Posted on 11/18/2008 3:19:21 PM PST by AJKauf
Last Wednesday, hundreds, if not thousands, of students ostensibly protesting poor conditions in German schools stormed the main building of Berlin’s historic Humboldt University: smashing windows, occupying seminar rooms, strewing rolls of toilet paper in the lobby and courtyard, and even setting at least one fire. Most astonishingly, the protesters also laid waste to an exhibit in the entry hall of the building devoted to the Nazi persecution of the Jews. The exhibit was titled “Betrayed and Sold: Jewish Businesses in Berlin 1933-1945.” According to reports on the German news site Spiegel-Online and in the popular German tabloid Bild, virtually all the poster boards making up the exhibit were damaged and, as photo evidence shows, some were fully ripped in two. Eyewitnesses cited by Spiegel-Online say that the rioters who destroyed the exhibit were adolescents around thirteen years old.
Interviewed by Spiegel-Online, a researcher at the university reported that when he informed rioters that the university had visitors from Israel and asked “What will they think?” one young man responded “F*ck Israel!” [Scheiß Israel] and proceeded to attack him....
(Excerpt) Read more at pajamasmedia.com ...
Regarding Patton: even the proverbial broken clock is right twice. He was right about continuing to Berlin, thus preventing decades of oppression. Not making excuses about his down side. Yeah, I know all about Patton’s problems, but like Lincoln with Grant, everything considered, I’d take a dozen Patton’s over one Wesley Clark.
Leaving every bit of vandalism unrepaired, they should open for business as usual the next morning.
Invite any journalist who will come for a walk through.
What better way to really drive the point home?
Roosevelt and Eisenhauer sold out Europe.
Pattons Demise always smelled of "Convenience".
It needs to be said that Germany has overdone its repentance of the Holocaust. In doing so it risks recreating the hatred that used to be so common there. While good for a while, they need to tone things down or they are asking for rising anti-Jewish hate.
As comparison, imagine if in the US South, many schools and public institutions displayed exhibits about the evils of slavery and segregation, and how southerners must repent about their mistreatment of blacks. It could certainly be done for a while, but soon the willingness to repent would run out, and if it was continued, white southerners would start to resent blacks, a recipe for trouble.
For years, German schools were prohibited from even discussing World War II. A generation of Germans grew up unable to see any difference between the United States and the Soviet Union. Theirs is still a culture full of forbidden words, slogans and sayings. Ironically, this shows signs of “normalizing” Nazism and Hitler.
Reruns of Hogan’s Heroes is very popular in Germany, and it is surprising that the censors would let it be shown, because swastikas are frequently seen. They do insist that the “Heil Hitler” when Nazi salutes are given, be overdubbed with nonsense words. But is there a single older child in the entire country who doesn’t know what is really being said?
So the emphasis in Germany should shift from old crimes committed by their fathers and grandfathers, to improving how they treat others today. Instead of making anti-Semites resentful, the effort should be made to stop them from being anti-Semites.
Their history will remain, and hopefully they will be allowed to teach it to their children so they don’t do that any more.
You’re defending these POS?
Dat true: Patton was a potenital political rival to Ike as well.
You can only beat a dog so long before it will eventually bite you.
High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. or WOT [War on Terror]
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With Patton in the Oval Office we would have experienced a very short Cold War.
Slimebuckets.
These thugs were eighth graders. What happenned to the cops?
No, I’m pointing out that efforts to reach them have failed, so it would be very wise to come up with a better way.
Germany, when I was there in the 1980s, had a split personality. Older Germans and the kids loved Americans. Baby boomer Germans disliked Americans and equated them with Russians. This was a direct result of not teaching the boomers about WWII. The young kids were again being taught about WWII, so had context to like Americans.
The same rule applies to the Holocaust. Most of the adults involved in the Holocaust are dead. And just recently, Yugoslavia gave another example of ethnic cleansing. Had Germany been redeemed, it would have sent its military into Yugoslavia to prevent that event.
Only with Afghanistan has Germany finally been able to even half-heartedly engage its military in an other than purely defensive role. And soon, with the economic crunch, Germany is going to not
have the US to look out for its military interests.
So while Germany will never forget its evil part in the Holocaust, it is far more important to have them able and willing to stop future holocausts. Continuing to harp on it is just going to make more of what you called POSs.
“So the emphasis in Germany should shift from old crimes committed by their fathers and grandfathers, to improving how they treat others today. Instead of making anti-Semites resentful, the effort should be made to stop them from being anti-Semites.”
Can’t: it’s in their DNA. Never met a Hun who I didn’t see a little of that Germanic heritage. And I know Hitler was Austrian: little difference.
In the same way that discussion of America's abuse of the Natives, and Jim Crow has turned America into a bunch of Indianhaters and racists.
Sorry, it comes from within, the individual and the culture.
And there's nothing in this article to suggest this was an act of antisemitism, rather mayhem at a school that housed a Holocaust exhibit.
And if the paper missed the story, and the exhibit instigated the mayhem, why make excuses for the vandals.
OMG that’s TOO FUNNY!
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