A common diversion technique in cyber discussion strings is endless demands for "definitions" or "clarifications" or "tracing back to the original source". Our enemies are very good at that.
". . . what do you mean by 'Holocaust'"?
". . .what do you mean by 'Jews'"?
". . . what do you mean by '. . . Holocaust Revisionism' concerns only the 'Holocaust of the Jews'?"
On and on and on. It can bore you right up the next tree!
So finally my cyber comrade ASMarques has had it. He socks it to one of 'em good:
"As I said before, one of the keys to a supposed set of events called the 'HOLOCAUST' is a supposed group of people called the 'JEWS'.
It seems to me you realize that very well, since you always mention the 'Jews' when you mention the 'Holocaust'. Why would that be ? A strange obsession on your part ?
Just to take you away from the holo-quicksands, and try to limit the number of posts, here is a subject that is usually not welcome with the most militant Jewish holocausters, but I think it might be interesting to hear what *you* have to offer on the topic, since you believe everybody else is obsessed with it.
Although I don't even remotely think this is a true 'problem' in any possible sense, it does seem an interesting and difficult to explain phenomenon.
Here is the question: How would you define 'Jewish' in the end of the 20th century? Precisely what are 'Jews' nowadays?
1) A race?
3) A nation?
2) A culture?
3) A religion?
4) A tribe?
***** Here is what I mean by each of those:
RACE: A common genetic heritage that would at least require very limited historical cross-breeding with others and therefore an enduring non-existence of inter-marriage practices.
NATION: A common bond through prolonged *historical* political/social institutions of their own (even if they are no longer there, provided their influence still is). In the middle ages the word 'Nation' was commonly used to designate the Jews. They were looked upon as 'guests' of the European Christian kingdoms and not really as part of them. They generally had their own rabbinical authorities and tribunals which were recognized as such and expected to solve the internal problems of the community without Christian interference.
CULTURE: A common heritage of broad autonomous cultural traditions -- including the ones religious in origin -- strong enough to function for all members and set them apart from others in this respect. A common language is usually the central requirement.
RELIGION: A common *individual* devotion to the same well-defined set of broad religious beliefs. This would mean someone like Sammy Davis Jr. as a real Jew or Giwer's acquaintance chief Joseph Eagle Eyes of Florida as same (I like that one).
TRIBE (in the modern figurative sense): Basically an equivocal notion. The one that would mean a Jew is someone who likes to think he is something called a Jew. The basic link implies simply the will to belong to a given community, adopt its ways and outlook, etc.
***** Here are some clear (to me at least...) and significant examples of each:
RACE: the Inoui, the Ainos (of Northern Japan), the Bushmen (of Southern Africa).
NATION: the English, the Scots, the Castillians, the Catalans.
CULTURE: German, Anglo-Saxon, Chinese.
RELIGION: Christianity, Islam, Buddhism.
TRIBE: Hippies, Skinheads, Soccer Fans.
('Countries', of course, are not relevant here. "Countries" are things like the USSR, Canada, the DDR, Nigeria, Israel, etc.)
Of course, all of these may overlap in highly imprecise ways. But the peculiar thing is (that) the Jewish community won't go in any one of those precise groupings nor in any precise sort of overlapping.
Could it be that we are witnessing the confused break-up of something that has endured for millennia as autonomous and self-contained but has been no longer so for at least a century?
(Antonio S Marques)
Thought for the Day:
"Little innocent girls that smoke cigars with the wrong end and keep judicially valuable spermatozoids in the fridge are not all that common, you know. . . "
(Matt Giwer?)