An SS Officer Remembers: A bookkeeper from Auschwitz

[lebkuchen]

For two years, SS officer Oskar Gröning served in the Auschwitz concentration camp. He counted the money of dead Jews and stood guard as incoming freight trains unloaded their wretched human cargo. He says he didn't commit any crimes. For the past sixty years, Gröning has been searching for another word for guilt.


http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/spiegel/0,1518,355188,00.html

[babylonsister]

1. Thanks for this spot of

hell. I go to DU for our current horror, you
introduced a former one. Perhaps we need to
revisit history.

[lebkuchen]

3. Nazi Germany is very similar to today's US perpetuated nightmare

Fifty percent of Americans are prototypes of the Auschwitz bookkeeper, having no central nervous system, even after seeing the photos or reading the current headline of "neutralizing" the latest batch of "militants," whom we're supposed to be "freeing."

How soon before our soldiers are putting up the English version of "arbeit macht frei" at the entrances of all Iraqi internment camps?

[BrklynLiberal]

22. And they get SO INCENSED at the comparison! It must really strike close

to the truth to arouse so much anger and noise. You want to see red faces and spitting anger, just make a comparison between * and Hitler, or use the word FASCIST about the Neocons.
Whew! You have to talk fast and step back quickly.

[The Doctor.]

4. There is little difference...

The weak minded can always be enslaved by righteous nationalism.

And the principled will always suffer.

There is a special place in hell for so many, then... and now.

[lebkuchen]

6. Is this your own quote?

If so, send it to Bartletts.

[The Doctor.]

13. It is, but I'm not all that proud of it...

(I have lot's of better ones)

{OE} - Did you mean my sig line?

In that case - no, it's a Sisters of Mercy lyric.

[lebkuchen]

16. I meant your post

I think it belongs in Barletts.

[leftchick]

18. I agree lebkuchen

with your post and Dr. E's. His post is indeed worthy of Bartletts. I thought it was a quote as well. It certainly does pertain to 1930s Germany and 2000 America.

Thank you for the link.

peace,
lc

[KlatooBNikto]

17. How about No Good Deed Goes Unpunished.?

[lala_rawraw]

2. Wow... that should be required reading material

For the Fascists in Amerika... no? Only for every appearance of "Jewish People" substitute "People of Niger", "People of Sudan", "People of Panama", and so forth. Also, for every appearance of "SS", put in "CIA" and for every word "accomplice" substitute "GOP". And for every name of a camp, substitute "Abu" and "Gitmo" etc.

Of course one need not worry about substituting Hitler's name as one already has that connection with Prescott Bush and friends, including Kissinger, Nixon, and the rest who find the weight of money more important than the weight of life.

In its 200 years, America has managed to outdo even Rome in the number of people it helped slaughter or slaughtered in the name of the Halliburton's of the world. During WWII is was the steel companies and banks, now it is all energy and oil. Same people, same crimes, and same accomplices. There is no forgiveness for such accomplices or acts, as you can tell from reading this account, in 60 years he has not found that forgiveness and he will never find it. And that is justice, I am sorry to say and I am also sorry to say that I am glad he cannot find that forgiveness.

[lebkuchen]

5. He can cry for a dead bird but for not a Jewish baby

nor for all the gassings he had witnessed.

This man is a walking corpse, much like Bush.

[lala_rawraw]

7. No, bush is worse... at least this man can say

He is sorry. God, you remember Funeralgate and how Shrub was in the biz of throwing over burial sites and desecrating graves? He is a good Fristian that boy is.

[lebkuchen]

8. If he can talk to a reporter (for historical purposes) and not his wife

and his wife doesn't want to know, so shelters herself by not asking, then I don't think his interpretation of "I'm sorry" counts, especially given his tortured legalese as an argument for self-exoneration.

[lala_rawraw]

9. agreed... but he is still better than bush....

at least he is struggling in his own pathetic and vile soul to find forgiveness... dipster does not even acknowledge ever being wrong... he is infallable...flah.

[lebkuchen]

12. The money counter's wife is THE Laura Bush prototype

btw

[enid602]

10. *

Or, when mocking (in a shrilled voice) death-row inmate Carla Tucker; 'please don't kill me . . . please don't kill me. . .' Incredible.

[babylonsister]

11. Funeralgate? No, I know nothing. Please

enlighten me.

[lala_rawraw]

14. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh, this will blow your mind...

Google "funeralgate" and see how many desecrated graves W made money on.

[BrklynLiberal]

21. Makes me want to puke. He can talk about it! "Sorry" is not enough!

[Solly Mack]

15. wow

just wow

[Disturbed]

19. " We live in a world where illusions are sacred and truth profane."

Tariq Ali

[leftchick]

20. That is just jaw dropping to read....

he will never find peace. He knows he is guilty.

[leftchick]

23. This is a MUST read

:kick:

[Roland99]

24. Plenty more here (PBS Frontline and a DVD and a book)

Frontline "Memory of the Camps", Episode #318.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/

Auschwitz: A New History. Here's an NPR interview with the author:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4606548

There's a DVD, too.
http://www.deepdiscountdvd.com/dvd.cfm?itemid=BBC021130&promotion=y

[Cleita]

25. This article is so telling.

I wonder how the soldiers who did the torturing in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo are going to justify what they did in future years. Why aren't we indicting Rumsfeld? I feel the buck stops there with him.

[Disturbed]

27. Why aren't we indicting Rumsfeld?

I think you know that answer.


Rumsfailed Admitted to Violating Geneva Convention

Rumsfailed admitted in public on TV that when CIA Director Tenet requested that an Iraqi prisoner be sent to a secret Afghan/US Prison that Rumsfailed did so. After four months a DOD Attorney stated that this was an illegal act. Rumsfailed then ordered that this prisoner be sent back to Abu Graihib but the prisoner was purposefully not listed at that location, also an illegal act. Rumsfeld also admitted to signing orders for tougher interogation methods which violated the Geneva Conventions.

Rumfailed has commited at least three violations of the Geneva Convention thereby also violations of The Constitution of the USA. Recently it has been found out that even more detainees were "ghost detainees". The fact that Rumsfailed and Tenet have not been charged speaks volumes. If Congress wishes to garner any respect they should move forward with Rep. Rangle's Impeachment Declaration of Rumsfailed and also proscecute Ex. CIA Tenet.


Does the US, Govt., Congress, and the Justice Dept no longer abide by the Geneva Convention or the Constitution of the USA?

[Hubert Flottz]

26. Wow!

And thanks for that link!

:hi: