Teddy Roosevelt’s Libel Trial
On May 22, 1915, after a five-week trial, in the William Barnes vs. Theodore Roosevelt libel suit, the jury’s verdict was in favor of the President. Barnes, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee had sued Roosevelt for $50,000 for an alleged libelous statement “a political boss of the most obnoxious type.” The trial did not begin well for the President, he was frustrated by the proceedings and on the witness stand, he spoke after his attorney’s objections and judge’s use of gavel. While the book is about the other end of Roosevelt’s life. This case threatened the president to humiliate and humble him. He still had big plans to make another run for the president. He was forced to defend his reputation and honor under questioning by the plaintiff’s attorneys. The stakes were high, and this courtroom drama brought the president up close and unscripted to the American public. This was the trial of the century in 1915, and it inspired many modern-day counselors looking for name and fame.
Roosevelt’s rise to power is like trajectory of a rocket. In effect, he was a naturalist, a writer, a lover, a hunter, a ranchman, a soldier, a Nobel Prize winner, and a politician; at the age of forty-two he was the youngest President in American history. He came as a progressive reformer and then committed himself to deep reform in the Bull Moose campaign of 1912. During his life, he chased thieves across the Badlands of North Dakota, and he was a night-stalking police commissioner in New York City. As assistant secretary of the navy under President McKinley, he almost single-handedly brought about the Spanish-American War. After leading “Roosevelt’s Rough Riders” in the famous charge up San Juan Hill, Cuba, he returned home a military hero, and was rewarded with the governorship of New York. Despite all his achievements and monumental contributions in the service of the nation, he was humbled at the end of the trial. The president’s life is a great inspiration and the authors have described in detail the events leading to the court proceedings in Syracuse, New York
Sunday, April 14, 2019
Book Reviewed: Chasing Cosby: The Downfall of America's Dad by Nicole Weisensee Egan
The life of a sexual predator
Race had always been a haunting backdrop to Cosby’s story. Defense attorney Andrew Wyatt was hoping that Cosby’s downfall would invoke memories of so many tragic cases in which innocent African Americans were wrongly accused and convicted. But in the case of Bill Cosby, it was not a wrongful conviction, having 60 women accuse him of sexual assault, he looked more like a serial rapist who got off easy. In fact, Cosby’s case reverberates as a case of reverse-racism, since most of his victims were white and very attractive women. It was sad that the benefits of civil rights and injustices done to black men in this country played favorably for Cosby in a politically correct atmosphere.
In October 2014 comedian Hannibal Buress's comedy routine of Cosby’s sexual misconduct resulted in more women coming forward with their experiences of Cosby’s sexual misconduct. About 60 women have accused him of drug-facilitated sexual assault and sexual misconduct that span from 1965 to 2008. Luckily for Cosby, the statute of limitations for criminal trial expired in nearly all cases except for Andrea Constand. After a year-long trial, Cosby was found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault and sentenced to three to ten years in prison in a Pennsylvania court. Bill Cosby admitted to sex involving the use of the sedative methaqualone (Quaaludes). Famed book publisher Judith Regan also took the stand at the criminal trial and confirmed that she told model Janice Dickinson that she couldn’t include her account of being drugged and raped by Cosby in her memoir due to potential legal issues. During this trial the judge allowed five accusers to testify being drugged and sexually assaulted by Cosby; Janice Dickinson was one of them.
Egan is an experienced journalist and she was the first reporter to investigate Cosby illegally administering the drug and sexually assaulting his victims. This is very well researched work with numerous references. The story is discussed in distinct periods, and how it evolved to bring Cosby to justice. Jan 2005 to Oct 2014 section starts with Andrea Constand being sexually assaulted by Cosby at his home in Philadelphia; Oct 2014 to June 2017, exposing the skeletons from Bill Cosby’s closet by stand-up comedian Hannibal Buress during his comedy sketches. He was an unknown stand-up trying to break into the comedy business by discussing the rape allegations against Teflon Cosby. The last section, June 2017 to Sep 2018 ends with Andrea Constand’s victory in the criminal case against Cosby. Bill Cosby was handcuffed and led to the place where he always belonged. At the end of the book, there is a detailed notes for each chapter as an appendix where readers could find more facts in the Cosby drama. This is a very well narrated story and reads flawlessly. I recommend this book to readers interested in Bill Cosby’s predatorial behavior.
