Despite the centuries between them, there are many striking similarities between the systematic killing of Jews during the Holocaust and the routine violence toward Native Americans during the colonial period. Historians estimate that approximately 11 million people were killed during the Holocaust, including about two-thirds of the Jewish population in Europe; whereas in America, it is estimated that 80 to 95% of the Native population died after the Europeans arrived. Yet, while the Holocaust is arguably the most talked-about war atrocity in history, the Native Americans’ stories are often downplayed, overlooked or forgotten about. Why does this happen? What
Even if we aren’t aware of it, our morals affect how we process an event. Morals …show more content…
Nazi propaganda was rarely subtle: Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda, wrote, “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. It is vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.” This “big lie” approach was evident in the Nazi’s endless denouncing of and accusations against the Jews through any medium possible, even children’s books. Canadian and American media, while more reserved, nevertheless also promoted anti-German and especially anti-Japanese thinking: Japanese-Canadians and Japanese-Americans were accused of being spies, and American soldiers were given a pocket guide which shows them how to tell apart a Japanese and a Chinese. Eventually, people did begin to believe. Many Canadians developed a distrust towards Japanese Canadians. Even in the book Obasan, we see that the Japanese Canadians are falsely portrayed. They are second class citizens, that sometimes don 't have the basic comforts of life. Now days this will be considered incredibly racist. These little things may offend us when we first see them, but when we see this everyday it becomes normal. Another part of propaganda is withholding the truth, and information. Not having access to information on the
Even if we aren’t aware of it, our morals affect how we process an event. Morals …show more content…
Nazi propaganda was rarely subtle: Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda, wrote, “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. It is vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.” This “big lie” approach was evident in the Nazi’s endless denouncing of and accusations against the Jews through any medium possible, even children’s books. Canadian and American media, while more reserved, nevertheless also promoted anti-German and especially anti-Japanese thinking: Japanese-Canadians and Japanese-Americans were accused of being spies, and American soldiers were given a pocket guide which shows them how to tell apart a Japanese and a Chinese. Eventually, people did begin to believe. Many Canadians developed a distrust towards Japanese Canadians. Even in the book Obasan, we see that the Japanese Canadians are falsely portrayed. They are second class citizens, that sometimes don 't have the basic comforts of life. Now days this will be considered incredibly racist. These little things may offend us when we first see them, but when we see this everyday it becomes normal. Another part of propaganda is withholding the truth, and information. Not having access to information on the