RR posts: “Let us accept, as you have compellingly argued , that the Nazis had no significant transformative influence upon anyone not already inclined toward their message. And so the success of Nazi propaganda in enabling their genocide lied in transforming murderous hatred from a merely latent state to an active one. Did not that prove to be the difference between life and death for millions of civilians?”
As we have millions of examples in history of the use of genocidal rhetoric and only comparatively few genocides, I’d wager that the key determinant of whether or not genocide is committed is not the rhetoric but the situation. Thousands of Israelis chant “Death to the Arabs” but almost none of them carry through with this. Why? Because of the situation (which would make it extremely costly to the Jew trying to do this and he would be unlikely to get far in this quest and he would not receive the overwhelming support of Israelis).
RR: “What if a public personality were to defend rape (unambiguously; unequivocally) but such statements of his were to total a mere infinitesimal percentage of his total output?”
Such a person deserves criticism, but I don’t think “defender of rape” should be the primary identifier for the person. You mention the person is a public personality, so let’s say he is a radio talk show host. That should be his first identification — the reason he is a public personality. Then you might mention his comments on rape. On the other hand, if he was convicted of rape or other heinous crimes, then it (“convicted rapist”) is an appropriate identifier for the person. On the other hand, if a convicted rapist developed a drug that saved millions of lives, I don’t think “convicted rapist” should be the person’s primary identification.
Virtual Pilgrim writes: When I was about three and a half in late 1959 my family moved down from Juneau Alaska to Temple City California and then to San Gabriel which is next to Pasadena, which is next to Los Angeles, of course. My family contributed to the dominant White Christian culture at the time. Sometime in 1963, we moved further down to El Cajon and La Mesa which is next to San Diego.
In 1971 we moved up to Eugene Oregon where I’ve lived ever since. (Long before I was born, my parents met at the University of Oregon around 1946.) Everywhere we lived was a White utopia at the time. I am the last generation to have experienced the pinnacle of American greatness in one of the greatest States in the country. For example, I have a photograph from the mid-1960s of me and my brother at Disneyland, Anaheim. In the background were adult men and women which were 100% White. The women were wearing dresses and the men were wearing shirts and ties!
When I was in grade school in La Mesa, I actually helped Ronald Reagan become governor by licking stamps for Mrs. Evers who was a staunch Republican. I didn’t know what a Jew was at the time, but they were practicing Catholics and good people. Their father was a grade school principal and in the summer would take me and his family on week- & month-long trips to Lake Shasta, Colorado River, Salton Sea, and Palomar Mountains camping and water skiing. Also, to an orphanage in Mexico handing out piles of used clothing.
Now, I fantasize about having a bumper sticker for the rest of you schmucks which says, “Sorry about your life…” Goodbye America, we hardly knew thee!