Discussion of old movies and the culture that made them.
IMPRISON TRAITOR TRUMP.
Thursday, April 4, 2019
Edward R. Murrow reports from Buchenwald
"If I have offended you by this rather mild account of Buchenwald, I am not in the least sorry."On April 15, 1945, journalist Edward R. Murrow entered the Buchenwald concentration camp with the American Army and broadcast what he saw.In this disgusting era of attacks on journalism and journalists, and the appalling ignorance of the facts of the Holocaust, and the evil of its deniers, it is imperative to speak the truth, to hammer the truth home to those who are too lazy, too stupid, or too corrupt in their hearts to want to listen. Listen as well to what people said to him about President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who died only a few days earlier on the 12th. Listen to when the world recognized moral American leadership and was grateful, in an era when we realized the democracies of the world were our friends and we knew we couldn't do it without them.
I am inclined to think fans of classic films have a better grounding in the study of history than those who do not watch classic films, but I really don't know that for a fact. I do know that those fans of classic films who indulge only in the fantasy aspects will deny themselves the greater value, and the greater privilege, of learning about the sometimes hard and gritty bedrock of the world in which those films were made.
Some good thoughts here, Jacqueline! I can’t help thinking that if that report was done today, we would get “fake news!” denial from the right and “Yes, yes, very sad, but what about...?” from the left. And you’re right, there is much to learn from classic movies, although we also need to know context to appreciate them properly in the first place!
Thank you, both. Here, also, is what General Dwight Eisenhower said at the time: "The visual evidence and the verbal testimony of starvation, cruelty and bestiality were so overpowering as to leave me a bit sick. In one room, where they [there] were piled up twenty or thirty naked men, killed by starvation, George Patton would not even enter. He said that he would get sick if he did so. I made the visit [to Gotha] deliberately, in order to be in a position to give first-hand evidence of these things if ever, in the future, there develops a tendency to charge these allegations merely to 'propaganda.'"
It appears that each generation must learn anew to understand and appreciate our responsibility to each other. It seems that some do not want to learn.
5 comments:
Some good thoughts here, Jacqueline! I can’t help thinking that if that report was done today, we would get “fake news!” denial from the right and “Yes, yes, very sad, but what about...?” from the left. And you’re right, there is much to learn from classic movies, although we also need to know context to appreciate them properly in the first place!
An important and timely post, Jacqueline.
Thank you, both. Here, also, is what General Dwight Eisenhower said at the time: "The visual evidence and the verbal testimony of starvation, cruelty and bestiality were so overpowering as to leave me a bit sick. In one room, where they [there] were piled up twenty or thirty naked men, killed by starvation, George Patton would not even enter. He said that he would get sick if he did so. I made the visit [to Gotha] deliberately, in order to be in a position to give first-hand evidence of these things if ever, in the future, there develops a tendency to charge these allegations merely to 'propaganda.'"
Hear, hear.
It appears that each generation must learn anew to understand and appreciate our responsibility to each other. It seems that some do not want to learn.
How unfortunate that it takes catastrophe to make them open their eyes.
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