MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Kaufman links e-book trend to bookburning, Nazis

kindlekitten · 12-05-2009, 02:14 PM

In all seriousness...

As a young soldier, I was stationed in Nuernburg. I decided to avail myself of the college courses available to us. One of the courses I took was "The Nuerenburg Trials". I figured that it was an incredible oppourtunity to be right there where they happened. Indeed, we were taken to the actual courthouse and courtroom. As many as could fit were seated in the Defendant's box to watch the footage from the trial (and boy was that an eerie feeling to realize whose seat you were in!). We had survivors, minor members of government and Joe citizen come and speak to us. Regret and overwhelming sadness was one of the chief impressions I immediately got. Along with these emotions were the need to carry on with life. Certainly the Simon Wiesenthals of the world were and are necessary, but these survivors did not dwell in the past, and they did not expect others to dwell in the past for them. They did expect that the most important tool available be wielded on their behalf. That tool is knowledge. As we are no longer a society that receives an oral history (for the most part), out knowledge is transmitted by the written word. We are now living in a society where instances, brief flashes of life "go viral". That is done through this technology that you are currently using to berate us with. It is absolutely impossible for a government to launch such and campaign of terror. Watching that student in Tiannamen Square face down a tank was the beginning of this affect on government. Can you imagine what would have happened if that had been put on the internet (if it had existed)? The Wall may not have been the only thing that fell during those years.

These ebooks that you decry make it possible for people to have and own that knowledge. I knew many soldiers my own age that had never heard of Anne Frank, were only fuzzy on many of the issues of WWII. Young Germans at that time were prevented from knowing virtually anything. I was stationed there when the US mini-series "The Holocaust" was broadcast. According to my German friends, hotlines were set up for many of the younger population who had not been taught this part of their history while their country tried to heal from within. Fear drives those actions. Fear of change, fear of embracing new technology.

Have fun with your internet blogging and welcome to the new millennium.

12-05-2009, 02:14 PM	#323
kindlekitten Professional Adventuress Posts: 13,368 Karma: 50260224 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: The Olympic Peninsula on the OTHER Washington! (the big green clean one on the west coast!) Device: Kindle, the original! Times Two! and gifting an International Kindle	In all seriousness... As a young soldier, I was stationed in Nuernburg. I decided to avail myself of the college courses available to us. One of the courses I took was "The Nuerenburg Trials". I figured that it was an incredible oppourtunity to be right there where they happened. Indeed, we were taken to the actual courthouse and courtroom. As many as could fit were seated in the Defendant's box to watch the footage from the trial (and boy was that an eerie feeling to realize whose seat you were in!). We had survivors, minor members of government and Joe citizen come and speak to us. Regret and overwhelming sadness was one of the chief impressions I immediately got. Along with these emotions were the need to carry on with life. Certainly the Simon Wiesenthals of the world were and are necessary, but these survivors did not dwell in the past, and they did not expect others to dwell in the past for them. They did expect that the most important tool available be wielded on their behalf. That tool is knowledge. As we are no longer a society that receives an oral history (for the most part), out knowledge is transmitted by the written word. We are now living in a society where instances, brief flashes of life "go viral". That is done through this technology that you are currently using to berate us with. It is absolutely impossible for a government to launch such and campaign of terror. Watching that student in Tiannamen Square face down a tank was the beginning of this affect on government. Can you imagine what would have happened if that had been put on the internet (if it had existed)? The Wall may not have been the only thing that fell during those years. These ebooks that you decry make it possible for people to have and own that knowledge. I knew many soldiers my own age that had never heard of Anne Frank, were only fuzzy on many of the issues of WWII. Young Germans at that time were prevented from knowing virtually anything. I was stationed there when the US mini-series "The Holocaust" was broadcast. According to my German friends, hotlines were set up for many of the younger population who had not been taught this part of their history while their country tried to heal from within. Fear drives those actions. Fear of change, fear of embracing new technology. Have fun with your internet blogging and welcome to the new millennium.