Race had always been a haunting backdrop to Cosby’s story. Defense attorney Andrew Wyatt was hoping that Cosby’s downfall would invoke memories of so many tragic cases in which innocent African Americans were wrongly accused and convicted. But in the case of Bill Cosby, it was not a wrongful conviction, having 60 women accuse him of sexual assault, he looked more like a serial rapist who got off easy. In fact, Cosby’s case reverberates as a case of reverse-racism, since most of his victims were white and very attractive women. It was sad that the benefits of civil rights and injustices done to black men in this country played favorably for Cosby in a politically correct atmosphere.
In October 2014 comedian Hannibal Buress's comedy routine of Cosby’s sexual misconduct resulted in more women coming forward with their experiences of Cosby’s sexual misconduct. About 60 women have accused him of drug-facilitated sexual assault and sexual misconduct that span from 1965 to 2008. Luckily for Cosby, the statute of limitations for criminal trial expired in nearly all cases except for Andrea Constand. After a year-long trial, Cosby was found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault and sentenced to three to ten years in prison in a Pennsylvania court. Bill Cosby admitted to sex involving the use of the sedative methaqualone (Quaaludes). Famed book publisher Judith Regan also took the stand at the criminal trial and confirmed that she told model Janice Dickinson that she couldn’t include her account of being drugged and raped by Cosby in her memoir due to potential legal issues. During this trial the judge allowed five accusers to testify being drugged and sexually assaulted by Cosby; Janice Dickinson was one of them.
Egan is an experienced journalist and she was the first reporter to investigate Cosby illegally administering the drug and sexually assaulting his victims. This is very well researched work with numerous references. The story is discussed in distinct periods, and how it evolved to bring Cosby to justice. Jan 2005 to Oct 2014 section starts with Andrea Constand being sexually assaulted by Cosby at his home in Philadelphia; Oct 2014 to June 2017, exposing the skeletons from Bill Cosby’s closet by stand-up comedian Hannibal Buress during his comedy sketches. He was an unknown stand-up trying to break into the comedy business by discussing the rape allegations against Teflon Cosby. The last section, June 2017 to Sep 2018 ends with Andrea Constand’s victory in the criminal case against Cosby. Bill Cosby was handcuffed and led to the place where he always belonged. At the end of the book, there is a detailed notes for each chapter as an appendix where readers could find more facts in the Cosby drama. This is a very well narrated story and reads flawlessly. I recommend this book to readers interested in Bill Cosby’s predatorial behavior.
Friday, April 12, 2019
Book Reviewed: A Philosophy for Europe: From the Outside, by Roberto Esposito and Zakiya Hanafi
A metaphysical analysis of the Islamic invasion of Europe
The refugee crisis in Europe is conceptualized as economic and socio-political problem; the European culture is in dire-straits. In particular, the increase in Muslim population and terrorist attacks represent challenges to the European wisdom. The author calls this an overlap between inside and outside; Europe as one nation, a form a united states of Europe, and the migrants threatening the European identity. European Union is handling this with a degree of tolerance and acceptance in the hopes that this will diffuse the hostilities. The European leaders are subjecting its population to changes in its traditional identity towards multiculturism. The political leadership is lost and inefficient to deal with the situation.
European Union was created with little thought on the long-term effects on it’s on its racial identity. The political, social and economic forecasting would have easily predicted the changing political environments in Africa, Middle East, Pakistan and Bangladesh and ensuing migration crisis. The uncontrollable rise of migration is caused to a large extent by the European colonization, and the economic consequences and conflicts in the Middle East and African nations. EU was also short-sighted that it created external borders but opened of its internal borders. This caused more harm to the union; the new Brexit crisis; German and Austrian nationalism; Hungarian and Polish autonomy in matters of immigration; and the pathological reactions triggered by the dynamics of globalization.
People of Europe fought each other until the middle of the last century. The continent was always dominated by the nationalist instincts, distinct languages and cultures. How could you achieve integration like the United State of America? The author calls for a social reconciliation that would restore political strength to the European Union. But this may not fix the developing problem. Because European system is built on Christian civilization and logic. This is built into political, economic and social life. Islam is an alternative model that works on totally different logic and expectations. If one looks at the 1400 years of Islamic history, one concludes that the two cultures are directly colliding with each other and may not reconcile.
