In 2017 I read Timothy Snyder’s Black Earth . It changed the way I think about the Holocaust, and I think holds some important lessons. I first heard Snyder discuss his book on Milwaukee Public Television through a program called “On the Issues”. I ordered the book the next day. You can view that program here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldYn-kbou7U . I can recommend any of his online talks, but one of his most straightforward is here, beginning at the 5:30 mark [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxyHV90ESIY ]. He makes his case better than I could hope to. I’m compelled to share some reflections. The historical information and some of the political analysis are Snyder’s. Most of what I knew about the Holocaust was true. But much of it was partial truth. Partial truth can lead us to false conclusions. Anti-Semitism varied from fierce anti-Semitism in some Nazi-controlled countries to less anti-Semitic in others. Another thing that varied widely was the level of state destru
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