[Tolik]

There is one aspect of Germans exterminating Jews and Gypsies that is absolutely unique.

The bloody XX century knows many other genocidal killings. But all of them were perpetrated by the killers that did not have reputation of being civilized. Yes, the Left was willingly overlooking crimes of communists in USSR, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, but they still looked upon Soviets, for example, as a work in progress. The militaristic Japan committed atrocities to Chinese, Koreans and others on the level not at all lower than Germans. Still, they were a dangerous enemy, but they were not perceived as great contributors to civilization.

On another hand, Germany's contribution to civilization in culture and science is immense. It makes its quick degradation into the industrialized murderers so much more shocking and unbelievable.

Anyway, the whole point of Anne Bayefsky's article is totally different. She points out the usual UN hypocrisy in looking kind of sorry for the long dead Jews and keeping the business as usual in opposing the self defense of the alive Jews.

[squirt-gun]

Re # 9

I agree with most of what you say but not the following: The bloody XX century knows many other genocidal killings. But all of them were perpetrated by the killers that did not have reputation of being civilized.

The Russians have had high culture for centuries and yet Stalin found it easy to kill millions, white Russians Ukrainians, etc. Starving, shooting, barbarism of the lowest kind.

Also, Japan has had an elegant civilization for centuries, even defeating the Russian Navy early on with high tech and brilliant naval strategy. Yet, the Japanese looked on Westerners as uncivilized barbarians and were guilty of some of the most horrific crimes against humanity throughout China, the Dutch East Indies and elsewhere.

The Germans had no exclusivity on barbarism as has been suggested herein.

Have a nice day.