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January 28, 1998

Good Morning from the Zundelsite:

"Ernst is much taken by you. He really likes you a lot, and he asked for your address so he can keep in touch off and on."

"I must echo (Ernst's) sentiment, though mine is a bit more tinged with awe at his strength and resolve. I'm just a stubborn smart-ass by comparison, albeit pretty damned stubborn.

I was discussing the possible reversion of someone well known that I'm not at liberty to talk about, damn it, and the subject came up as to whether we should sacrifice some hard won presentations to help them, even if betrayal was in the offing.

I voted no, and attempted to describe the almost eerie detachment with which Ernst discussed others who have been sacrificed to some extent in this struggle.

He showed the calm commitment of a man resigned to his own death if that need be. It's not something I've seen often, if at all in my life, only read and thought about.

I think you can see it often in combat, where the individual leaders press right on past fallen friends so that the mission might continue, knowing that to stop and extend aid and compassion may well get everyone killed.

Ernst is a very genuine individual, or so he comes across to me. Like all people, I fancy myself a pretty good judge of character.

I'm a little abashed to have gotten so hot over the sparring match the two heavyweights got into. I couldn't believe some of the things Kevin (not his real name) was saying, and was reacting to them far more than to him, afraid I was a bit disrespectful, and I believe in respecting both age and accomplishment.

Kevin's bottom premise was not to assign blame, something I believe (in my head) but don't always practice (because I don't, as Nietzsche put it, feel it in my gut). Too long away from the Zen places.

What I think happened is that Kevin was using footwork on Ernst (the raised voice bit I muttered about, plus some rapid alterations of subject) and not fighting fair, but certainly staying ahead or at least out of reach as long as he kept dancing.

What is behind that are some very strong feelings about people who target other people for whatever reason. I've sent e-mails before making some sophomoric pronouncement with a hard conservative edge which produced e-mails back from Kevin that were throwing sparks, much to my surprise.

Kevin's core principles are not readily visible, but I believe well defined and operative. I think they call that strength of character. My principles are quite nebulous, I guess I'd describe them as try not to hurt anybody and countenance no bullshit.

I dare say Kevin's had a lot of practice confronting hostile people in tension-filled settings, up against screamers and snarlers and motor-mouths, and that's where he picked up the effective techniques to keep the conversation off balance. Ernst too has had a lot of that experience, certainly - he just has a different style.

Calm, slow, wait 'till the pace slows and start up again on a perfectly solid footing, even if the subject has changed, follow the opponent steadily until he's backing up and has to hit a rope or corner.

Steady jabs, you get the sense a big right hand is there but he's not going to throw it unless there's no other way. Doesn't want to or need to go for a quick kill.

I have watched supremely confident heavyweight fighters stalk their opponent in that fashion. In the real world, of course, you have the occasional nervous speedster who slips one in that hurts the bigger man, and that's when character comes in.

Does he transfer his confidence to the smaller opponent (as Liston did with the young Ali that night in the sixties) or lower his head with narrowed eyes and move in to use the right, as Marciano did with everyone he fought?

I put Ernst with Marciano. Kevin's an aging but marvelous Archie Moore who used his knowledge and fading but still considerable talents to go up against guys 15 or 20 years his junior, faster and stronger but no match for his skills.

I'm not sure why I got off on the boxing metaphors, have never been a big fan. But it's a clear performance of ultimate male combat, and you can see a lot of things about life in it."

"I was a witness to Ernst Zundel's judicial and extra-judicial calvary. This man is a heroic figure of our time. He honors the German people of whom he was born. He honors Canada where he came to settle.

"But Germany and Canada, without reason, work against him at the instigation of the leaders of the world Jewish community. It is a disgrace."

"Last Saturdy, Person, Place, Thing focused on Holocaust denier Ernst Zundel, who expressed his views about disgraced lawyer Alan Eagleson. Our purpose in choosing Mr. Zundel is that his activities are widely regarded as repugnant; we thought he might have a novel perspective on Mr. Eagleson, whose recent conviction has left him a social outcast in the eyes of many. It was a bad idea. The feature was offensive to many readers and was especially hurtful to those who lost family members in the Holocaust. We apologize for a bad judgment call."

Thought for the Day:

"Some men are just plain cowards. They quail at the hateful shrieks the left hurls at them. But neither do they wish exposure for the craven cowards they are. So they hide behind false moral outrage, piously denouncing as "racist" those who defend their own people. One can attack "racists" without fear of the left - which, after all, is a powerful, vicious and spiteful adversary.

"Our European ancestors faced disease, disaster, dismemberment and death on ten thousand battlefields to secure a continent and a civilization for us. These latter-day cowards flee from mere words."

(Editorial in the Nationalist Times, January 1998, p. 13)