Quote by Christopher Hitchens

What people still do not like to admit is that there were two crimes in the form of one. Just as the destruction of Jewry was the necessary condition for the rise and expansion of Nazism, so . I first noticed this point when reading an essay by the late Ernest Gellner, who at the end of the war had warned Eastern Europeans that collective punishment of Germans would put them under Stalin's tutelage indefinitely. They would always feel the guilty need for an ally against potential German revenge.


What people still do not like to admit is that there were tw

Summary

This quote highlights the idea that there were two interconnected crimes committed during the Holocaust. The destruction of the Jewish people was not only a horrific act in itself, but it also served as a necessary condition for the rise and expansion of Nazism. The quote also references the concern raised by Ernest Gellner, suggesting that collective punishment of Germans after the war would perpetuate a cycle of revenge and ultimately result in the Eastern Europeans becoming dependent on Stalin's influence. It implies that recognizing the interconnectedness of these crimes is crucial for understanding the complex repercussions that follow such acts of genocide.

By Christopher Hitchens
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