> I think that asking whether there were really gas chambers in the
> Holocaust is a question which:
>
> 1) Is of no conceivable positive value;
> 2) Is of very great negative value.
No doubt. I'm not surprised that you feel that way. A lot of people do.
As someone pointed out earlier today, in some countries it is *illegal*
to question the gas chambers. In America the sanctions are informal,
but still severe enough that many people (including someone on this list
who ought to have more courage) are afraid to discuss it.
I think getting the truth out has intrinsic value. I am going to continue
exposing the Holocaust meme for what it is. Before I'm finished, a
million students will have read Michael Shermer's article as carefully
as I read it.
Those of you who are fascinated by "memetic engineering" would
do well to consider the Holocaust meme as the canonical example.
If you can design a meme like that, you can take over the world...
for a while. But I think philosophy will prevail in the end.
Lyle