June 25, 1996

Good Morning from the Zundelsite:




My mother was a quirky lady with a propensity for strange antipathies. She had this thing against the French, and when I asked her why, she claimed they had a laugh against her.

Subconsciously, I must have bought into her prejudice, because I always thought so, too-and it was not until I finally, at long last, met my first live Frenchman that it began to dawn on me just what she meant. And why.

It happened to be Dr. Faurisson, two years ago at the IHR Annual Convention where he gave an inspiring speech. I have seldom laughed so hard in my entire life as I did then, that afternoon, listening to Dr. Faurisson describe how he had made The Honorable Michael Berenbaum-he of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum-". . . just climb the curtains! climb the curtains!" by insisting:

"Show me or draw me a Nassi gaz chamberr. Don't give me shoes. Don't give me glasses. Don't give me hair. Don't give me teeth. Show me or draw me a Nassi gaz chamberr."

The whole Revisionist argument, right there-stripped down to its essentials: Where is the smoking gun?

Against that background, this morning I indulged in a quiet discourse with my departed mother, and this is what I said to Mutti: "The French still have a laugh against you."

The evidence came yesterday in two delicious, separate e-mails from one of my French netizens-at least I think that's what he is!-with whom I have developed this instant joy that only e-mail can convey.

Wrote he:

". . . I must tell you, I've just discovered a French forum (based in Paris, I think) in Compuserve to which I subscribe. There is a furious debate going on about the abbé Pierre.

I don't know whether you're aware of this, but there is no one in the world who can argue and insult better than a Frenchman-except, maybe, the Russians. They are absolutely, totally unbeatable in this field. Alt.revisionism is a Sunday-school picnic in comparison.

Anyway, I've just now downloaded the entire thread related to Abbé Pierre - over 170 messages. It must be a record of sorts: on the net or at Compuserve, 12 or 20 messages per subject is tops.

Then there is another thread, on the subject of "propos orduriers" (translation: guttersnipe language); another 50 messages, where the participants hurl insults at each other.

I haven't yet had a chance to read more than 2 or 3 messages, but enough to indicate that this is glorious stuff. I think Robert Faurisson would roll on the floor from laughter. . . "

And then, a little later:

". . . I'm now getting the sense of that debate about Roger Garaudy and Abbe Pierre on the Compuserve forum in France. It's an avalanche: 175 posts in only 4 days. They are going at it, hammer and tong, about Garaudy's book and the good Abbé's comments.

But not a single one of them will admit to having actually _read_ either the one or the other! It's a riot. Above all, it seems super-important to avoid being labelled a "revisionniste", which is apparently a very bad smear over there.

And you must be a revisionniste if you've read Garaudy.

However, this does not stop most of them from condemning in the strongest and most detailed terms what Garaudy is accused of having written. Among the most virulent attackers there is a preponderance of Jewish names. Rabbi Hier would be proud.

It's a strange country. Give me the USA any time.

The ignorance of modern history on this forum is palpable, as well as a hysterical intolerance for any point of view but the official one. I expect their kind of people could become bosom pals with the ARA in jig time. What a mob!

Thinking back on your several recent Zgrams, I guess everyone in the world was quite happy with the prevailing state of general ignorance (myself included), until Ernst stirred up the hornet's nest. There's nostalgia on that forum for the status quo as it existed in the '60s and '70s - you know, no one had ever heard of "revisionnisme" back then. . . "

Now you see what I mean? No wonder that the claim is that the Germans have no sense of humor. And here I always thought the reason for my mother's feelings was the shabby Treaty of Versailles!

Is this not sublime irony? That here's a bunch of Frenchmen just hurling insults at each other out of sheer French elan - never bothering to check just what the controversy is really all about?

Thereby becoming the first country in the world to make sure everybody understands that there is such a thing as doubt when it comes to the Holocaust?

With Germany just sitting on its big, fat ass-if you will pardon my own French-content with playing cash cow, just chewing the enemy's cud?

My hat is off to Dr. Faurisson, Frenchman par excellence, who marches his small, dainty frame straight into the wolf's den in Washington, D.C. to dare a Huckster to his face: "Show me or draw me a Nassi gaz chamberr!"

Ingrid


Thought for the Day:

"A fanatic is one who sticks to his guns whether they're loaded or not."

(Franklin P. Jones)



Comments? E-Mail: irimland@cts.com

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