.hti.umich.edu/k/koran/
HADITH: http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/reference/searchhadith.html

THE KORAN AND HADITH MUST BE CONDEMNED!

[anonymoussierra]

Thank you (*Salem*)

[judicial meanz]

I'm going to take issue with the author on this. I dont believe judging the human race to be wholly composed of people inclined to commit evil is that open and shut.

I firmly believe that a large group of people are born inherently good, with the full intentions of being an asset to humanity. They consciously reject any attempt to become evil or participate in dastardly deeds, and toe the line.

I also believe that a small segment of people are programmed to be total predators, with no humanity and no concept at all of ever being good to anyone. They are heartless, murderous maniacs who decieve others and make them evil as well.

I also believe that there are normal people who are capable of doing extraordinarily good things when the chips are down and nothing seems to be in their favor. These people are the ones history records forever as decent and good people.

Then there are generally bad people but perform acts of great kindness and good when they are in the face of human events that make the hearts of others fail. Where do we put them?

What do I base this on? Nothing except life experience, but I am not prepared to throw out the human race yet. There are still people out there who are capable of great things, and they will come out of the woodwork when they are needed. Like they always have.

[justiceseeker93]

Although I agree with Dennis Prager just about all the time, he seems to have overgeneralized in the quote you attribute to him:

... the Arab/Muslim world rejects the concept of a Jewish (or non-Muslim) state in its midst.

Prager may have overlooked the admittedly tenuous peace treaties that Egypt and Jordan, respectively, have with Israel, which - at least on paper - recognize the Jewish state. Of course, these treaties were gained only because of the belated recognition by these two former adversaries of Israel's vastly superior military strength.

[Ciexyz]

I'm going to take issue with the author on this.

Yours is a most astute analysis of the human condition. I extend my congratulations.

I refuse to concede that there is such a thing as "the Anne Frank syndrome". Leave Anne out of it, I say. She's in heaven with the angels. Don't drag her name into our current world situation. Young people still feel the need to be inspired by Anne's quiet heroism. Leave them their idealism, thank you.

[judicial meanz]

Thank you very much!

There is plenty in the world to inspire us. We just need to look for it more often, and stop wallowing in the negative. We wont defeat savages by becoming savages ourselves.

I have to admit I am as guilty as anyone else in this, I suppose.

[archy]

*more here*

[Ciexyz]

There is plenty in the world to inspire us.

So true. And Anne Frank's example is a shining light for all humanity. (That doesn't mean we shouldn't prepare to defend ourselves against the evildoers of the world. Pacifists when they pass the buck to others to defend them, are impractical, suicidal and obnoxious.)