I know I totally asked for it, but it messes with my head that I'm defending kids for being dumb over Hitler when I'm someone who rips the Denial crowd to shreds at every opportunity. I really wish they'd researched more.

You were right, I always try to be nice or at the very least constructive. So with that in mind I ask you to read the Jezebel post again. It states that the students who gave the salute were mimicking the banner and the students who made it were freshmen sending off the seniors.

And if that was what they did I would agree with you. They made a banner. Do I wish they'd researched more? Absolutely. But it's the ignorance they display that makes me inclined to not judge. I dedicated four years of my academic career to studying Europe in the WWII period, I promise I don't take this lightly. I…

Well, he wasn't elected, but apart from that I agree with you. But that's a lot of nuance for most folks and it would make current international relationships ... tricky.

What I was trying to say is that I don't know their history so why get mad they don't know mine. That was all. I don't think they're better or worse, it's just reality that folks learn their own history and then stop if they aren't history nerds. Heck, I'm a huge history nerd, but I know zip about Thailand's history…

I really adore the history stories. Thank you!

... millions of voices of young geek girls cried out and were silenced ...

Heh, unfortunately it seems like that is less and less true in this world.

Except that the Pacific Theater was really quite separate. Japan and Germany really just agreed to leave each other alone, they didn't organize troops together or anything like that. It was really more like two different wars happening at the same time.

Personally I think it's because the Holocaust is a shorthand for the madness that gripped Germany. It really shows the depravity of that regime. And, honestly, without it I'm pretty sure that the universal code for evil would be a crazy big caterpillar mustache and a comrade coat instead of jackboots and natty Hugo…

I believe that Thailand was occupied by Japan, so they really weren't impacted. Yes, WWII had many ripples, but the two theaters were so different and had many different factions. I'm not at all surprised that when Germany lost their damned mind Thailand was a bit too busy trying not to get munched by the Japanese war…

Well, in the age of Wikipedia, no. But I was never taught one shred of Thai history in school or university, so I'm not mad that Thai schools aren't teaching our history.

But, isn't that true for every country?

I could not name one single king of Thailand, and I'm pretty sure most Westerners couldn't either. Given my own ignorance of their history I can't muster any outrage on this one. There is a lot of history in the world, and while the Holocaust greatly shapes our world and how we talk about evil and even how we talk…

Yeah ... honestly, I think that the only way this is going to get dealt with is by white people being willing to _say something_ when other white people act like this, instead of going silent and looking around the room nervously.

There's just so much stupid racist crap that it seems like it must have been a casting director doing it on purpose. The thing I can't decide is if, ultimately, is it a good thing for stuff like this to air? Does it just support assholes in antiquated, hurtful thinking because they see it on TV or does it cause them…

It may not be policy, but it absolutely does happen. My friend spent 7 months in solitary because of problems with his transfer. What's going on in America's prisons is awful, but it doesn't catch the public's attention because of the population being systematically brutalized. Once you start delving into it you won't…

I see what you're saying. Context is essential. Because this is the Internet, I didn't provide much detail because there is a limited attention span. But I did think about the particulars and I knew the specifics of his situation. He was born to a heroin addict prostitute, lucky to grow up in an excellent school…

Reading over the comments I feel the need to say a few things.

I have an old friend who got lost in his early 20s and robbed a bank (dunbass). He went to prison, paid his debt. The look on his face when I asked about solitary, it needs to be banned. It is shockingly cruel.