Ernis

October 27th, 2022 at 2:28 PM ^

One aspect of that point in history that is continuously glossed over is how popular Nazi-adjacent beliefs were in the US prior to WW2. The fact that Nazi officials toured certain states in the US known for successfully disenfranchising minority populations through terror and brutality and emulated many of those post-Reconstruction "Mississippi Plan" style policies in the Third Reich is politically inconvenient. Many know that Henry Ford was an advocate of Nazi ideology, but the fact that major US business figures like Thomas Watson (IBM), Alfred Sloan and James Mooney (GM), Raymond Fosdick (Rockefeller Foundation), etc. were Nazi collaborators is more easily swept under the rug, again out of political convenience.
The point being that, powerful political, corporate, and rhetorical elements in the US which still wield immense influence have been damn closely aligned with fascism and eugenics, and that proximity should terrify anyone who's paying attention. Whatever gets these young people to spend time immersed in a museum experience to reveal greater insight into the abject terror and atrocity people not far from our contemporaries are capable of conjuring up, is much needed.

Joined: 09/23/2008

MGoPoints: 11479

SalvatoreQuattro

October 27th, 2022 at 6:51 PM ^

The government had it’s own propaganda arm as do all political parties.

There is no Nazi Party now because this is not Germany. Germanness lays at the center of the ideology. It was about making Germany great again.

The Soviets signed a pact with Hitler and helped carve up Poland. They too helped Nazi war criminals get out. 
 

But worst is that they helped the Germans rebuild the Reichswehr between 1922-1932. Without this assistance there is almost no chance that Hitler would have been able to rearm so rapidly.Russia would pay an immense cost for this. 25 million Soviet citizens dead. Greatest example of blowback in human history.

Joined: 11/30/2010

MGoPoints: 79516

MgoBlaze

October 28th, 2022 at 12:54 PM ^

This is the American Nazi party of which I spoke. Though it is just run-of-the-mill white nationalism like many of today's terrrorist groups like the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, and the 3%ers, I think it's important to acknowledge that there are still groups that actively revere Nazi Germany. If/when there's a Night of the Long Knives here, those subhuman shitheels would be the ones carrying it out.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Nazi_Party

Joined: 07/12/2020

MGoPoints: 2686

SalvatoreQuattro

October 27th, 2022 at 6:41 PM ^

There had been anti-Jewish laws in Europe since the Middle Ages. Jews were emancipated in Germany in the 1870’s. Meaning that before then they were denied fill civil rights.

 

The Nazis were the endpoint of a 1000 years of violent repression, marginalization, and mass murder. From the Rhineland massacres of 1096 to the Blood Libel to Martin Luther Jew-hatred was baked into the cultural DNA of Europe and subsequently it’s diaspora. Ford’s beliefs and actions are a result of that history.

 

The roots of the Holocaust are far older than Western racism, slavery, and colonialism. Failing to understand how ancient hatred of Jews is in the Western mind is one of the fundamental flaws in the discourse on the subject. It lays at the center of our most popular faith. Christians have yet to fully reckon with the role the respective Churchs have played in developing and inculcating Jew-hatred in the minds of Europeans and those of European descent or Christians in general

 

 

 

Joined: 11/30/2010

MGoPoints: 79516

Maximinus Thrax

October 27th, 2022 at 1:08 PM ^

One thing I got from that series that I never fully appreciated before was how the early refugees from the violence in Germany that fled to Poland, France, the Netherlands, etc. ended up being subject to Nazi rule again once they invaded those countries.  With no country willing to admit refugees (some things never change), they really had nowhere to go.

Joined: 10/26/2008

MGoPoints: 5182

dragonchild

October 27th, 2022 at 1:26 PM ^

With no country willing to admit refugees (some things never change), they really had nowhere to go.

There were exceptions -- nowhere near enough, but it sure mattered to the ones that lived.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oskar_Schindler
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Zwartendijk
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiune_Sugihara

What's telling is that their deeds were not recognized outside the Jewish community.  There are no national holidays or other such commemorating them in their home countries, AFAIK.  There are statues, but they aren't in any prominent locations, like that of Bo Schembechler.

