Opinion
Ditch the analogies
Varda Meyers Epstein
Published: 12.09.13, 19:59
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22 Talkbacks for this article
1. Article is CORRECT...The analogy is sickening
Netanya ,   Netanya   (09.12.13)
I find it very offensive that some Jews are comparing this to the holocaust. What is the genocide here? There is not any people that will not exist after this war is over, even if it goes on for another 20 yrs? They are all Syrian, all Muslims, either less or more radical, but they are killing each other. Lebanon had a civil war too, as did USA. To think that this is anything like the holocaust, where Jews had no place to go is offensive. The Syrians can go to Lebanon, Egypt, Germany, and many more places. They do not have to stay in Syria and die, as the Jews did in Europe. Thanks for the article, it needed to be written. Good job!
2. Holocaust
Harris ,   Boca Raton, USA   (09.12.13)
This is an excellent article in pointing out one of many examples where the unique nature of the Holocaust is trivialized and confused by comparing it to other disparate events. The Holocaust was unique because it involved the systematic murder of a people just because they were of a certain religion. The causes of the hatred that led to the Holocaust were many and too complicated for this response, but one needs only to study the history of Europe to see the evolution of rabid anti-Semitism.
3. 10 000 Jews killed daily in Auschwitz.
(09.12.13)
4. Why not?
Allen ,   USA   (09.13.13)
Killing is killing. The Jews were killed simply because of their ethnicity and the Syrians are being killed because they are Sunnis or not affiliated with the ruling groups. To me the difference her is only the number. Most of Your comments are also racists.
5. Lets give harping on the Holocaust a rest too
Cameron ,   USA   (09.13.13)
6. The holocaust monopoly ,...
split ,   US   (09.13.13)
A whole selected segment of society an 8 to 10 million sistematically starved to death Ukrainian kulaks (farmers) and their families during one winter 1932/33 conceived and implemented by Kaganowich/Yagoda duet and not one word about it or who were the perpetrators ,...
7. Trivialisation of evil, & a few missing adjectives...
Ozraeli ,   Australia   (09.13.13)
1. This is an excellent article, although it could probably be even more explicit & descriptive in the clear differences between the characteristics of the Holocaust & the Syrian civil war. 2. IMO, the truly defining, overriding evil of the Holocaust was the organised, industrialised, systemic, systematic, researched, & planned attempt to eradicate part of the human race, purely due to their opinions, beliefs, & family background. Not an unbridled, emotional, tribal "Kill or be killed" fight over pasture or hunting grounds, but a systematic, industrialised, production line slaughter... 3. The article also intrinsically protests against the trivialisation of the associated terminology - how often do we see the term "Nazi" (or even "fascist") used as a description of someone who is mildly demanding of adhering to principles, demanding of discipline, or demanding high standards? Using "Hate" to connote mild dislike? "Racist" as an all encompassing pejorative, usually unfounded? Language means something, & the dumbing down of such monumental acts of evil, destructiveness, depravity, & cruelty is not something to be used lightly, usually by people who have no concept or experience of the depths of sickness involved, or politicians seeking to garner support for their power games. "The Holocaust" is not "a holocaust"; please note the universally used upper case "H" as "the Holocaust" is a one word, universally recognised singular event. Note the lower case "Syrian civil war", as it is an amorphous, undefined (or even yet ended), ongoing conflict between a number of ill defined players; 4. This is not to minimise other large scale human tragedies, massacres, or even tribal genocides, but the sheer scale, planning, shallowness of motive, & industrialisation make the Holocaust a singular event in human history. This article is well overdue.
8. split:perpetuating a lie
jdc ,   New York, US   (09.13.13)
The 2 Jews you have picked were but a fraction of the organizers of the Ukrainian deaths. It was headed by Stalin, who you omit clearly because he is not a Jew, so it does not fit your story. Most importantly the Reds were a disaster for Jews, Zionists and religious ones in particular.
