Holocaust Denial: Changing the History of World War II - Essay Example

Introduction The ability to speak the truth and have freedom of speech in society is two of the founding principles in the United States. However, this becomes debated over specific topics and their association with society. The Holocaust is an example of truth and freedom of speech being questioned, specifically with the ideal of Holocaust denial. There are a group of individuals which deny the Holocaust existed or believe it should not be spoken about in the manner it is currently remembered in. Holocaust denial within society continues to prevail among groups which are not interested in the complexities of this time and what really happened. The social relationship to Holocaust denial is consistent of a group of people which carry a specific psychological affiliation with the Holocaust and the violence associated with this, which then affects a group of people. Even though there is a sense of denial over this incident, it is essential that the Holocaust continues to be spoken about and remembered so the violence is no longer repeated. Examining the importance of the Holocaust and moving outside of the denial then provides a different type of insight to this period in history and how it relates to society today. Defining Holocaust Denial The concept of Holocaust denial is noted as revisionism in history. The approach is to state that the Holocaust did not exist and needs to be revised in terms of the historical approach that is taught. The revision is requested to take out the horror, violence and the memory that is associated with the Holocaust. The need to take out memories and associations with the Holocaust and what occurred then becomes related to the ideology that the Holocaust did not exist outside of the memory of those which associated with the violence. However, the war and the other associations with this remain the most important component and are often disregarded in terms of the Holocaust. The debate is then one which is based on changing the collective memory so it isn’t affiliated with the violence and psychological memory of those involved. Instead, there is the need to focus on the historical components and the way in which this shaped and changed history, without the focus on the political stance, as opposed to the psychological affiliations with the Holocaust (Maier, 136). The idea of Holocaust denial then becomes defined as questioning the collective memory and whether this is associated with the psychology of Jews and the time frame which occurred. Those who deny the Holocaust believe that there is extremity in the viewpoint by one group while not moving into the factual information about World War II and the other occurrences which are associated with this. The concept of reflection of the Holocaust becomes furthered with the activities that continue to be a part of the memory of those in society. There are many that have created the ideology of Holocaust denial because of the industry that has been created in response. There is a belief that the tragedy of the Holocaust has led into an industry that is becoming close to moral blackmail or intellectual terrorism. Memorials, historical tributes and other areas are continuously being added into the history because of the memory of the Holocaust and the tragedy which occurred. The philosophy of Holocaust denial furthers into moral blackmail and intellectual terrorism because most in society grow a belief that there is an obligation to help those which were a part of the Holocaust. Money, donations and volunteers are then added into the Holocaust memory to create an industry approach about the tragedy which occurred. The concept of Holocaust denial then combines with the creation of the violence being highlighted for donations, volunteers and money that can be used within the community. Combining this with creating a moral obligation of affiliating with the Holocaust and supporting those that were involved in the tragedy then leads to the belief that the psychological memories of the Holocaust are now being used for the creation of money and donations in society as an industry, as opposed to the historical occurrence of what happened (Finkelstein, 120). There are many that may not be associated with Holocaust denial; however, the belief that the Holocaust is now an industry prevails over the belief in the situation which occurred. The viewpoint is to stop highlighting the memories and extremity of the situation while re-examining the historical facts. This argument is one which is based on the association with industry created in modern times and how this disregards some of the facts that occurred during World War II. The Holocaust denial that has continued to remain a debate within society is furthered with the lack of evidence that many associate with in terms of the Holocaust. The historical records are often recorded with the memories of the Jews and psychological associations with the components which have happened. The evidence of extermination is one that has never been linked directly to the Holocaust and the killing of 6 million Jews. From the lack of evidence, are a large number of individuals that are unsure if the Holocaust occurred or whether it is psychological memory. In a recent survey, it was found that 22.1% believed that the Holocaust may have never occurred, 65.4% believed that it did occur and 12.4% stated that they did not know. These statistics lead to evidence that there is a lack of facts and evidence that individuals can use to create an understanding of whether the Holocaust occurred. The lack of evidence and the relationships to the historical teachings then show that the Holocaust denial is one that links to the lack of direction and historical evidence, as well as political affiliations that are related to the Holocaust and whether it occurred. The controversy then creates an understanding that the lack of evidence and the way in which the Holocaust is taught leads to confusion over the truth of the situation (Smith, 269). This evidence shows that there is confusion over the facts and leads many into a state of denial because of the approach which has been taken in terms of representing the tragedy of the Holocaust and the extremities which occurred in this situation. The Truth of the Holocaust The Holocaust denial that has occurred has led to a question of those who believe and know that the Holocaust has occurred. It is believed that those who have Holocaust denial as a main philosophy are also not looking at and approaching the truth over what occurred to Jews during this time frame. For the Jews that went through the Holocaust and for others that were directly or indirectly involved in World War II are questions over why individuals would deny what happened. The experiences of the Holocaust and the evidence left from extermination