pynchon-l-digest V2 #1840

[Paul Mackin]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug Millison" <millison at online-journalist.com>


> Just trying to straighten you out, Mackin. You seemed confused,
> attributing to me statements that DeLong made in his review of Evans
> book, so I set out the relevant quotes to clarify.

I'll admit I'm confused about a lot of things but did you or did you not say
the following:

"In his review of the Evans book, DeLong discusses another history (A.J.P.
Taylor's)  that has been mentioned several times in this forum to support
the notion that Germany didn't start WWII -- DeLong shows how this sort of
argumentation relates to the historial approach of Holocaust deniers."


If I'm wrong in assuming these words imply Taylor can be associated with
something as odious and irrational as Holocaust Denial. ( in a way that
seems to me analogous  to your earlier declarations that people who do not
think GR is essentially about the Holocuast are Holcaust Deniers) I
apologize.

My only possible "beef" with DeLong  is that he was not prescient. He did
not realize that at some point in time his book review might be read by one
Doug Millison. If he had  foreseen this he might have included in large
block letters underscored a statement to the effect that questions raised at
the end of his review about Taylor's history writing technique--wriiting of
the origins of the war as if Hitler were a conventional German statesman
when evidence was available that H was something much more--was NOT a sign
of incipient Holocaust Denial.  DeLong merely raised the question as it
might relate  to whether Irving might be considered every bit as much a true
historian as the great A. J. P Taylor since T ignored some evidence for
whatever purpose and the implications of this for the trial. DeLong felt an
unconfortable tension was created. However it was not one that could ever be
plausibly resolved either by declaring Irving a reputable historian or
Taylor a Holocaust Denier.)

My advice to Doug would be to be more careful about the label Holocaust
Denier.

                P.