I'm already pretty right-wing, I would become more skeptical of historians in your scenario but none of my political positions would really change. If revisionists were correct about the Holocaust, it would be very important to set the historical record straight. But I think it would have a pretty minimal effect on the culture war.
Let me ask you a question: What do you think would happen, culture-war wise, if you were able to prove that the Holocaust was fabricated?
Let me ask you a question: What do you think would happen, culture-war wise, if you were able to prove that the Holocaust was fabricated?
The revisionists will tell you that they can 100% prove that Holocaust never happened, but no one is listening.
Let me rephrase the question: What would happen if Wikipedia, NYT, CNN, BBC, FOX etc... accepted revisionist thesis, and changed their official line into: "Germans during WW2 put Jews in camps, and then the wily Russians killed them all, blamed the Germans and lied so skillfully that whole world was fooled."
Well, it would be perfect propaganda line for second round of Cold War, the perfect proof that Russians are up to no good, could never be trusted and no compromise with them is possible.
This new line will not rehabilitate the Nazis, would not make them look good, but would make Soviets look worse.
Current official history, both popular and academic, sees Hitler as 100% evil and Stalin as 99,99% evil. With this new revelation, the proportion will be reversed.
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Notes -
I'm already pretty right-wing, I would become more skeptical of historians in your scenario but none of my political positions would really change. If revisionists were correct about the Holocaust, it would be very important to set the historical record straight. But I think it would have a pretty minimal effect on the culture war.
Let me ask you a question: What do you think would happen, culture-war wise, if you were able to prove that the Holocaust was fabricated?
The revisionists will tell you that they can 100% prove that Holocaust never happened, but no one is listening.
Let me rephrase the question: What would happen if Wikipedia, NYT, CNN, BBC, FOX etc... accepted revisionist thesis, and changed their official line into: "Germans during WW2 put Jews in camps, and then the wily Russians killed them all, blamed the Germans and lied so skillfully that whole world was fooled."
Well, it would be perfect propaganda line for second round of Cold War, the perfect proof that Russians are up to no good, could never be trusted and no compromise with them is possible.
This new line will not rehabilitate the Nazis, would not make them look good, but would make Soviets look worse.
Current official history, both popular and academic, sees Hitler as 100% evil and Stalin as 99,99% evil. With this new revelation, the proportion will be reversed.
Anatoly Karlin tongue in cheek predicted this scenario years ago.
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