camps, documentations, letters and television all point to the reality of what occurred. The denial of the Holocaust then becomes one which denies the ability to have expression as freedom and truth as a part of the historical records. If the Holocaust experience and horror is not expressed, then there is not the ability to create an understanding of the complexities of the time and what occurred to those who were in society at the time. There is a belief that the denial which has occurred comes from a sense of ignorance and miscommunication. However, this does not take away the facts that it occurred, specifically which is found from memorials, records and historical affiliations that are a part of the Holocaust (Lasson, 35). The concept of denying the facts, specifically seen through the evidence left behind, stories by Jews and the political affiliations of the time frame all point to the realities of the Holocaust. Not representing this then becomes associated with denial that carries an alternative agenda and which doesn’t offer truth as the primary objective when teaching history. The nature of the Holocaust denial and what has occurred is one which doesn’t only create a sense of going against the freedom of speech and expression which every individual has a right to. There are also other affiliations which create a belief that the denial is rooted in deeper problems by a group of individuals who do not want to recognize what occurred. Psychological associations with political groups and support to the different ideologies of a given time frame may cause one to believe that there is not the capacity to cause an event such as the Holocaust. This type of commitment may lead to a guilt consciousness or a specific association with the denial in what occurred. The ability to remember the events which occurred may lead to concepts of horror and affiliations with many that were involved in the Holocaust. The inability to accept and remember this because of the psychological associations is one of the reasons why many believe the Holocaust may have not occurred. The remembrance which is in history and the approach to overcome these difficulties is being used to create truth about the concept; however, the denial is one which continues to be associated with those who may have an alternative viewpoint on the politics and society of the time and which do not want to accept the realities that occurred at the time. The problem then not only links to a lack of freedom for truth, but also relates to potential psychological questions which are raised from the horror of the event (Hovannisian, 9). This psychological association is important to consider with those who are in denial of the historical association of the time and the evidence that has been created. The question becomes why one has changed perspective about the events that have occurred and what mental beliefs are based around the denial. This should be questioned before the concept of the Holocaust not existing within society. The danger which is associated with the denial of the event is one which leads to the lack of witnessing that is now a part of the Holocaust denial movement. There are several ideologies which have caused several parts of the Holocaust to be diminished in nature because of the movement of denial which has occurred. For instance, in “Schindler’s List,” a variety of parts was cut out because they were continued too obscene or mature in nature for the audience. While this may have been important in terms of monitoring the scenes, it also took away from the realities of the violence which occurred. The parts which were cut included a Jewish man being shot in the head by a German and Jews being forced into examinations in the nude by doctors. These incidents were known throughout Germany as a part of the Holocaust and were representative of the time. However, the denial of the Holocaust led to these being eliminated. This is one of several examples that show how the alternative viewpoints are leading away from the facts which occurred. This questions the violence which occurred and which is known through a variety of facts that are a part of the Holocaust. Without the facts in place, there is the inability to believe that the historical components are a part of the Holocaust. If this continues, then memories and the truth of the events will be lost to the realities that occurred. This becomes an injustice to those who suffered during the Holocaust and which experienced the variety of torture from the political movement (Weissman, 293). The approaches of the Holocaust and the way in which it has been established in terms of denial then becomes associated with how the subject matter should be approached. The education of the Holocaust and the denial that is associated with this has led educational systems, policy makers and others to question the relevance of teaching this in schools. The perceptions of the Holocaust have led to a variety of problems in establishing the correct approach to understanding what occurred and passing this to others to educate the dangers of what occurred. However, the ability to use the Holocaust denial to limit the educational programs and to create policies doesn’t provide a true understanding of what occurred. If this component of history is not understood, then there is the inability to prevent this from occurring again. The main approach then has to be created with establishing the relevance to human rights and how this was lacking during the time. If Holocaust denial is given power with education or policies, then there is the inability to create a true sense of human rights and freedom of expression toward the tragedies which occurred. In this sense, Holocaust denial becomes a dangerous part of how many deal with the Holocaust and re-examine the historical events which occurred during this time (Brown, Davies, 75). Dangers of Holocaust Denial The concept of Holocaust denial is one which is currently accepted in society and which offers a debate within society. However, it is not only noted that historical evidence and psychological attributes point against Holocaust denial. There is also a danger in continuing to allow Holocaust denial to change the educational policies and the expectations with how the historical evidence is taught. While there can be some provisions, there is also a sense of tolerating the wrong approach to the Holocaust. There are many that are trying to state that Holocaust denial should be legally prohibited within society. The importance is based on devaluing what occurred in society during this time. Not only this, but many which are associated with Holocaust denial continue to be affiliated with the Nazi party and with other groups which are against Jewish provisions. The belief which is often a part of the Holocaust denial comes from those who are a part of hate groups and modern approaches to try to