Student Protest and the White Rose Movement in Nazi Germany
By Bill Astore
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Sophie Scholl flanked by her brother, Hans (L) and friend Christoph Probst (R) in 1942
Apologists for the Israeli government and its genocidal policies are now warning us about “radicalized” college and university students. Apparently, it’s “radical” to protest
genocide, famine, and ceaseless bombing. Contrariwise, it’s apparently
“normal” to support mass murder, total destruction, and widespread
starvation. Talk about a world turned upside down … Of
course, it’s only “radical” to oppose genocide if you live in a
totalitarian state that’s prosecuting that genocide or aiding others in
prosecuting it. Anyone with a working conscience and a smidgen of
humanity would think it’s normal and sane to oppose mass murder and to protest against it.
Again, we don’t dismiss Sophie Scholl as a campus “radical” for standing up for Jews and protesting against the murderous policies of the Third Reich. We see her as a paradigmatic individual, an example of the very best of us, a young woman of great moral courage. Of course, the Nazis thought otherwise, arresting her then executing her, her brother, and other White Rose members as traitors to their “race.”
Perhaps the Scholls were radical after all: radical in their courage and their commitment to human rights and values for all.
If you want to watch a powerful movie about young campus “radicals,” check out “Sophie Scholl: The Final Days,” from 2005. I highly recommend it.
Back in 2013, I put together a list of 13 movies about the Holocaust and genocide for a college course I taught. In that course, I used well-known movies and documentaries like “Schindler’s List,” “The Sorrow and the Pity,” and “Night and Fog.” The list below was my attempt to expand on that and to point my students to some movies and documentaries that they may not have seen.
Here’s the original article I posted back in 2013:
Thirteen Movies About the Holocaust
I’ve seen a lot of movies and documentaries about the Holocaust or with themes related to the Holocaust and totalitarianism. Of the films I’ve seen, these are the thirteen that stayed with me. Please note that these movies have adult themes; they may not be suitable for children or teens.
- American History X (1998): Searing movie about neo-Nazis and the power of hate. Violent scenes for mature audiences only.
- Anne Frank: The Whole Story (2001): Excellent dramatization of Anne Frank’s life, to include the tragic end at Bergen-Belsen.
- For My Father (2008): A movie about Palestinians, Israelis, and suicide bombers, but also a movie about the difficulties of confronting and overcoming prejudice.
- Hotel Rwanda (2004): The genocide in Rwanda, and how one brave man made a difference.
- Judgment at Nuremberg (1961): Powerful indictment of Nazi war criminals after World War II.
- Katyn (2007): A reminder that the Nazis weren’t the only mass murderers in World War II.
- The Last Days (1998): Incredibly moving documentary that explores the fate of Hungarian Jews. Highly recommended.
- Life Is Beautiful (1997): It’s hard to believe that a comedy could be made about the Holocaust. But I think this movie works precisely because the main character is so resourceful and full of life.
- The Lives of Others (2006): Astonishing movie about life under a totalitarian regime (East Germany). A “must see” to understand how people can be controlled and cowed and coerced, but also how some find ways to resist.
- Lore (2012): Movie about a German teenager who has to survive in the chaos of 1945 as the Third Reich comes crashing down. Various small scenes show the hold that Hitler had over the German people, and the reluctance of many Germans to believe that the Holocaust occurred and that Hitler had ordered it.
- Sarah’s Key (2010): Heart-wrenching movie about the roundup of Jews in France, which reminds us that the Nazis had plenty of helpers and collaborators.
- Sophie Scholl: The Final Days (2005): Inspiring movie about Hans and Sophie Scholl and the White Rose movement in Nazi Germany. The Scholls were college students who took a courageous stand against the Nazis. Executed as traitors in 1943, they are now celebrated as heroes in Germany.
- The Wave (2008): Compelling movie about the allure of fascism and “the Fuhrer (leader) principle.” Highly recommended, especially if you want to know how Hitler got so many young people to follow him.
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Comments
6 responses to “It’s Not “Radical” to Oppose Genocide”
America is a loyal follower of Nazi ideology, since Wall Street Banks financed bankrupt Germany at the end of WWI, support that allowed Hitler to unleash death and destruction on 50 million people (the Jews being a small percentage of the total count). I have to ask: how many readers of these pages have the courage to learn and accept that historic fact? Not too many.
Therefore, we must also ask what the purpose of that wholehearted support was. The answer is obvious, to destroy the newly created Soviet Union. An event that apparently has escaped Vladimir Putin, when he tries to understand and react to the concerted efforts to finally end the job started so many decades ago.
