The first thing I reach for in such circumstances is Snopes. They research urban myths and publish the results and, where possible, present opposing viewpoints if the truth is less than clear-cut. In this instance, the article is here: http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/holocaust.asp
I reckon it's a pretty darn low act for someone to whip-up hysteria around such a tragedy as the holocaust. I get the impression this spam [it's not even a well-intentioned chain-letter eliciting wishes of good luck or universal harmony, nor is a base money-grab, it's all about hysteria] is supposed to be an anti-Muslim piece, though even my knee-jerk reaction is a drastic simplification of all the background.
Snopes researches and presents opposing viewpoints. And, looking at the background (the poorly-worded media articles that kicked-off the debacle), that's exactly what should taught in school. Important historical events should be taught even if it does challenge what's being taught to the same students elsewhere. Schools should be teaching kids to research the facts and ask questions about differing viewpoints/accounts of history. It's equipping people with the skills to make-up their own mind and know how to reach an informed decision rather than swallow racist, political, nationalistic or religion-based dogma. Education is the best weapon in the face of extremism.
This is apart from the mind-boggling claims history-deniers dish-up. I don't see how any rational, intelligent person can deny that millions of people (Jewish, and also other religions, races and ways of life) were killed in the holocaust. It was state-run murder on a massive scale and the evidence is overwhelming. There's even some survivors in Melbourne who's got numbers tattooed on their wrist...it's a scary thing to contemplate what they went through. Just as it's scary to think about the type of person who'd organise and run the holocaust. So, you have to wonder what history-deniers hope to gain from their impossible claims. It's offensive on intellectual and moral grounds.
They research urban myths and publish the results and, where possible, present opposing viewpoints if the truth is less than clear-cut.
In this instance, the article is here: http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/holocaust.asp
I reckon it's a pretty darn low act for someone to whip-up hysteria around such a tragedy as the holocaust. I get the impression this spam [it's not even a well-intentioned chain-letter eliciting wishes of good luck or universal harmony, nor is a base money-grab, it's all about hysteria] is supposed to be an anti-Muslim piece, though even my knee-jerk reaction is a drastic simplification of all the background.
Snopes researches and presents opposing viewpoints. And, looking at the background (the poorly-worded media articles that kicked-off the debacle), that's exactly what should taught in school. Important historical events should be taught even if it does challenge what's being taught to the same students elsewhere. Schools should be teaching kids to research the facts and ask questions about differing viewpoints/accounts of history.
It's equipping people with the skills to make-up their own mind and know how to reach an informed decision rather than swallow racist, political, nationalistic or religion-based dogma.
Education is the best weapon in the face of extremism.
This is apart from the mind-boggling claims history-deniers dish-up. I don't see how any rational, intelligent person can deny that millions of people (Jewish, and also other religions, races and ways of life) were killed in the holocaust. It was state-run murder on a massive scale and the evidence is overwhelming.
There's even some survivors in Melbourne who's got numbers tattooed on their wrist...it's a scary thing to contemplate what they went through.
Just as it's scary to think about the type of person who'd organise and run the holocaust.
So, you have to wonder what history-deniers hope to gain from their impossible claims. It's offensive on intellectual and moral grounds.
PS: huzzah for XKCD! ;)
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