Joined: 10/13/2011

MGoPoints: 61360

michgoblue

October 27th, 2022 at 12:59 PM ^

I support educating our team on all forms of hatred, including Jim Crow.  

That said, this is a specific incident of anti-jewish hate, which happens to be the fastest rising category of hate speech over the past two years.  I don't see the relevant of taking the team to the Jim Crow museum on a trip designed to teach the kids about the atrocities committed against Jews.  Seems to me that would water down the message.  We don't teach about Jewish accomplishments during black history month, hispanic heritage month or pride month (unless the individual featured happen to be black, hispanic or LGBTQ+).  Jewish hate is serious enough to warrant its own trip without being lumped into the category of general hate.

Joined: 11/16/2009

MGoPoints: 32198

trueblueintexas

October 27th, 2022 at 1:49 PM ^

The world isn't that simple though. 

I understand U of M has a large Jewish community and why this is an issue which has received significant comments on this board. 

I hope the visit to the museum is a positive experience for everyone on the team. I hope it raises awareness of cultural intolerance. I also think it important the team learns about the role Israel has played persecuting Palestine. https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/israel/palestine  It's a far more important lesson to see how the same group who was/is persecuted can also persecute others at the same time. Most people don't want to wade into these waters, but this is the reality of the world U of M is supposed to be developing their students for. Not just to survive, but to hopefully make it a better place. You can't do that with one side of the narrative. 

Joined: 11/10/2008

MGoPoints: 36814

CWood2

October 27th, 2022 at 2:56 PM ^

Maybe they just all forget about anything else and go on a tour of museums the rest of the year. We’ve already got suggestions that in addition to the Jewish museum, they must also hear the Palestinian side. And now the Black History museum in Detroit. But what about  Apartheid. The museum in Detroit won’t help there. Maybe they should go to South Africa. 
 

They also still have the Caste system in India. They must go to Delhi as well, but that can’t be without stopping in Pakistan to hear the Muslim side of things.

 

In China, there are still ethnic slaves. We must go there next. Seems silly they still even play football. How gross and disgusting that football should even be contemplated when there are so many museums to visit. 

Joined: 09/30/2014

MGoPoints: 1325

Wendyk5

October 27th, 2022 at 1:24 PM ^

Jew here. Gefilte fish is gross. In general, Jewish food is not a cuisine I would choose during my proverbial stay on a desert island. But I do like chopped liver (mock chopped liver is equally as good) and it's hard to beat a good bowl of matzoh ball soup. Most typical American Jewish cuisine (knishes, kreplachs, nudel koogle, etc) are eastern european dishes with Yiddish roots. I think Israeli/middle eastern food is delicious. Bring on the hummus. And never underestimate a good bagel with lox, cream cheese, capers, onions, and a thinly sliced tomato. 

Joined: 11/20/2008

MGoPoints: 68264

NittanyFan

October 27th, 2022 at 12:52 PM ^

5 star running back, playing for a well-known blue-blood, retweets something with anti-Semitic connotations, in the midst of a season where he is a key contributor to his team which has very legitimate National Championship hopes. 

Absolutely this story is going to blow up.  Rating this story on the "Richter scale", it's not a 9.0 earthquake, but it's a 6.5 to 7.0.  It is what it is, I don't take any glee in it, but it's a significant story and one the U-M football community (and MGoBlog moderators too, conversations on this shouldn't be shut down IMO) should be addressing.

Joined: 12/04/2012

MGoPoints: 43707

NittanyFan

October 27th, 2022 at 2:35 PM ^

Of course not --- but the second I saw this story, I (and others) knew it would get a good deal of attention.

It's the yin and the yang of being a fan of a high-profile football program.  If Michigan were a run-of-the-mill C-USA school and if this were a back-up Linebacker, this story gets little attention.  But then one would also be a fan of a 4-4 team that was preparing to host UTEP.

Joined: 12/04/2012

MGoPoints: 43707