Holocaust denial and 9-11 denial

I was struck by a comment by a Holocaust true-believer today -- one of those who buy the entire story -- lock, stock and barrel. He made the comment that to deny the Holocaust happened is like denying that 9-11 happened.

On the surface, to those who haven't thought much about these matters, such an argument -- such a sound byte -- sounds convincing. Sure, we can make him define his terms. That's the normal starting place. What do you mean when you write "Holocaust?" What do you mean by "deny the Holocaust?" What do you mean by "9-11?" And so on.

But we have an idea of what this guy meant. We don't really have to get all the definitions out there. Heck, this is an age where all great ideas will be limited to 140 characters -- there's no time for clarity (what would Kant or Schopenhauer have done with Twitter?)

The fact is however that this guy has his thoughts twisted -- in fact they are 180 degrees from the correct direction.

It would be far more accurate to say "to believe the Holocaust story is like believing the US government was behind a grand conspiracy on 9-11."

What do I mean?

There are those who "deny" the official story of 9-11. They claim that rather than an Al-Qadea terrorist attack on the World Trade Center that the US government in fact orchestrated the entire thing. Bush knew about it -- or even ordered it. And of course there was a grand conspiracy to cover the whole thing up.

The Holocaust story -- that is, the official Holocaust story is also a grand conspiracy tale. Those who buy it say the Nazi government orchestrated a plan to exterminate the entire Jewish people. Hitler knew about -- and even ordered it. There was a grand conspiracy to cover the whole thing up. In fact, one SS officer was even given the horrific job in the final months of the Third Reich to march a small band all around Europe and cover up the Nazi crimes by exhuming all the victims and destroying the evidence on makeshift pyres, with explosive devices, and even through the use of "bone-crushing machines."

I'm not much for conspiracy tales. I don't think Bush had any idea what was coming on 9-11. I think Bin Laden and his gang orchestrated the entire thing. I haven't seen any evidence to make me believe that Bush ordered such a horrific event. Neither is it reasonable to think that such a cover-up would be possible, what with the partisan in-fighting of Washington DC. It is unthinkable.

The official Holocaust story is an even bigger conspiracy tale. It didn't last for a morning but rather for years. It is a story without evidence of the murder weapon -- without forensic evidence -- and without the documentary evidence.

I don't buy the 9-11 conspiracy story and neither do I buy the Holocaust conspiracy story. Like I said, I'm not much for conspiracy tales.