I'll give you a Holocaust

[calbert at pop.tiac.net]

Mr. Norton (hi, bob!):

> How about reserving capital "H" Holocaust for what King Leopold visited
> upon the Congo 100 years ago, next to which the fate of the Jews and
> Gypsies in Europe falls clearly into second place?

Why so? 'twould seem that if the intent was the same in each instance 
(the total  elimination of the targeted) then there would be no need 
for an ordinal determination. 
Perhaps we reserve a particular distaste for the efforts of a 20th 
century nation to pursue the kinds of policies which discredited 
those of the previous century. Particularly given that the regime in 
question sought to bring modern notions of "efficiency" to their 
task. To make it a national priority, to give it primacy over other 
strategic needs - this speaks of an involvement on a different level 
than that of Leopold in the Congo.

> Or are the lives of
> 10,000,000 black Africans somehow less important than those of 6,000,000
> Jews and Gypsies.

I don't know that anyone has sought to establish that - the more 
relevant question is "what lessons are illustrated in either 
example?" and on THAT basis, I would say that we have more to fear 
from the example of the Nazis than that of the Belgians.

after all, there are those who would argue for the inclusion of the 
dodoes in the list of the great crimes of humanity.


love,
cfa