This book is interesting in that it relates well with a recent book by French philosopher Pascal Bruckner on Islamo-fascism, and Marc Weitzman’s book on rising antisemitism in France and the rest of Europe due to Muslim migrants. In this book, the political, economic and social parameters are evaluated in philosophical terms. This is not for a casual reader. You may be lost while reading this book unless you have deep interest in metaphysics.
The refugee crisis in Europe is conceptualized as economic and socio-political problem; the European culture is in dire-straits. In particular, the increase in Muslim population and terrorist attacks represent challenges to the European wisdom. The author calls this an overlap between inside and outside; Europe as one nation, a form a united states of Europe, and the migrants threatening the European identity. European Union is handling this with a degree of tolerance and acceptance in the hopes that this will diffuse the hostilities. The European leaders are subjecting its population to changes in its traditional identity towards multiculturism. The political leadership is lost and inefficient to deal with the situation.
European Union was created with little thought on the long-term effects on it’s on its racial identity. The political, social and economic forecasting would have easily predicted the changing political environments in Africa, Middle East, Pakistan and Bangladesh and ensuing migration crisis. The uncontrollable rise of migration is caused to a large extent by the European colonization, and the economic consequences and conflicts in the Middle East and African nations. EU was also short-sighted that it created external borders but opened of its internal borders. This caused more harm to the union; the new Brexit crisis; German and Austrian nationalism; Hungarian and Polish autonomy in matters of immigration; and the pathological reactions triggered by the dynamics of globalization.
People of Europe fought each other until the middle of the last century. The continent was always dominated by the nationalist instincts, distinct languages and cultures. How could you achieve integration like the United State of America? The author calls for a social reconciliation that would restore political strength to the European Union. But this may not fix the developing problem. Because European system is built on Christian civilization and logic. This is built into political, economic and social life. Islam is an alternative model that works on totally different logic and expectations. If one looks at the 1400 years of Islamic history, one concludes that the two cultures are directly colliding with each other and may not reconcile.
This book is interesting in that it relates well with a recent book by French philosopher Pascal Bruckner on Islamo-fascism, and Marc Weitzman’s book on rising antisemitism in France and the rest of Europe due to Muslim migrants. In this book, the political, economic and social parameters are evaluated in philosophical terms. This is not for a casual reader. You may be lost while reading this book unless you have deep interest in metaphysics.
Thursday, April 11, 2019
Book Reviewed: Infinite Powers: How Calculus Reveals the Secrets of the Universe, by Steven H. Strogatz
This book does not make calculus interesting
Calculus is widely perceived as important part of science in understanding basic laws of physics. But it also has important applications in advanced physics; relativity and quantum mechanics, cosmology, astronomy, biology, chemistry, medicine, geology, ecology and in everyday life. In this book, the author discusses calculus as catch-as-catch-can story in an historical context without giving some ideas of how calculus helped physics to evolve. This is not a recipe book and at the same time it is not overwhelming. But in the absence of clear mathematical methods or its applications, this is a slapdash story that does not make calculus interesting.
Calculus is widely perceived as important part of science in understanding basic laws of physics. But it also has important applications in advanced physics; relativity and quantum mechanics, cosmology, astronomy, biology, chemistry, medicine, geology, ecology and in everyday life. In this book, the author discusses calculus as catch-as-catch-can story in an historical context without giving some ideas of how calculus helped physics to evolve. This is not a recipe book and at the same time it is not overwhelming. But in the absence of clear mathematical methods or its applications, this is a slapdash story that does not make calculus interesting.
