The roots, causes, and circumstances surrounding the expression of man's inhumanity to man are not to be found in the "character" of a specific nation. It goes deeper. It is not that simple. Demonizing descendants of Nazi Germany will not help prevent future holocausts. I felt sad reading about you being tormented as a child. It is difficult to practice good judgement and clear analysis at your level of personal involvement. Moreover, you seem to have a tendency toward stereotypical thinking, in general. The quote below is further proof.

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Originally posted by vbloom

Mr Knipp seems to feel that the appropriate and timely response to "The Pianist" is one of healing and compassion. He would feel differently if he were a Jew...

To Mr Jubis I ask, if the roots, causes and circumstances surrounding the expression of man's inhumanity to man are not to be found in the "character" of a specific nation, but go deeper, where are they to be found?

I am not "demonizing" the descendents of Nazi Germany; I am merely raising a question.

I appreciate Mr. Jubis feeling sad at my being tormented as a child. Does the fact of my having feelings about it take me out of the realm of good judgment and clear analysis?

What detachment and absence of personal experience and feeling enable one to be qualified for "good judgment" and "clear analysis?"

Do you think Roman Polanski's film "The Pianist" was one to foster good judgment and clear analysis?

NO! It was to reveal what happened and show the depths of depravity which a people at a certain place and time were capable of!

He showed evil Germans and evil Jews and evil Polish people. He showed what humans are capable of, which we amazingly call--- "inhuman."

I don't say that only Germans have the potential and capacity for evil. It is present in all humans. That is a generalization I don't believe any aware and thinking person would deny.

But questions have been raised, by others than myself and Mr. Grim, that something has to be said about THE GERMAN CHARACTER, after World War I, the "War to End All Wars," that the German people would rally around a Hitler and his evil crew.

The Holocaust was singular in human history for the degree of bestiality which rose to sustained action in World War II.

So far no one has successfully explained why the most extreme evil in the history of man arose from a people with such members as Bach, Mozart and Beethoven.

Polanski raises this question with the German officer who played the Moonlight Sonata and spared the life of the Jew who played Chopin.

Why only one German?

vb