World History
Does Jailing Historical Revisionists Ultimately Strengthen Their Cause? Recently, Holocaust denier and historical revisionist David Irving was put in jail in Austria. His crime was making two speeches where he advanced his revisionist version of 20th Century history. While I clearly disagree with Mr. Irving's historical claims, I am troubled by the fact that we was thrown in prison for them. For more on this, see Irving strikes defiant note from his Austrian jail cell.
The Holocaust is one of the best documented events in history. The physical evidence coupled with oral history is overwhelming. It happened. Holocaust deniers can stand on their heads and shout until judgment day yet they will be unable to disprove the fact that this terrible event occurred. At best, they will claim conspiracy theories, be selective in the documents they cite, and look for flaws in individual testimonies or news accounts to try to throw doubt on all testimony and all news reports.
So why are Holocaust deniers being thrown in jail? They are wrong and they have a right to be wrong. This is not the case in the Middle East or China perhaps but it is in the West. I am astonished that Austria would throw someone in jail for spouting off bad history.
Should we throw other historical revisionist in jail? Should we also throw Heribert Illig in jail for claiming that Charlemagne and that 300 hundred years of medieval history never existed? How about those "historians" who claim that the Apollo Moon Landings were faked or those who make historical assertations that lead to claims that Hawaii and Texas are independent nations undergoing illegal military occupation by the USA? Maybe we should jail Anatoly Timofeevich Fomenko for his radical and wrong New Chronology Hypothesis which claims that nothing can be dated prior to the 11th Century? There are a lot out there as well denying the Armenian Holocaust...
The big danger in jailing (or otherwise legally sanctioning revisionist speech) is that it may ultimately help the cause of the revisionist. They will ask, "If we are wrong, why will you not allow us to speak? The very fact that you are jailing us proves you have something to hide." And this question from the revisionists will find fertile grounds on the Web.
I guess I am even concerned more long term. What if there are wars or other disasters which destroy much of the evidence which proves the Holocaust? Evidence is lost through time and there is no guarantee that the future will be only bright and good. A millennium from now, there will be no survivors to speak in person. Historians in the future may well point to the suppression of speech on the topic that perhaps there was evidence to support that the Holocaust never happened.
I think we should let all historical revisionists (Holocaust deniers included) speak all they want. They may be gadflys but the bulk of evidence is not on their side. They are on the fringe and they will stay there. Let their websites stay up and let them give all the presentations they want. In the meantime, historians can continue to monitor these individuals and make the appropriate responses when it it warranted.
- Conference In Iran To Debate Holocaust Sparks Outrage
Conference in Iran to debate Holocaust sparks outrage. Not that I am shocked, but I am still disappointed that the Iranian government went ahead with this outrageous conference. Christine Hauser of the International Herald Tribune wrote, "A gathering...
- Nasa Can't Find Original Tape Of Moon Landing
NASA can't find original tape of moon landing. Reuters is reporting that NASA has lost the original tapes of the first Apollo Moon landing. The news report notes, "The U.S. government has misplaced the original recording of the first moon landing,...
- Conspiracy Theories, 9/11, And Historical Revisionism
Actor Charlie Sheen, who also apparently fancies himself a noted engineer and historian, is making waves with his repetition of some of the conspiracy theories around the historical events of September 11th, 2001 in New York City. He said, "Call me insane...
- Two Great History Carnivals
There are two interesting history carnivals up. This includes History Carnival #27 and the Carnival of Bad History #5. There are a variety of good (and a few bad) history blog posts highlighted. I was caught by this writing at the Carnival of Bad History...
- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - Historical And Holocaust Revisionist
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - Historical and Holocaust Revisionist. I hate to repeat the same topic in one week but... President Ahamdinejad of Iran is still at it. He continues to deny reality and claim all the evidence about the Holocaust...
World History
Does Jailing Historical Revisionists Ultimately Strengthen Their Cause?
Does Jailing Historical Revisionists Ultimately Strengthen Their Cause? Recently, Holocaust denier and historical revisionist David Irving was put in jail in Austria. His crime was making two speeches where he advanced his revisionist version of 20th Century history. While I clearly disagree with Mr. Irving's historical claims, I am troubled by the fact that we was thrown in prison for them. For more on this, see Irving strikes defiant note from his Austrian jail cell.
The Holocaust is one of the best documented events in history. The physical evidence coupled with oral history is overwhelming. It happened. Holocaust deniers can stand on their heads and shout until judgment day yet they will be unable to disprove the fact that this terrible event occurred. At best, they will claim conspiracy theories, be selective in the documents they cite, and look for flaws in individual testimonies or news accounts to try to throw doubt on all testimony and all news reports.
So why are Holocaust deniers being thrown in jail? They are wrong and they have a right to be wrong. This is not the case in the Middle East or China perhaps but it is in the West. I am astonished that Austria would throw someone in jail for spouting off bad history.
Should we throw other historical revisionist in jail? Should we also throw Heribert Illig in jail for claiming that Charlemagne and that 300 hundred years of medieval history never existed? How about those "historians" who claim that the Apollo Moon Landings were faked or those who make historical assertations that lead to claims that Hawaii and Texas are independent nations undergoing illegal military occupation by the USA? Maybe we should jail Anatoly Timofeevich Fomenko for his radical and wrong New Chronology Hypothesis which claims that nothing can be dated prior to the 11th Century? There are a lot out there as well denying the Armenian Holocaust...
The big danger in jailing (or otherwise legally sanctioning revisionist speech) is that it may ultimately help the cause of the revisionist. They will ask, "If we are wrong, why will you not allow us to speak? The very fact that you are jailing us proves you have something to hide." And this question from the revisionists will find fertile grounds on the Web.
I guess I am even concerned more long term. What if there are wars or other disasters which destroy much of the evidence which proves the Holocaust? Evidence is lost through time and there is no guarantee that the future will be only bright and good. A millennium from now, there will be no survivors to speak in person. Historians in the future may well point to the suppression of speech on the topic that perhaps there was evidence to support that the Holocaust never happened.
I think we should let all historical revisionists (Holocaust deniers included) speak all they want. They may be gadflys but the bulk of evidence is not on their side. They are on the fringe and they will stay there. Let their websites stay up and let them give all the presentations they want. In the meantime, historians can continue to monitor these individuals and make the appropriate responses when it it warranted.
- Conference In Iran To Debate Holocaust Sparks Outrage
Conference in Iran to debate Holocaust sparks outrage. Not that I am shocked, but I am still disappointed that the Iranian government went ahead with this outrageous conference. Christine Hauser of the International Herald Tribune wrote, "A gathering...
- Nasa Can't Find Original Tape Of Moon Landing
NASA can't find original tape of moon landing. Reuters is reporting that NASA has lost the original tapes of the first Apollo Moon landing. The news report notes, "The U.S. government has misplaced the original recording of the first moon landing,...
- Conspiracy Theories, 9/11, And Historical Revisionism
Actor Charlie Sheen, who also apparently fancies himself a noted engineer and historian, is making waves with his repetition of some of the conspiracy theories around the historical events of September 11th, 2001 in New York City. He said, "Call me insane...
- Two Great History Carnivals
There are two interesting history carnivals up. This includes History Carnival #27 and the Carnival of Bad History #5. There are a variety of good (and a few bad) history blog posts highlighted. I was caught by this writing at the Carnival of Bad History...
- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - Historical And Holocaust Revisionist
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - Historical and Holocaust Revisionist. I hate to repeat the same topic in one week but... President Ahamdinejad of Iran is still at it. He continues to deny reality and claim all the evidence about the Holocaust...