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recommended reading:  Finkelstein [...] These two books probably contain enough detailed information
Wikipedia: Norman Finkelstein
Finkelstein is considered to be a Holocaust Denier by the Anti-Defamation League.
Finkelstein has frequently criticized the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) as an organization dedicated not to defense against anti-semitism, but to defamation of critics of Israel.
Wikipedia: Raul Hilberg
Raul Hilberg (born June 2, 1926 in Vienna), is one of the best-known and most distinguished of the Holocaust historians.
he has been supportive of Norman Finkelstein's thesis on the Holocaust industry, with whose "breakthrough" he "totally agree[s]".
Any comments?

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jan 20th, 2006 at 09:44:37 AM EST
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I've read "The Holocaust Industry" and a few short things by him. Holocaust denier? - Ridiculous. I also think he makes a lot of good points. However, what I've read is quite polemical and one sided and thus ends up giving a distorted picture. By the way, I haven't seen the ADL call him a Holocaust denier, and while I may have missed it, there is nothing of the sort in the head of the ADL's diatribeagainst Finkelstein - one sided and unfair, but no claims of Holocaust denial.

In some ways he reminds of black writers, most often but not always right wing, who inveigh against the black leadership, affirmative action,  'gangster culture', worship of victimhood, etc. They also often have interesting arguments to make, but they are horribly one sided and tend to make things look a lot worse than they actually are.  There is also the unfortunate reality that any such polemics will inevitably be hijacked by racists. It's unfair and isn't the fault of the writers. However, seeing a person's writings routinely used by racists in support of their garbage tends to enrage members of the minority group and colour their view of the writer.

by MarekNYC on Fri Jan 20th, 2006 at 10:59:38 AM EST
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This is the ADL source quoted in the wikipedia article. In mu humble opinion, the ADL has lost its marbles just like the Spanish Asociacion de Victimas del Terrorismo. They both started out with praiseworthy goals but have been freeped.

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jan 20th, 2006 at 11:03:32 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Yes, same article I linked to. Doesn't call him a holocaust denier. That Wikipedia entry would seem to have a problem.
by MarekNYC on Fri Jan 20th, 2006 at 11:17:33 AM EST
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I would use my wikipedia account to correct it if 1) I actually felt I could write about this controversy with some authority; 2) I did not expect a flame/revert war if I got involved with the Finkelstein article in that way.

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jan 20th, 2006 at 11:21:12 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I did not expect a flame/revert war if I got involved with the Finkelstein article in that way.

Yes, well, saying anything about Finkelstein is risky - defend him on something and you risk getting called a racist Islamofascist sympathiser, attack him on something and you risk getting called a racist Likudnik sympathiser. Not a safe topic.

by MarekNYC on Fri Jan 20th, 2006 at 11:45:19 AM EST
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Not even the Normal Distribution is a safe topic over at wikipedia, I swear.

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jan 20th, 2006 at 11:46:49 AM EST
[ Parent ]
(Independently of wikipedia), Raul Hilberg is indeed a very high historical authority (his two-volume Destruction of the European Jews is probably the major exhaustive account), and he has in fact voiced his agreement with Finkelstein on certain points, in particular the abuse of claims of survivor status by some American Jews (and some of their organizations) to obtain reparations through class action suits (particular case of the Swiss banks). There is no suggestion of Holocaust denial concerning Finkelstein -- if there were, I'd expect Hilberg would take a very different attitude to his work.
by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Jan 20th, 2006 at 11:54:55 AM EST
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