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Book Reviewed: Designing the Future, by James M. Morgan and Jeffrey K. Liker
Lean Product Development as a System: A Case Study for Development at Ford
Lean product development is like just-in-time (JIT) process. Mass production emphasizes cost reduction within processes through economies of scale, while lean production emphasizes flexible response to the customer building in quality at every step of the value stream. In mass production, the principle of quantity is better. Each process builds to its own schedule and pushes inventory onto the next process resulting in large inventory buffers. The inventory buffers protect processes from each other; if one process shuts down or is slow it will not affect the next process until the buffer runs out. But lean production discussed in this book is based on the principle of just-in-time (JIT), building only the parts needed by the next process when they are needed based on a “pull” system. Processes are tightly coupled, and one process have an almost immediate impact on other processes in the linked chain. A system’s view of lean product development discussed in this book integrates people, process, and tools. The principles and methods based on this model of lean product development was applied to Toyota and Ford Motor Companies. This resulted in a record number of products leading to the financial success of these companies.
The principle of lean product development is also applicable to healthcare industry in the development of clinical processes. Readers interested in business management, medical technology and other diverse applications do appreciate this book.
Lean product development is like just-in-time (JIT) process. Mass production emphasizes cost reduction within processes through economies of scale, while lean production emphasizes flexible response to the customer building in quality at every step of the value stream. In mass production, the principle of quantity is better. Each process builds to its own schedule and pushes inventory onto the next process resulting in large inventory buffers. The inventory buffers protect processes from each other; if one process shuts down or is slow it will not affect the next process until the buffer runs out. But lean production discussed in this book is based on the principle of just-in-time (JIT), building only the parts needed by the next process when they are needed based on a “pull” system. Processes are tightly coupled, and one process have an almost immediate impact on other processes in the linked chain. A system’s view of lean product development discussed in this book integrates people, process, and tools. The principles and methods based on this model of lean product development was applied to Toyota and Ford Motor Companies. This resulted in a record number of products leading to the financial success of these companies.
The principle of lean product development is also applicable to healthcare industry in the development of clinical processes. Readers interested in business management, medical technology and other diverse applications do appreciate this book.
Monday, April 8, 2019
Book Reviewed: The Vinyl Frontier: The Story of the Voyager Golden Record by Jonathan Scott
TThe voyager’s golden record
The contents of this record were selected for NASA by a committee chaired by cosmologist Carl Sagan. Sagan and his associates assembled 115 images and a variety of natural sounds, such as those made by surf, wind, thunder and animals, including the songs of birds and whales. The record also carries an hour-long recording of the brainwaves of writer and producer Ann Druyan. This is a kind of time capsule for the extraterrestrial species, should these spacecrafts land on an alien planet or intercepted by intelligent beings. They may be able to determine that there are intelligent species in this universe.
Both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecrafts have left the solar system and journeying in interstellar space. The message recorded on the disc, from President Jimmy Carter, says that this is a present from a small, distant world, a token of our sounds, our science, our images, our music, our thoughts and our feelings.
Music includes that of Mozart, Beethoven, and Stravinsky; Indian classical music of Hindustani vocalist Kesarbai Kerkar, music of Guan Pinghu, Blind Willie Johnson, and rocker Chuck Berry. The inclusion of Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" was most controversial and highly debated.
The record is constructed of gold-plated copper and is 12 inches in diameter. The record's cover is aluminum and electroplated upon it is an ultra-pure sample of the isotope uranium-238. Uranium-238 has a half-life of 4.468 billion years. It is possible that an alien civilization would be able to determine the age of the record.
The author narrates the story of how the record was created from an historical perspective but does not go into the Voyager missions. This book is not for an average reader but may be interesting to readers of Voyager spacecrafts and the work of Carl Sagan.
The contents of this record were selected for NASA by a committee chaired by cosmologist Carl Sagan. Sagan and his associates assembled 115 images and a variety of natural sounds, such as those made by surf, wind, thunder and animals, including the songs of birds and whales. The record also carries an hour-long recording of the brainwaves of writer and producer Ann Druyan. This is a kind of time capsule for the extraterrestrial species, should these spacecrafts land on an alien planet or intercepted by intelligent beings. They may be able to determine that there are intelligent species in this universe.
Both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecrafts have left the solar system and journeying in interstellar space. The message recorded on the disc, from President Jimmy Carter, says that this is a present from a small, distant world, a token of our sounds, our science, our images, our music, our thoughts and our feelings.
Music includes that of Mozart, Beethoven, and Stravinsky; Indian classical music of Hindustani vocalist Kesarbai Kerkar, music of Guan Pinghu, Blind Willie Johnson, and rocker Chuck Berry. The inclusion of Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" was most controversial and highly debated.