9. So when in Rwanda the Hutus slaughtered
Ivor Evenbiggergun   (09.13.13)
the Tutsis simply because the were Tutsis that was different from the Nazis killing Jews, Russians, Poles, Homosexuals, Gypsies because? The uniqueness of what the Nazis did isn't the killing that has happened throughout history and continues to happen. It is the fact that the Nazis viewed it's victims as commodities that it could profit from. I won't detail it here but it is well documented there was a margin of profit to be made with transporting people to the death camps and then gassing them to death.
10. 4
(09.13.13)
only a moron such a yourself can compare apples to oranges. hameed aboughaze, iranian
11. #6
(09.13.13)
a constant blabber about your topic doesn't relate to this particular situation. your theme is off topic, as usual. blabbing constantly about your gripe against the jews is also unrelated to this topic. i suggest you find another topic since you have already exhausted this one to the limit. next! hameed aboughaze, iranian los angeles
12. There was not such a thing as "killing machine" 1939
Albrecht ,   EU   (09.13.13)
The Nazis killed until 1939 - including the "crystal night" - at the most some dozens of Jews. Even after the Conquer of Poland they first tryed to solve the "Jewich question" with the reservations for the Jews in eastern Poland. The killing machine with the death camps only startet after Wansee conference at the beginning of 1942.
13. @5 an opposite would be correct thing to do.
Miron ,   USA   (09.13.13)
See, it's not a business objective where you have a goal post or a milestone of money earned or material goods posessed. Insetad, it is a forum where people meet and discuss misery of life. Holocaust is a great backdrop for it, and given how things turned out there is optimism in the lesson. So, there isn't enough harping about Holocaust. And not like "less than want to" but more like a drop of a rain on Moon.
14. Armenian genocide in Turkey and Tutsies in Rwanda
Miron ,   USA   (09.13.13)
stand in the same row. Unfortunately, if we add all of our own American adventures in post 9/11 timespace, we are looking at a similar vortex like events, beginig to approach systematic murder as a tool to achieve objectives.
15. To No. 7
Bertram ,   London, UK   (09.13.13)
I agree entirely. Yours is one of the most well-articulated responses to a Ynet article that I have read for some time. I would only add that we need to treat each human tragedy, mass killing or genocide in its own terms. All comparisons are invidious since they can result in a competition for victimhood which is itself destructive of human compassion.
16. Nobody called the situation in Syria a holocaust
Shachar ,   Eilat   (09.13.13)
Analogies are made to certain facets of the holocaust, most of them correctly. It appears the author doesn't want to learn from the holocaust, he wants to own it and hold it close.
17. #3 Don't you mean Birkenau?
Ivor EVenbiggergun   (09.13.13)
18. Totally agree!!
Gunnar ,   Gothenburg, Sweden   (09.13.13)
The Holocaust is a crime against humanity like none other. Which ALSO means that labelling the 1967 borders as so-called "Auschwitz borders" is outrageous.
19. 2*(ANALOGIES/DIFFERENCES)
Marian ,   Romania   (09.13.13)
ANALOGIES: 1. The terrorists have american support, hitler had too, in the beggining 2. This is a war for the final solution of the "alawite, christian and moderate sunni question" and hitler objective was the final solution of the "jewish question" which led to the extermination of the majority of the european jews. DIFFERENCES: 1.So far, the final solution in Syria has just begun; 2. In Syria, the losses of the two parties are comparable while in the german concentration camps, the german losses were due to alcohol, shaving accidents, siphilis - and no more then a few dozens.
20. Shame!!!! on author
igor ,   MI, USA   (09.13.13)
yes this event does not compare to the holocaust, but A genocide is a genocide.. and the world should not look away. he is gassing his own people and that should weight on everyones conscience. how does the saying go " to save even one life is like saving the world' while the holocaust is tied closly to the death of six million jews, lets not forget that gays, gypsies, and handicapped people were also sent to the gas chambers.
21. Sorry, the 3rd difference
Marian ,   Romania   (09.13.13)
3. The Jews in concentration camps had no means of defense. should they had CW ....
22. No analogy possible.
michael Pielet ,   israel   (09.16.13)
Thank you. No analogy is possible to the murder of 6,000,000 Jews by the Germans and their collaboraters. We must condemn the murder of people by gas or any other means.
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