interesting quote, uncomfortable idea

[Professor]

This is a private poll.

I am reading a Stephen King novel called Different Seasons. It's four short stories, one of them Shawshank Redemption. The second one was Apt Pupil.

A short synopsis, a boy discovers his neighbor is Nazi fugitive. Instead of turning him in, he decided to question him about his days as the head of a concentration camp. When the man dies and all the cards are on the table some police officers contemplate as to why the boy didn't tell immediately when he knew of his neighbor's identity.

"The things that happened in those camps still have power enough to make the stomach flutter with nausea. I feel that way myself...but maybe there is something about what the Germans did that exercises a deadly fascination over us- something that opens the catacombs of the imagination. Maybe part of our dread and horror comes from a secret knowledge that under the right-or wrong-set of circumstances we would be willing to build such places and staff them ourselves. Black serendipity. Maybe we know under the right set of circumstances the things that live in the catacombs would be glad to crawl out. And what do you think they would look like? Like mad Fuehrers with forelocks and shoe polish mustaches, heil-ing all over the place? Like red devils, or demons, or the dragon that floats on its stinking reptile wings?

...I think most of them would look like ordinary accountants. Little mind-men-men with graphs and flow charts and electronic calculators, all ready to start maximizing the kill ratios so that the next time they could perhaps kill twenty or thirty millions instead of only six." [hr]I voted yes. While I have a great degree of mercy and compassion I can also be very mean and pety.

I also believe all humans have the capability of great goodness and great evil. It's what they choose to to do.

[ViolaLee]

No, I have this uncontrollable urge to fight for justice. I could never work in a concentration camp unless it was as a double agent, helping people get free.

[crimzonsol]

I don't think they would let me even if I wanted to.

[lily]

I am reading a Stephen King novel called Different Seasons. It's four short stories, one of them Shawshank Redemption. The second one was Apt Pupil.

Ah......back when King was still good.

I don't know if it's a simple yes or no answer. I know I wouldn't be able to do it, but if it was like some cases in WW2, where you took the job to save your live and spare your family, then I think I would.

[moses2792796]

I don't think they would let me even if I wanted to.


:lmao:

[Professor]

I am reading a Stephen King novel called Different Seasons. It's four short stories, one of them Shawshank Redemption. The second one was Apt Pupil.

Ah......back when King was still good.

I don't know if it's a simple yes or no answer. I know I wouldn't be able to do it, but if it was like some cases in WW2, where you took the job to save your live and spare your family, then I think I would.


Yes, but that's different. I'm talking about just you, no family.

[Truth_and_Power]

I'm sure there's a point where I'd "go al qaeda", so to speak, and be willing to do anything. There's a very evil side to pragmatism if you dig deep enough.

[Deadshot]

As a Holocaust historian I can say without question, that I could not work in a Concentration camp. But remember, you really don't need a lot of people. You need to read this book, to help answer your question, IMHO.

Ordinary Men - Amazon.com link (http://www.amazon.com/Ordinary-Men-Reserve-Battalion-Solution/dp/0060995068) It tells about how a police battalion ended up personally shooting and killing about 40K jews (there were about 500 of them) and helped to deport, to what they knew where death camps, another 60K.

On a purely mathematical level the killing ratio of 200:1 is impressive. The author then goes into the physchological aspects of the men and how the killing became easier as time went on.

You will always find evil men and women, but you'll also find scared and ambitious men and women who will do anything to asuage fears and get ahead. So you'd only need a relatively small number to begin the killings, and fewer still to run the camps once that operation is at full strength.

So even if you found one or two here, among a board with an average of 50-75 posters, you'd be doing well. But one would hope that the other 48-73 that were not recruited to be in a concentration camp would attempt to stop those who were...

BTW, read King's The Stand to see a fight between Good and Evil, also did you like The Breathing Method? It's the only story in the book not made into a movie.

[Truth_and_Power]

What if you were in a fight where you genuinely felt you were right, and that the only way to win was to have concentration camps. You guys are all assuming that the good/evil divide would be easy to see, and that the concentration camps would be evil. Perhaps suicide bombing would be a better analogy.

[jafar00]

What if you were in a fight where you genuinely felt you were right, and that the only way to win was to have concentration camps. You guys are all assuming that the good/evil divide would be easy to see, and that the concentration camps would be evil. Perhaps suicide bombing would be a better analogy.


Well the concentration camps of this fantasy for you would be Guantanemo, and Abu Ghraib. And what of those who are calling for the rounding up of all Muslims in the US? Where could that lead?

[lily]

Yes, but that's different. I'm talking about just you, no family.


No, I honestly don't think I could do it...at least I would hope I wouldn't.[hr]
And what of those who are calling for the rounding up of all Muslims in the US? Where could that lead?


I don't think that after the internment camps we would allow this to happen again.

[micfranklin]

There's no way I could work at a concentration camp, that's practically slave labor. Of course I'd try and create a rebellion to overthrow the workers or escape.

[AnnEsthesia]

Nope, I could not do it. In order to work in a concentration camp, one has to be able to partition their humanity, to remove their empathy and to look at human suffering without any sympathy. I could never do it.

[micfranklin]

What if you were in a fight where you genuinely felt you were right, and that the only way to win was to have concentration camps. You guys are all assuming that the good/evil divide would be easy to see, and that the concentration camps would be evil. Perhaps suicide bombing would be a better analogy.


Well the concentration camps of this fantasy for you would be Guantanemo, and Abu Ghraib. And what of those who are calling for the rounding up of all Muslims in the US? Where could that lead?


You mean like FDR rounded up all Japanese-Americans and sent them to internment camps during WWII?

[Elrathin]

I don't think that after the internment camps we would allow this to happen again.


You have a better outlook on Americans than I do. If we were ever to be attacked by a nuclear weapon from a terrorist with Islamic faith, I don't think the majority of people would mind.

Also keep in mine the many people that have said we should nuke Mecca if we are attacked nuclear wise.

[moses2792796]

It all depends on the situation, of course from an emotional point of view some actions are simply out of the question, but logically, if something had to be done, I think I could ignore my conscience.

[micfranklin]

How 'bout this: emotionally internment camps are out of the question. But logically, the terrorists accused get put on trial and locked up in prison for life, and then we leave everyone else alone.

[Wndrtch]

What if you were in a fight where you genuinely felt you were right, and that the only way to win was to have concentration camps. You guys are all assuming that the good/evil divide would be easy to see, and that the concentration camps would be evil. Perhaps suicide bombing would be a better analogy.


Well the concentration camps of this fantasy for you would be Guantanemo, and Abu Ghraib. And what of those who are calling for the rounding up of all Muslims in the US? Where could that lead?


Nice! :sick:

You really think those detention centers are concentration camps?

Making irresponsible comments like this, erodes the true horror of what REAL Nazi concentration camps were, and dishonors all those that were murdered in them.

Guantanemo and Abu Ghraib had a couple of "bad-apples", and the military did the right thing and went after those individuals. To compare these detension centers to Nazi concentration camps is utterly foolish.

[Professor]

Nice! :sick:

You really think those detention centers are concentration camps?

Making irresponsible comments like this, erodes the true horror of what REAL Nazi concentration camps were, and dishonors all those that were murdered in them.

Guantanemo and Abu Ghraib had a couple of "bad-apples", and the military did the right thing and went after those individuals. To compare these detension centers to Nazi concentration camps is utterly foolish.


I don't doubt that the Nazi concentration camps were horrible places but I'm not sure Guantanemo isn't also as horrible. I've been given little or no information about it. The information I have been given is conflicting. I am left to conclude the worst.