I forwarded the Grim article to a friend, middle aged and Jewish born in Holland. He now lives in California. Here is his reply.
------------------------------------ Much of this guy writes is nonsense, built on a narrow and precarious foundation of selected factoids. Foremost , his main conclusion that there is a uniqueness to German anti-Semitism is simply not true. A more vigourous and widespread expression of anti-Semitism has occurred in France, and recently in Italy, than in Germany. France has double the population of Muslims than Germany. There are more Turks per capita in Holland than in Germany. Most do not support a rabid form of muslim fundamentalism. I have lived in Holland among Turks and my family continues to do so. His contention that the USA should oppose European integration through the EU is also nonsense. It is precisely what is needed to combat German nationalism. Institutionally the Germans have enacted more measures to teach the history of the Nazis in schools, through public art everywhere, and through many other measures than have other countries. The history of Vichy and the massive French collaboration with the Nazis is barely taught in the lyc�es in France. Silence reign in Italy about their participation in this recent chapter of their history. Same story in Japan. The holocaust was not the only genocide that taken place during the last century. There have been many others, from Stalin in the USSR to Pol Pot in Cambodia. The list is depressingly long. Probably this century will be remembered by historians (if there are any left) as the age of mass barbarism, of nations of displaced peoples and refugees. As a jew I am tired of wearing the collective mantle of a unique victimization due to the our holocaust, as if others did not also experience the same fate. Genocide is a human trait, not unique to any nationality. Either we learn to control it by eliminating ignorance, greed and hatred, or we will not survive. .......................................... -
