One does not hear much of Bulgaria, but it came to my attention this week as I attended a three day conference on the holocaust and memory at the University of Washington. It seems young scholars worldwide are digging a little deeper into the holocaust and finding remarkable patterns. More anon.
One thing I heard was no Jews from Bulgaria died, although Bulgaria was a Nazi ally during the war. Neighboring countries Greece, Turkey, Romania, yes, Bulgaria no. Italy and France, yes. Where Bulgarian soldiers occupied other lands, like Greece, Jews were transported out to their deaths. But none in Bulgaria proper. In a conference dedicated to discovering patterns, I wondered at this anomaly.
One of the presenters noted that "Jews who died were denied state protection." To which my mind immediately retorted "Jews who died expected state protection." And my hypothesis formed.
I formed a hypothesis based on my reading of the bible, but was reticent to pose it to the near 2 dozen scholars who were presenting papers. My reticence was related to the fact that in three days of research presentation by over a dozen Jewish scholars not once was God mentioned.
When the discussion was opened to allow questions form the audience, one yarmulka'd fellow asked a religion-based question and his was the only question in those three days that no one deigned to answer. It was weird. Afterward I consoled the fellow by noting these were social scientists and there was no religion in their inquiries. He began to object and I suggested the University needed to run a conference on the Holocaust and God. He like that idea, and so do I. Indeed, in Micah 6 v 3 God asks to have any case against Him laid out.
It is little remarked that democracy is not considered a legitimate form of government by any of the three major religions. Kingdoms are a permitted evil, over God's protest, but thus legitimate. (1 Samuel 8) The last century was the cruelest and bloodiest in history as democracies emerged.
So to the pattern: where Jews expected state protection, they died. Where Jews were subject to kings, they survived. Bulgaria, although allied with nazi Germany, was ruled by Czar Boris III. The UK, the Jews survived. Lichtenstein, Jews safe and some even escaped Germany.
Kingdoms where the monarchs capitulated the Jews did poorly, for example, the Netherlands and Norway. Would kings stood their ground! On the other hand, the Kingdom of Sweden actually rescued Jews from Denmark, another capitulated kingdom. It seems to me if your motto is "never again" you might want to investigate where it did not happen in the first place.
Switzerland stands out as a democracy whose Jews survived. But Switzerland seems more anarchic than democratic. And as an anarchist, I would would say that.
(By the way: name the King of England during WWII. Name the King of Sweden during WWII. Or the Prince of Lichtenstein. I know you never heard of Czar Boris III. Funny that, the ones who saved Jews are unknown, but Eichmann, Hitler, Himmler etc are all household names. State actors as malefactors we know, kings ruling at God's sufferance, no. This rather suggests kings protecting Jews is not remarkable, but that at state actors would kill Jews one is shocked, shocked...)
These young scholars are all studying the state and historical records to divine how it all worked, and how people reacted. The yarmulka'd fellow I think was recommending they look into another historical record, the bible. God relented and allowed kingdoms. But He never allowed democracy. The American founders were never so impious as to form a democracy, they formed a republic. Even the Soviets knew better, forming the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or CCCP in Cyrillic. He who pays the piper calls the tune. Is research focussed on the state because it is paid for by the state? Is it focussed on the state for disappointment in the state? Is there a presumption there is only the state, so "never again" is just a matter of getting the state right? (And since the state is only people, it is a matter of getting the right person. And if need be, a strong person, an ubermensch?)
Some Bulgarians overthrew their kingdom upon Boris's death, and thus began a 40 year stretch in the desert under Soviet hegemony for Bulgaria. Bulgaria has emerged somewhat independently and tentatively as a republic, something of a disappointment to the powers that be for Bulgaria not more wholeheartedly embracing modern capitalism, echoing no doubt nazi consternation for failure to get with the program during that adventure in capitalism.
Bulgaria has what seems to be a magic number for free-ish polities, and that is the 7 million citizens like Hong Kong and Switzerland. Maybe the Bulgarians will restore their kingdom, or go even farther and restore the peace and prosperity of anarchy. In any event, "never again" does not play in Bulgaria because it didn't happen there in the first place. Long live the king, if not free markets.