The record is constructed of gold-plated copper and is 12 inches in diameter. The record's cover is aluminum and electroplated upon it is an ultra-pure sample of the isotope uranium-238. Uranium-238 has a half-life of 4.468 billion years. It is possible that an alien civilization would be able to determine the age of the record.
The author narrates the story of how the record was created from an historical perspective but does not go into the Voyager missions. This book is not for an average reader but may be interesting to readers of Voyager spacecrafts and the work of Carl Sagan.
Sunday, April 7, 2019
Book Reviewed: Primate Change: How the world we made is remaking us, by Vybarr Cregan-Reid
Climate Effects on Human Evolution
Life moves fast; but the biological evolution is slow. Small anatomical changes have occurred in the last 250,000 years of human history, but they are insignificant and marginal. But technological advancement has significant impact on the behavioral adaptation that has progressed rapidly on evolutionary scale towards transhumanism. By the time genetic evolution that would be reflected in thickening of tooth enamel and our back-bone structure because of our diets and sedentary life styles, other non-biological events will impact the future of human beings. The artificial intelligence (AI), brain-machine interface and quantum realities would have taken over body and mind. Species of Transhumanism would have adapted to life in alien worlds such as Mars, and moons of Jupiter and Saturn.
The genus Homo, to which our species belongs, had the capacity to adjust to a variety of environmental conditions, and Homo sapiens were able to cope with a broad range of climatic conditions, hot and cold environments, arid and moist ones, and with all kinds of varying vegetation like expanding dry grasslands or thick forests. The adaptations that typify Homo Sapiens were associated with the largest oscillations in global climate: (a) hominin origins, (b) habitual bipedality, (c) first stone toolmaking and eating meat/marrow from large animals, (d) onset of long-endurance mobility, (e) onset of rapid brain enlargement, (f) expansion of symbolic expression, communication, discovering, and the ability for learning and innovation.
Environmental biologists are too hung up on the Armageddon that would be created by climatic effects of excessive fossil-fuel usage, deforestation, and the lack of clean-air acts. Environments have changed dramatically too many time in the past 3.9 billion years of life forms on this planet. Complete destruction of life occurred a few times, but life came back with vengeance and evolved successfully. What lies ahead is that technology will take over biology. Climatic effects would be bad and so is nuclear proliferation and the willingness of United States and Russia to sell nuclear technology to Islamic countries in the Middle East which would make threat of nuclear war more of a reality. This would make climatic effects due to human involvement much more dangerous than mere fossil-fuel usage.
Life moves fast; but the biological evolution is slow. Small anatomical changes have occurred in the last 250,000 years of human history, but they are insignificant and marginal. But technological advancement has significant impact on the behavioral adaptation that has progressed rapidly on evolutionary scale towards transhumanism. By the time genetic evolution that would be reflected in thickening of tooth enamel and our back-bone structure because of our diets and sedentary life styles, other non-biological events will impact the future of human beings. The artificial intelligence (AI), brain-machine interface and quantum realities would have taken over body and mind. Species of Transhumanism would have adapted to life in alien worlds such as Mars, and moons of Jupiter and Saturn.
The genus Homo, to which our species belongs, had the capacity to adjust to a variety of environmental conditions, and Homo sapiens were able to cope with a broad range of climatic conditions, hot and cold environments, arid and moist ones, and with all kinds of varying vegetation like expanding dry grasslands or thick forests. The adaptations that typify Homo Sapiens were associated with the largest oscillations in global climate: (a) hominin origins, (b) habitual bipedality, (c) first stone toolmaking and eating meat/marrow from large animals, (d) onset of long-endurance mobility, (e) onset of rapid brain enlargement, (f) expansion of symbolic expression, communication, discovering, and the ability for learning and innovation.
Environmental biologists are too hung up on the Armageddon that would be created by climatic effects of excessive fossil-fuel usage, deforestation, and the lack of clean-air acts. Environments have changed dramatically too many time in the past 3.9 billion years of life forms on this planet. Complete destruction of life occurred a few times, but life came back with vengeance and evolved successfully. What lies ahead is that technology will take over biology. Climatic effects would be bad and so is nuclear proliferation and the willingness of United States and Russia to sell nuclear technology to Islamic countries in the Middle East which would make threat of nuclear war more of a reality. This would make climatic effects due to human involvement much more dangerous than mere fossil-fuel usage.
