

The Anatomy of Hell: new books on the Nazi concentration camps - Thevet
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2015/jul/09/concentration-camps-anatomy-hell/

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dpc_pw
I'm always impressed how successful re-branding from "German" to "Nazi" was.

First shift the historical responsibility to some rather abstract "Nazis" and
ignore the fact that most of the Jews were Polish citizens, then start
encouraging usage of misleading terms
([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%22Polish_death_camp%22_contro...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%22Polish_death_camp%22_controversy)).
Give it one century and people will think the victims were aggressors, and
vice versa.

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JadeNB
As someone who's not familiar with this controversy—I can understand why
"Polish death camp" is an undesireable term, but that doesn't seem to be the
one that's used here. Are you saying that "Nazi death camp" is an evasive term
to which "German death camp" would be preferable? It seems to me (based on
knowing some Germans, not any personal experience) that an appreciation of
their rôle in, and guilt regarding, the Holocaust is a prominent part of
German children's historical education; would replacing 'Nazi' by 'German'
really accomplish anything? In addition, I can't help thinking that it might
go the other way, encouraging people of other countries (like the US) to think
"that was a _German_ action, it could never happen here."

~~~
dpc_pw
Children in Germany can be educated about their own history, but public in
most of the world is not.

For whole world "Polish death camp" sounds like it's Polish responsibility.
"Nazi crimes" etc. sounds like it's some abstract Nazis, not democratically
elected German government with huge public support. Ignorant public all around
the world can think "Who were these Nazis? Maybe they were Polish?" Then
things like Jedwabne:
[http://www.ppu.org.uk/genocide/case4.html](http://www.ppu.org.uk/genocide/case4.html)
gets blew up out of proportions ignoring that there is a plenty of doubt on
what actually happen. Rather mediocre movie Ida:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ida_%28film%29](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ida_%28film%29)
gets Oscar award, (speculation) because it's main story is about Jedwabne and
portraits Polish citizens as Jew-murderers. I see it as slow and continuous
process of shifting blame using PR methods, for political and material gain.

All of this in the background of a big controversies and political struggle
about Jewish organization claims for retribution money and property.

It's sad that a nation directly most affected by WWII, than struggling with
Soviet occupation that was a WWII consequence, now is under PR fire to
manipulate world public into blame it for the horror of it.

> encouraging people of other countries (like the US) to think "that was a
> German action, it could never happen here."

"That was <<Nazi>> action, it could never happen here.