Definitely, I strongly think that the second world War is going on till now.
Students worldwide have become “radicalized” because they protest mass murder, torture, starvation and destruction of community. They protest the same acts the Nazis committed upon European nations; yet somehow if is the Israelis it’s all OK. Hamas is making the Israelis drop American supplied 2000 # bombs on women and children in order to defend themselves. This acceptance and promotion of pure evil is all about religious and political fanaticism. Who would Jesus genocide?
“Anyone with a working conscience and a smidgen of humanity would think it’s normal and sane to oppose mass murder and to protest against it.”
You cannot separate or understand what is taking place without unflinchingly addressing the motivator, which is not really apparent to a lot of people. This is not just a conflict between tribalist groups, or a conflict over land, this is very much a Holy War on the behalf of the Israeli’s, and if you do not note that as the central aspect, then you will find that all the appeals to morality or conscience make absolutely no difference, because in a Holy War driven by literal scriptural command, the death and suffering IS moral.. as bizarre as that sounds.
Israeli rabbi says ‘kill everyone in Gaza, including babies’
https://thecradle.co/articles-id/23810
This is not an ambush video, or secret recording, he knew that this was going to be publicly released –
“Mali said that “according to the halachic principle (a religious-ethical system of legal reasoning in Judaism), all residents of Gaza must be killed.” When asked during the conference if babies should be killed as well, he said: “The same thing. You can’t be clever with the Torah. Today he’s a baby, tomorrow he’s a fighter. There are no questions here. Today’s terrorists were previously 8-year-old children.” “Those who create the terrorists” should also be killed, he said in reference to women in Gaza.”
While this is surely opposed by a lot of Jewish religious figures, the actual truth is, what he is saying in a legalistic-scriptural sense IS based on a factual interpretation of the HBRW Bible and Talmudic law. While many may at least publicly not agree with the statement of killing children, this was in fact done by the character of Moses, for instance –
Numbers 31 –
“Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man intimately. However, all the girls who have not known a man intimately, keep alive for yourselves.”
The example of this scriptural war crime are being held up as an honored tradition to be used as a roadmap for dealing with current conflicts. None of this is even remotely compatible with Christianity, however the for-profit wing of Christian leadership is chomping at the bit to approve or justify/excuse this insanity, so this is not merely a problem within Judaism.
Once this atrocity sanction is widespread, it contaminates people to a degree that there is no longer any real right or wrong –
“An Israeli groom and 12 of his wedding guests have been charged with inciting violence and terrorism by celebrating the murder of a Palestinian toddler who was burned to death in an arson attack. Ali Dawabsheh died alongside his parents after their home in the West Bank village of Duma was firebombed by settlers in July last year. Only Ahmed, Ali’s four-year-old brother, survived with serious burns.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/duma-arson-attack-latest-ali-dawabsheh-jewish-extremist-wedding-video-groom-charged-inciting-terrorism-violence-west-bank-a7381916.html
This couple, who supposedly were celebrating there marriage and starting a new life together were arrested for celebrating the burning death of an 18 month old Arab baby in a fire bombing of the childs home. You cannot make a moral appeal to someone who has been trained to see others as not human, or as merely obstacles. Once you have reached the point at which, on the day of your wedding, you are consumed with joy over the suffering of a burned baby who is not part of your own ethnicity/religion, there is not much that you are not going to be willing to do to others. F.Y.I – ^”You Are Here”^
People may want to ignore, excuse or deny this basal factor of pious, scriptural mass murder justification, but it is not going to ignore you.
Here in America, to add insult to injury, we have idiots like the Pro-Israel activist and Fox News @ Night panelist, Brittney Hopper, telling the American people that the students protesting on behalf of the Palestinians are “Domestic Terrorists!” That is the vilest slander imaginable directed towards, by far, the most courageous and humane people in America … those protesting on behalf of the Palestinians!
The fact that this unconscionable slander is occurring through the MSM, demonstrates clearly just how far we’ve fallen as a nation … the only thing worse is that millions of gullible Americans are listening!
I mentioned in these pages, together with other observers, that evil Dr. Goebbels himself, would be jealous of the success of US indoctrination. How many Americans realize that the regime, has recreated Nazi Germany in American classrooms with the pledge of allegiance (national anthem) forced upon innocent children at an early age. In fact, they have revived Hitler in the US Republic the way I see it.