Friday, April 5, 2019
Book Reviewed: Mama’s last hug; Animal Emotions and What They Tell Us About Ourselves By Frans de Waal
Animal Emotions
Early ethologists studied animal behavior to understand a shared motivation. Their experimental setup was elegant and objective, but the underlying motivation for animal behavior was ignored. For example, fear and anger, and the animal reactions to it were carefully examined and conclusions were drawn. The prevailing assumption in these studies were that animals had instincts that gave inborn actions triggered by a situation. Behavioral biologists have changed this approach because the instincts are inflexible, and they have started to look from the point of emotions which allow flexibility. They prime body and mind, but do not dictate any specific course of actions. Emotions are neither invisible nor impossible to study; they can be measured. Levels of biomolecules associated with emotional experiences, from the “cuddle hormone” oxytocin to the stress hormone cortisol, can easily be determined. The hormones are virtually identical across the board; from humans to birds to invertebrates.
The artificial intelligence (AI) recognize the importance of emotions. AI with emotions would interact with humans with empathy and human-like emotions, and hopefully do not destroy mankind when they become too powerful. It is expected to facilitate engagement and working together for common good.
In this book, the author, a well-known primatologist proposes that animals experience emotions in the same way as humans do. Emotions infuse everything that inspire cognition and drives all animals and humans. By examining emotions, this book puts these vivid of mental experiences in evolutionary context, revealing how their richness, power and utility stretch across species and back into the history of animal kingdom.
Early ethologists studied animal behavior to understand a shared motivation. Their experimental setup was elegant and objective, but the underlying motivation for animal behavior was ignored. For example, fear and anger, and the animal reactions to it were carefully examined and conclusions were drawn. The prevailing assumption in these studies were that animals had instincts that gave inborn actions triggered by a situation. Behavioral biologists have changed this approach because the instincts are inflexible, and they have started to look from the point of emotions which allow flexibility. They prime body and mind, but do not dictate any specific course of actions. Emotions are neither invisible nor impossible to study; they can be measured. Levels of biomolecules associated with emotional experiences, from the “cuddle hormone” oxytocin to the stress hormone cortisol, can easily be determined. The hormones are virtually identical across the board; from humans to birds to invertebrates.
The artificial intelligence (AI) recognize the importance of emotions. AI with emotions would interact with humans with empathy and human-like emotions, and hopefully do not destroy mankind when they become too powerful. It is expected to facilitate engagement and working together for common good.
In this book, the author, a well-known primatologist proposes that animals experience emotions in the same way as humans do. Emotions infuse everything that inspire cognition and drives all animals and humans. By examining emotions, this book puts these vivid of mental experiences in evolutionary context, revealing how their richness, power and utility stretch across species and back into the history of animal kingdom.
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Book Reviewed: Reckonings: Legacies of Nazi Persecution and the Quest for Justice, by Mary Fulbrook
Understanding the genocide during holocaust
What made people to participate in a genocide that systematically killed six million Jews and destroyed much of Europe? How was that possible that Nazi-collaborators worked coherently to bring holocaust to a massive scale? Did anyone know what was happening and why didn’t they try stop it. These are some of the questions posed by the author in this 620 pages of anthology. I am not sure if all the historical facts documented in this book is authentic and verifiable, but the author is a well-respected German scholar and a professor at the University College, London.
The Third Reich was complicit in many ways for political and economic dominance of German race. War efforts and displacement was preceded by chronic abuses in German life. They grew indifferent to the fate of those who were suffering. But passivity was born due to the fear of the consequences of acting. Lots of people did feel sympathy with victims of persecution but had themselves also experienced it: their husbands was in a concentration camp for having been a communist, socialist, gay, Jew or a Romani gypsy. There was also a sense that your own father, brother, son, friend, or neighbor was fighting for the good of the fatherland. Jews were undoubtedly the largest and widest victims of Nazi era, but less sung victims like Romani gypsies, gays and communists also suffered. Gay were criminalized for a quarter of a century after the war. They often didn’t talk about it because they were so ashamed, and if they did talk about it they were shoved back into prison. Homosexuality was a mortal-sin and was treated as a criminal offence in German justice system. Gypsies were regarded as harmful to the German society. They were treated with suspicion and distrust.
