Holocaust Supremacism Slights All NonJewish Genocides Example Morsink

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Holocaust, by Johannes Morsink. 2019

Not Human Rights: Holocaust Supremacism is on the Throne Even When Non-Jewish Genocides Are Freely Discussed

This book focuses on human rights in the light of the Holocaust. However, “human rights” are not precisely defined, and it is easy to see how the Holocaust is being enlisted to promote various agendas, such as forced immigration into western countries. The question of Holocaust supremacism, as a violation of human rights, is not addressed, so I briefly do so near the end of my review.

“HOLOCAUST” SIMULTANEOUSLY TRIBALIST AND UNIVERSAL: HAVING IT BOTH WAYS

Author Johannes Morsink, identified on the back cover as professor emeritus of political philosophy at Drew University, considers the term Holocaust as validly used in the exclusive sense of the genocide of the Jews, and in the inclusive sense of non-Jewish genocides. (p. 75, 120). Others speak of the Holocaust as being both unique and universal. (p. 77). All this sounds like wanting to have the cake and eat it too.

HOLOCAUST SELF-IMPORTANCE IS ALIVE AND WELL

The mystification of the Holocaust, as egregiously exemplified by Elie Wiesel, continues to the present. For example, Morsink comments, “For postmodern thinkers the Holocaust signals the end of modernity in which the rational and executive efficiency of the ‘Final Solution’ created a ‘rupture’ in which ‘the temporal division of epochs according to the vantage point of modernity collapses and begins to erase itself.’” (p. 6). But wait, it gets even better.

Morsink writes, “Just as the French Revolution has come to stand for its own era, so the Holocaust has come to stand for the evils of World War II.” (p. 76).

I never hear such expansive statements made about any other genocide! Whoever heard it said, for example, that the Cambodian genocide “signals the end of modernity”? Or that the Nazi German genocide of the Poles (the Polokaust) has “come to stand for the evils of World War II?”

NON-JEWISH GENOCIDES MAY BE WELCOME, BUT ONLY AS LONG AS THEY “KNOW THEIR PLACE”

To begin with, many Holocaust-promoting institutions remain 100% Judeocentric, or close to it. Morsink writes, “Not all Jewish community centers and museums agree on the expansion of their various missions to educating the world about other genocides.” (p. 286).

However, even in those places that non-Jewish genocides are “included”, they effectively remain second-class genocides—all because of the very-much ongoing Holocaust self-importance. This is obvious from the following revealing statements of author Johannes Morsink, “Our consciousness is large enough [is it?] to take in multiple commemorations in one act of implementation. Many of the centers have in fact changed their names from ‘Holocaust Study Center’ to ‘Holocaust and Genocide Study Center.’ Other genocides, mass murders, and human rights violations of all kinds have been brought to live in one commemorative tent, FOR WHICH THE HOLOCAUST PROVIDES THE CENTRAL POLE.” (p. 288; Emphasis added). Priceless!

GENOCIDE RECOGNITION EQUALITY—AN UNMENTIONED FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT

We freely recognize the fact that any hierarchy or meritocracy of races is inherently racist, and is a violation of human rights. Any hierarchy or meritocracy of genocides is likewise inherently racist, and is a violation of human rights, but the contradiction between Holocaust supremacism and basic human rights is not touched by the author Johannes Morsink.

Genocide Recognition Equality Now!