change the social stigmas that are in society. The question of Holocaust denial then becomes complex because there isn’t an understanding of the identity of those involved with the movement and the debate that has occurred. This may become dangerous by losing the memories of the Holocaust while allowing hate groups to begin to eliminate some of the historical moments which should not have been tolerated within society (Mckinnon, 17). The concept that moves into Holocaust denial is one which is based on the sabotage of historical moments, specifically because of the psychological and political affiliations which one may have to what is occurring. This includes the movements to anti –extremism and negative republicanism. Both of these movements are based on reforming society and changing the history and memories that are associated with each time frame. The anti – extremism is based on limiting what is taught in history and what the current affiliations are, specifically to stop the psychological memories and false teachings which may be incorporated into this. The negative republicanism furthers this with the belief that certain viewpoints that are based on revering history should be eliminated. The danger of these viewpoints comes with many moving into a sense of socialism. The socialism creates a sense of controls over what is taught, policies associated with this and beliefs which are created as a result. The danger in this comes from the inability to have free thought or beliefs toward a specific movement. This is furthered with controls that don’t allow the truth to be respected in given situations while causing many to continue to affiliate with the lack of facts and the psychological associations with the Holocaust and other formats of history. If this is created, then the denial of the Holocaust may be furthered into controls of what is known throughout history while allowing groups which may be opposed to specific historical facts to have a large amount of power over what is known in terms of the Holocaust (Niessen, 82). Re-examining the agendas of Holocaust denial and questioning what the outcome may be with the concept of limiting the freedom of expression then becomes more important in the association with the Holocaust and the beliefs which many have created. The danger which occurs with the historical components is not only problematic because of the change in powers. Those learning about the Holocaust today are introduced to the torture and the psychological horror of history for a variety of reasons. The ability to keep the memory alive works as a tribute to those who suffered during the Holocaust. This is combined with the ability to use the memory of the Holocaust to make sure that the cycle isn’t repeated in other regions or governments. Not having violence against a certain race and stopping the dictatorship movements which could easily occur in any society have been a part of the initiative in building the memories of the Holocaust. This is furthered by creating a sense of truth of what happened by those who experienced the horrors of the Holocaust and which were linked to the complexities that happened in society. If the truth is taken away from what occurred, then it alters perspectives. This is done first by devaluing the memories of those who suffered during the Holocaust. This is furthered by causing the history and memories to be lost. This places a new danger for the events to be repeated and for perspectives to alter according to the Holocaust. If this occurs, then there is a tendency for the history to repeat and to cause propaganda that would lead to false beliefs about what occurred. The inability to educate and understand what happened would then lead to more complexities with the Holocaust and what occurred in society (Weaver, Delpierre, Boissier, 15). The dangers of not having statements about the Holocaust become more detrimental than the main ideology of denial and monitoring what has occurred. In this instance, it is seen that the agenda of those who carry forward with Holocaust denial need to be questioned in terms of social group and reasons for denial that have occurred over the events of this time frame. Conclusion The concept of Holocaust denial in society is one which continues to prevail. There are a large variety of individuals that are uncertain of whether the Holocaust occurred as well as a percentage that believe it may not have happened. This concept is continuing to alter the approaches to the Holocaust and whether it was a realistic part of society. The concept of the Holocaust then has led to a different association with what should or should not be taught to others as well as how much exposure should be created in terms of memorials, donations and resurrecting the situation. While there are some perspectives of the Holocaust denial which may be true, this is leading to more problems with the existence of the Holocaust. The denial may be associated with psychological affiliations, hate groups or political arenas that carry an alternative agenda. More important, the denial of the Holocaust doesn’t allow those affiliated with the politics of the time to express their own truth and sense of freedom. If this doesn’t continue to occur, then it may be easy for an imbalance of powers to occur and for the lack of education to lead to a reoccurrence of the situation. The dangers of Holocaust denial are then more important to consider then the truth of what occurred and whether there is an association with the denial. The social component of the Holocaust is one which then needs to be identified with the association of freedom of speech and links to those which are in society. Works Cited Brown, Margot, Ian Davies. “The Holocaust and Education for Citizenship: the Teaching of History, Religion and Human Rights in England.” Educational Review 50 (1), 1998. Finkelstein, Norman. “The Holocaust Industry.” Index on Censorship 29 (2), 2000. Hovannisian, Richard. Remembrance and Denial: The Case of the Armenian Genocide. Wayne State University Press: New York, 1998. Lasson, Kenneth. “Holocaust Denial and the First Amendment: The Quest for Truth in a Free Society.” Mason Law Review (6), 2007. Maier, Charles. “A Surfeit of Memory? Reflections on History, Melancholy and Denial.” History and Memory 5 (2), 2003. McKinnon, C. “Should we Tolerate Holocaust Denial?” Res Publica 71 (3), 2007. Niesen, P. “Anti – Extremism, Negative Republicanism, Civic Society: Three Paradigms for Banning Political Parties.” German Law Journal 13 (1), 2002. Smith, Tom. “A Review: The Holocaust Denial Controversy.” The Public Opinion Quarterly 59 (2), 2005. Weaver, Russell, Nicolas Delpierre, Laurence Boissier. “Holocaust Denial and Governmentally Declared Truth: French and American Perspectives.” Selected Works New York, 2008. Weissman, Gary. “A Fantasy of Witnessing.” Media Culture Society 17 (2), 2005. Read More