Nazi Germany maintained concentration camps throughout the territories it controlled. The first Nazi camp were built in March 1933 in Dachau after Hitler became Chancellor, and his Nazi Party was given control of the police. Holocaust scholars draw a distinction between concentration camps and extermination camps. The latter was built by Nazi Germany for the industrial-scale mass murder of Jews using gas chambers.
The iconic picture of Nazi atrocities is remembered by the numerous pictures published since WWII. There were several notorious concentration camps; one of them is Auschwitz in Poland. Many photographs published in books and museums stand as monuments of this great tragedy. One of them is Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau, the train ramp that was used as a "debarkation-stop" during 1942–1944 operation. They are the monuments of intense human suffering; you hear a shrill of chill, coldness and emptiness that took the lives of so many children, women and men.
When humanity was abused at such a massive scale; justice was never done with accuracy. Big fishes found a way to escape punishment, and even mid-level masterminds of SS Army, Gestapo, administrators of armed forces, doctors and engineers, anti-Semites, reactionaries, and collaborators of the Third Reich didn’t come close to being caught. But it was frequently the minions like care-assistants and nurses in sanatorium and euthanasia clinics. Auschwitz, one of the largest concentration camps in the history of mankind employed more than 6,000 people, but only about 50 of those were brought to justice system.
The book is long and sometime repetitive, but readers interested in holocaust find this book appealing.
What made people to participate in a genocide that systematically killed six million Jews and destroyed much of Europe? How was that possible that Nazi-collaborators worked coherently to bring holocaust to a massive scale? Did anyone know what was happening and why didn’t they try stop it. These are some of the questions posed by the author in this 620 pages of anthology. I am not sure if all the historical facts documented in this book is authentic and verifiable, but the author is a well-respected German scholar and a professor at the University College, London.
The Third Reich was complicit in many ways for political and economic dominance of German race. War efforts and displacement was preceded by chronic abuses in German life. They grew indifferent to the fate of those who were suffering. But passivity was born due to the fear of the consequences of acting. Lots of people did feel sympathy with victims of persecution but had themselves also experienced it: their husbands was in a concentration camp for having been a communist, socialist, gay, Jew or a Romani gypsy. There was also a sense that your own father, brother, son, friend, or neighbor was fighting for the good of the fatherland. Jews were undoubtedly the largest and widest victims of Nazi era, but less sung victims like Romani gypsies, gays and communists also suffered. Gay were criminalized for a quarter of a century after the war. They often didn’t talk about it because they were so ashamed, and if they did talk about it they were shoved back into prison. Homosexuality was a mortal-sin and was treated as a criminal offence in German justice system. Gypsies were regarded as harmful to the German society. They were treated with suspicion and distrust.
Nazi Germany maintained concentration camps throughout the territories it controlled. The first Nazi camp were built in March 1933 in Dachau after Hitler became Chancellor, and his Nazi Party was given control of the police. Holocaust scholars draw a distinction between concentration camps and extermination camps. The latter was built by Nazi Germany for the industrial-scale mass murder of Jews using gas chambers.
The iconic picture of Nazi atrocities is remembered by the numerous pictures published since WWII. There were several notorious concentration camps; one of them is Auschwitz in Poland. Many photographs published in books and museums stand as monuments of this great tragedy. One of them is Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau, the train ramp that was used as a "debarkation-stop" during 1942–1944 operation. They are the monuments of intense human suffering; you hear a shrill of chill, coldness and emptiness that took the lives of so many children, women and men.
When humanity was abused at such a massive scale; justice was never done with accuracy. Big fishes found a way to escape punishment, and even mid-level masterminds of SS Army, Gestapo, administrators of armed forces, doctors and engineers, anti-Semites, reactionaries, and collaborators of the Third Reich didn’t come close to being caught. But it was frequently the minions like care-assistants and nurses in sanatorium and euthanasia clinics. Auschwitz, one of the largest concentration camps in the history of mankind employed more than 6,000 people, but only about 50 of those were brought to justice system.
The book is long and sometime repetitive, but readers interested in holocaust find this book appealing.
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