Sunday, November 2, 2014

Holocaust Denials and Sensitivity Indicators

Every so often, a holocaust denial raises the anger of the public as even small, extremist views can get the attention of the press.

Statement Analysis is best applied to first language, but even in translations, stepping back from the use of single words can help give clarity.  In Chinese, for example, there is no verb tense, instead the clarity comes from the context.

We have many transcriptions published from the Nuremberg trials that even in translations, we can see issues of sensitivity.

An excellent sample of this is found in Herman Goering's cross examination.

1.  Questions that were avoided
2.  Allegations that were met with silence
3.  Statements left unchallenged
4.  Reaction to information

In pulling back from the close view of analysis of specific words, we can view reactions, such as listed above, including determination that a particular topic is "sensitive" to the subject because he has avoided answering it, even with a tangent, or by silence.

What was Goering's reaction to the films of the holocaust shown in court?

American troops had often filmed, particularly after the first concentration camps were liberated, the camp liberation, itself, live, and compiled an impressive array of video evidence of "The Final Solution to the Jewish Question."

Goering, somehow, expected the audience to applaud, rather than issue a denial.  Given the nature of his intellect, as well as his combative personality, we would have expected a denial instead.

Goering then went on to accuse the Allies of doing some of the very same things, in smaller scale.

We can note that neither of these were denials.

From 1945 to 1949, citizens in Germany were shown these films, as part of a "de-nazification process" and American troops were able to show that this was very different than the early British propaganda that took place in 1918, which may have led some in Allied circles to disbelieve early reports of mass executions in the early stages of WWII.  In this case, lying had the "boy who cried wolf" effect, circa early 1940's.

There are some excellent books on the Nuremberg trials that readers of Statement Analysis will enjoy.  Use caution as to the second language principle, yet in getting the larger view, principle will remain.


1 comment:

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