Nazi, meet PETA. PETA, Meet

Nazi, meet PETA. PETA, Meet Nazi - Michael Coren of the Toronto Sun wrote a column comparing Nazis (like Toronto's famous holocaust revisionist Ernst Zündel) and PETA.

It's hard to figure who was more offended - or offensive. The column is fascinating, in a horrific way - here, he quotes a putative Nazi sympathizer named "Combat 88":

The 88, of course, stands for Heil Hitler. This is what he had to say.

"There are deniers and there are diminishers. Then there are hoaxers. The great Jew hoax. It never happened. But it will. This time we'll get it right. You filthy liar. You hide behind being a Christian but you should really be called Cohen. You'll die just like your family and kids."

Actually Coren is just as Hebraic as Cohen, and is a common name in Israel. Three of my grandparents were Jewish, and mum's dad killed a lot of Nazis in the war. Got medals for it. Actions speak louder than words.

There were dozens like these. But also dozens from animal liberation types who were less racist but almost as abusive.

"Hitler wasn't a vegetarian, and only became one on his doctor's orders. So what if the Nazis were good to animals. Makes them better than you. I don't hate Jews, but I do hate people who hate animals. I hope you're slaughtered like a pig."

Some did border on the anti-Semitic. "Kosher slaughter is obscene, and any people who murder animals in such a way will have to face the consequences. I'm not a Nazi, but you Jews can't keep hiding behind religion. Animals have rights too. The campaign is right. Just like those Nazis in 1945, one day you will have to face up to what you did to animals and be punished. Let's hope that we are more merciful than you are to animals."

My father, in teaching the difference between Stalinists and Nazis, used to say that the old "left/right" continuum was inadequate - it's almost like beliefs are in a big gull-winged shape, with the wingtips coming very close together, deep in "lunatic" territory".

Personal note - during my talk-radio career, I interviewed Ernst Zündel. One of the most chilling nights of my life, not only knowing intellectually that someone could deny the existence of the Holocaust, but hearing people - typical Minnesotans - calling in and giving him credence (in among those threatening to kill him). It's not in the least bit comforting to know that the animal rights crowd - nominally the Nazis' polar opposites - are not only just as bad, but pretty well established on our college campuses.

Posted by Mitch at March 9, 2003 03:00 PM