Holocaust Denial & Revisionist Debunking
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Essays & Editorials [home] The Department of History, University of Northampton & The Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team |
“What is it good for?” - “Absolutely Nothing!”
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In nearly 40 years of holocaust research, I have never given more than a few seconds thought regarding Holocaust Denial.
"But is that wise?"
Up to now I thought so, what would be the point, of spending any substantial amount of precious time on debating with Holocaust Deniers, given the abundance of evidence available, ranging from films, photographs, eyewitness testimony, documents and admissions from those who took part in one of the worst crimes in the history of mankind.
Thanks to the internet, the Deniers have had priceless opportunities to speedily put forward their views, and this in turn has led to a number of websites, countering their views, and thus a cottage industry of sorts has grown up.
Visiting some of these sites one is struck by the enormous amount of wasted effort, both in terms of arguing with Deniers, who will never change their particular view, unless some “ultimate proof” is provided, and the Deniers spending their time, peddling their seemingly senseless viewpoints, happy to be engaged in ‘debate.’
In addition, those self proclaimed “Debunkers” of revisionist theories are in many ways no different than the Deniers themselves. Most are only seeking a conflict or debate to engage in, and debunking revisionism affords them some sort of “moral high ground” to do it from.
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Clearly, a view could be formed that the “ultimate proof” has already been provided, but the Deniers choose not to believe it. And no matter what – the Deniers views are unlikely to change and does the world doesn’t really need “Noble-Debunkers” to keep the rest of us safe from such idiotic theories or treatises.
So in essence, debating the number of victims at Belzec and Sobibor death camps at length, the type of engine used at Treblinka to gas hundreds and thousands of innocent Jewish men, women and children, the true nature of deportations East - was it six million murdered or 8 million, what does all this effort achieve?
It is difficult to know why someone should choose to go down the Denier path, perhaps as a result of anti-Semitism, or seeking their fifteen minutes of fame through controversial outbursts, whilst ignoring the overwhelming evidence for the Holocaust, even just as a mechanism for spreading hate and intolerance- who can be sure.
With recent well publicised comments from Bishop Dr Richard Williamson, who in a Swedish television interview in January 2009 said:
Read the full editorial here: http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/essays&editorials/deniers&debunkers.html
The Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
www.HolocaustResearchProject.org
Copyright Carmelo Lisciotto H.E.A.R.T 2009
Categories: Holocaust editorials
Tags: Lippstadt Nazi Idiots Revisionism Debate John Ulrich Poulsen anti-Semitism Jews outrage Third Reich Holocaust Controversies Israel Debunking NSDAP David Irving
I NEVER UNDERSTOOD THE LOGIC IN ARGUING WITH HOLOCAUST DENIERS IT ALWAYS SEEMED TO ME TO BE AN EXERCISE IN FUTILITY.
YOU GUYS ALSO MAKE A GOOD POINT ABOUT THOSE SELF PROCLAIMED DEBUNKERS OF REVISIONISM.
WHEN YOU READ HOW THEY BEHAVE ITS CLEAR THEY ARE ONLY DEBATING FOR THE FUN OF THE DEBATE AND REALLY COULD CARE LESS ABOUT THE VICTIMS OF THE HOLOCAUST.
I THINK IN MANY CASES THEY DO MORE FOR THE REVISIONIST CAUSE THAN THE DENIERS DO THEMSELVES!
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In some respects you are correct, but I take issue with the claims about self-proclaimed debunkers.
I cannot speak for everybody who indulges in it, but from observation most of them are genuinely interested in giving the deniers a hard time. I include myself in this category because it appalls me how these people think they can make such claims without challenge.
It is true that some debunkers are not very effective and through bad debating technique do play into the hands of the deniers; however, a well structured argument backed up with solid evidence often has a profound effect, which usually shows through when the denier loses his or her composure.
Ultimately, we cannot hope to change their minds because they always work backwards from their conclusions. That doesn't mean they should be allowed to have it their own way.
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Whilst many “Self-Proclaimed Debunkers of Revisionism” believe they are doing something noble by “giving the Deniers a hard time” you are in essence accomplishing nothing but validating that a ludicrous revisionist viewpoint has any merit what so ever.
Forcing Holocaust Deniers to lose composure doesn't discredit the Denier. It simply proves the Denier is just as human as the rest of us and can react adversely when challenged.
(We would remind all that the Holocaust isn't a game where points are awarded to whichever side makes a better argument. Millions died in unimaginable suffering. If you need to play a game that proves your intellect we would recommed a friendly game of Chess perhaps?)
It is the view of the Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team that the period of history known as the Holocaust [Shoah], the program of systematic state-sponsored extermination by Nazi Germany, under Adolf Hitler, and its collaborators towards the Jewish peoples in Europe but also including ethnic Poles, the Romani, Soviet civilians, Soviet prisoners of war, people with disabilities, gay men, and political and religious opponents can NEVER BE DENIED.
Any claim that the Shoah never happened, that the resources of the Third Reich never murdered almost a million Jews and political opponents in mass shootings. That entire communities of Jews and Romani were not crammed into ghettos before being transported by freight train to extermination camps where, if they survived the journey, the majority of them were killed in gas chambers is a claim designed purely to stir controversy.
Validating the arguments of Holocaust Deniers via anonymous online debates offers no value to the cause of Holocaust remembrance and no value to history or posterity.
We believe that energy is better spent promoting Holocaust awareness for the future benefit of society and cultures worldwide.
So mankind won't forever be doomed to repeat the evils of the past.
The Holocaust can never be denied.
-H.E.A.R.T
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Dear H.E.A.R.T
I couldn't agree more with your statements.
60 years after the Holocaust happened arguing with those who choose to deny out of their own racial hatred is just silly.
I don't care about making a Holocaust denier look badly.
They already do that themselves the moment they promulgate their venomous propaganda.
Maya Jansen
New York, NY
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Debating with Holocaust Denier is a foolish endeavor.
Those who feel they are doing us all a good service by attempting to debunk hate propaganda only lend it credence.
Please stop doing us the favor and let the deniers shout from their soap boxes.
When they realize that no one is listening they will give up proselytizing and move on to chasing UFOs and searching for Bigfoot.
Joella Simon
Raleigh, North Carolina
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Holocaust denying and arguing with Holocaust deniers is just STUPID!
Mario
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