Feel free to forward this by email to three of your friends.
One thing I heard was no Jews from Bulgaria died, although Bulgaria was a Nazi ally during the war. Neighboring countries Greece, Turkey, Romania, yes, Bulgaria no. Italy and France, yes. Where Bulgarian soldiers occupied other lands, like Greece, Jews were transported out to their deaths. But none in Bulgaria proper. In a conference dedicated to discovering patterns, I wondered at this anomaly.
One of the presenters noted that "Jews who died were denied state protection." To which my mind immediately retorted "Jews who died expected state protection." And my hypothesis formed.
I formed a hypothesis based on my reading of the bible, but was reticent to pose it to the near 2 dozen scholars who were presenting papers. My reticence was related to the fact that in three days of research presentation by over a dozen Jewish scholars not once was God mentioned.
When the discussion was opened to allow questions form the audience, one yarmulka'd fellow asked a religion-based question and his was the only question in those three days that no one deigned to answer. It was weird. Afterward I consoled the fellow by noting these were social scientists and there was no religion in their inquiries. He began to object and I suggested the University needed to run a conference on the Holocaust and God. He like that idea, and so do I. Indeed, in Micah 6 v 3 God asks to have any case against Him laid out.
It is little remarked that democracy is not considered a legitimate form of government by any of the three major religions. Kingdoms are a permitted evil, over God's protest, but thus legitimate. (1 Samuel 8) The last century was the cruelest and bloodiest in history as democracies emerged.
So to the pattern: where Jews expected state protection, they died. Where Jews were subject to kings, they survived. Bulgaria, although allied with nazi Germany, was ruled by Czar Boris III. The UK, the Jews survived. Lichtenstein, Jews safe and some even escaped Germany.
Kingdoms where the monarchs capitulated the Jews did poorly, for example, the Netherlands and Norway. Would kings stood their ground! On the other hand, the Kingdom of Sweden actually rescued Jews from Denmark, another capitulated kingdom. It seems to me if your motto is "never again" you might want to investigate where it did not happen in the first place.
Switzerland stands out as a democracy whose Jews survived. But Switzerland seems more anarchic than democratic. And as an anarchist, I would would say that.
(By the way: name the King of England during WWII. Name the King of Sweden during WWII. Or the Prince of Lichtenstein. I know you never heard of Czar Boris III. Funny that, the ones who saved Jews are unknown, but Eichmann, Hitler, Himmler etc are all household names. State actors as malefactors we know, kings ruling at God's sufferance, no. This rather suggests kings protecting Jews is not remarkable, but that at state actors would kill Jews one is shocked, shocked...)
These young scholars are all studying the state and historical records to divine how it all worked, and how people reacted. The yarmulka'd fellow I think was recommending they look into another historical record, the bible. God relented and allowed kingdoms. But He never allowed democracy. The American founders were never so impious as to form a democracy, they formed a republic. Even the Soviets knew better, forming the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or CCCP in Cyrillic. He who pays the piper calls the tune. Is research focussed on the state because it is paid for by the state? Is it focussed on the state for disappointment in the state? Is there a presumption there is only the state, so "never again" is just a matter of getting the state right? (And since the state is only people, it is a matter of getting the right person. And if need be, a strong person, an ubermensch?)
Some Bulgarians overthrew their kingdom upon Boris's death, and thus began a 40 year stretch in the desert under Soviet hegemony for Bulgaria. Bulgaria has emerged somewhat independently and tentatively as a republic, something of a disappointment to the powers that be for Bulgaria not more wholeheartedly embracing modern capitalism, echoing no doubt nazi consternation for failure to get with the program during that adventure in capitalism.
Bulgaria has what seems to be a magic number for free-ish polities, and that is the 7 million citizens like Hong Kong and Switzerland. Maybe the Bulgarians will restore their kingdom, or go even farther and restore the peace and prosperity of anarchy. In any event, "never again" does not play in Bulgaria because it didn't happen there in the first place. Long live the king, if not free markets.
Feel free to forward this by email to three of your friends.
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