tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23301331.post8257228788908434836..comments2023-10-28T05:02:10.442-04:00Comments on Americans For Bosnia: "Human Smoke": The Troubling Pacifism of Nicholson BakerKirk Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06879908614214050994noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23301331.post-8250900730077531442008-07-21T13:38:00.000-04:002008-07-21T13:38:00.000-04:00I am a member of the Churchill Centre. On the Chu...I am a member of the Churchill Centre. On the Churchill Centre's e-mail list, this book (and Buchanan's new book on Churchill) has been a major topic of discussion.<BR/><BR/>Baker is a pacifist and looks at the issues somewhat different that Buchanan (who is a paleoconservative). Someone recently writing about the controversy the books cause said about pacifist that "they can only survive in free countries with a large fleet." (That sounds like Christopher Hitchens, though it may have been his brother Peter, but I am not really sure who said it).Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06638332009159486046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23301331.post-81676333287775032992008-07-20T23:59:00.000-04:002008-07-20T23:59:00.000-04:00I haven't read the book, but from your review it s...I haven't read the book, but from your review it sounds somewhat similar to the WWII revisionist book (and least in overall theme) by Pat Buchanan (and apparently promoted on a neo-nazi radio station); except coming from a different ideological framework. <BR/><BR/>Of course, I actually haven't read either book, so I could be WAY off about this.Shainahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04254890410995215990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23301331.post-59454122695980658262008-07-20T15:54:00.000-04:002008-07-20T15:54:00.000-04:00I haven't read the book, but what Baker implies se...I haven't read the book, but what Baker implies seems to be justification of Holocaust (please correct me if I am wrong). While we can debate whether specific crimes amounted to genocide (e.g. Armenian-Turkish conflict), there is absolutely no argument that can change the fact that Holocaust of Jews happened.<BR/><BR/>I would like to remind Baker that the Holocaust of Jews, plus genocides in both Rwanda and Srebrenica are JUDICIAL FACTS.<BR/><BR/>Claiming that crimes are purely reactionary is a joke argument. According to Baker, we should all punch each other in the face any time we don't agree with each other. Come on Baker, don't insult our intelligence. Holocaust and genocides in both Rwanda and Srebrenica are not a matter of anybody's opinion.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23301331.post-54632555012994343182008-07-20T13:34:00.000-04:002008-07-20T13:34:00.000-04:00appalling indeed:""like her, he presents the argum...appalling indeed:<BR/><BR/>""like her, he presents the argument that the inclusive, secular, democratic values of our civilization are simply not worth fighting for.""<BR/><BR/>in the 20s and 30s fascism rose in Europe because, among other things, many intellectuals had come to believe that democracy was flawed, that as a system it was a failure, because of the fact that it was not being able to solve the economic crisis. then when the fascists appeared, these intelectuals were mostly seduced by the promise of a new system and ready to tolerate some "temporary" measures that had some costs (but not for themselves, of course, it was for others to bear the costs).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com