More than two dozen presidents, prime ministers, members of royalty and other leaders sat in the bitterly cold open air into the night to remember the 6 million victims of the Holocaust, most of them Jews. Among those attending were Vice President Cheney, German President Horst Koehler, Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Jacques Chirac, Britain's Prince Edward and Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, whose father was held at the camp as a Soviet prisoner of war.
In Germany, where denying the genocide against Jews is a crime, a political party that sympathizes with neo-Nazis walked out of a Holocaust memorial service in Saxony last week to protest what its leaders called lack of recognition of the large numbers of German civilians killed by Allied bombers during World War II. In Russia, two dozen members of the parliament recently signed a letter blaming Jews for "provoking" anti-Semitism and asking the government to ban Jewish groups on grounds of extremism.
In France, nationalist politician Jean-Marie Le Pen -- who won 18 percent of the vote in the presidential election three years ago -- said in a magazine interview published this month that the severity of the Nazi occupation of his country had been exaggerated, calling it "not especially inhumane."
Around the same time, Britain's Prince Harry showed up at a party dressed as a Nazi, dealing a huge public embarrassment to the House of Windsor. It dispatched Harry's uncle, Prince Edward, to Auschwitz as its representative for the ceremonies.
NoUFO From Germany, joined Apr 2001, 7802 posts, RR: 13 Reply 1, posted (8 years 4 months 3 weeks 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 558 times:
Yes, and the number of antisemitic incidents increased as well. Especially on US American college campuses.
That would be a good topic to discuss if it wasn't obvious that you want to distract the attention from the casual wear Cheney chose to attend the commemoration.
Rjpieces From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 2, posted (8 years 4 months 3 weeks 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 556 times:
That would be a good topic to discuss if it wasn't obvious that you want to distract the attention from the casual wear Cheney chose to attend the commemoration.
I seriously can not believe people are making a big deal out of that. I will post what I just said in the other thread:
I'll say it again. Out of all the leaders attending that ceremony, Dick Cheney has done more for Jews than any of them. I don't care if he was wearing pajamas, he is a true friend of the Jewish people and that is all that matters.
NoUFO From Germany, joined Apr 2001, 7802 posts, RR: 13 Reply 4, posted (8 years 4 months 3 weeks 2 days 6 hours ago) and read 546 times:
Look, it is obvious why you have started this thread but the rise in antisemitism is a serious topic, and I do not wish to see it instrumentalized for a tit-for-tat response nor to bash certain countries along the way.
Ltbewr From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 12365 posts, RR: 12 Reply 5, posted (8 years 4 months 3 weeks 2 days 6 hours ago) and read 538 times:
It should also be noted that several Catholic and Jewish faith leaders attended, including a representive of the Vatican/Pope John Paul II (who was from Poland and lived during the era of this death camp).
Let us not forget that the USSR liberated the camps, but then took over Eastern Europe, forced Commiunist governments upon the Poles and others, killed who knows how many whom wouldn't follow the 'party line'. It's too bad that there isn't a memorial for the generation of mass killings by the USSR under Stalin.
L410Turbolet From Czech Republic, joined May 2004, 5411 posts, RR: 18 Reply 6, posted (8 years 4 months 3 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 510 times:
It should also be noted that for those Russian POWs held at Auschwitz it was NO liberation at all. Surviving nazi death camp only meant to be sent to a communist one in Siberia afterwards. Stalin thought no Russian will ever be a POW and that Geneva Covention is irrlevant (sounds familiar?). I'm sure Mr. Putin knows that, the camps were invented by his fmr. employer after all (KGB).
Just as he knows about the two and half months the Red Army just watched the Warsaw uprising, led by non-communist resistance movement, drown in blood and the city being reduced to rubble from the other side of the river. Not only they did nothing, they even prevented Allied airdrops of ammo and supplies.
What a bittersweet "liberation" for (not only) the Poles it was...
L-188 From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 29367 posts, RR: 61 Reply 7, posted (8 years 4 months 3 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 508 times:
Stalin thought no Russian will ever be a POW and that Geneva Covention is irrlevant (sounds familiar?)
Sounds like something that Binnie would say.
On a day like this what Cheney was wearing should not be an issue.
OBAMA-WORST PRESIDENT EVER....Even SKOORB would be better.
L-188 From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 29367 posts, RR: 61 Reply 9, posted (8 years 4 months 3 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 505 times:
And How is that Mark????
OBAMA-WORST PRESIDENT EVER....Even SKOORB would be better.
L410Turbolet From Czech Republic, joined May 2004, 5411 posts, RR: 18 Reply 10, posted (8 years 4 months 3 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 507 times:
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