America and the Holocaust: Deceit and Indifference

[Addicus]

Okay, well we had to watch this documentary for my writing class. The title is also the title of this topic. It dealt with how America could have saved scores more people during the holocaust than they actually did by loosening the immigration policies. Instead, they made policies stricter reguarding Jews, and the movie does a very good job documenting this. Well, we had to write a synopsis of the movie and were allowed to give our opinion. So, here is my paper. The synopsis part is pretty irrelevant, but what I would like to share, and discuss is my opinion on the subject. Enjoy!
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The premise of this movie deals with America’s inaction to allow Jewish people into the country during WWII. Throughout the movie, the racist motives behind the US’s actions become clear and the America of that time is portrayed to be as equally immoral as the Nazis who slaughtered millions of Jews. The movie manages to present a compelling historical account of a side of the war that most have never known about.
I think that one of the strongest points in the movie is the emotional bond that develops between the viewers and Kurt Klein, a Jew who managed to escape the mass exterminations of WWII. Throughout the documentary, we learn about this man’s struggle to save his parents from the Nazis by attempting to help them immigrate to America and the struggles he incurred do to the racist institution in place at the time. I feel that this has such a major impact because we not only learn about his struggles in America, but we also get a first-hand account of the problems one faced as a Jewish person trying to escape a war torn Europe, through the letters written to him by his parents.
After watching this movie, I am not sure how to feel about it. Part of me feels bad that so many people, who could have taken refuge in the US, had to die because of a stigma associated with the Jews, which prevented us from seeing them as people and ultimately saving thousands if not millions of lives. The other side of me feels that there is no use trying to place any blame on America for the death of any Jewish person during WWII. I do not agree with the US’s past inaction or racist beliefs, but feel that the Nazi party should hold total blame for their cruel attempt at exterminating an entire people. I feel that by saying America is responsible for the death of even one Jew targeted during WWII only displaces the responsibility of the Nazis to own up to their actions, and makes America a scapegoat to dealings that we are clearly not accountable for.
To say that the United States is responsible for the welfare of persecuted peoples is both hypocritical and unrealistic. This would mean that we are obligated to make a greater effort to help everyone in the world who is under some form of hardship or persecution, such as the starving people in third world countries or the Chinese who are ruled by a fascist government that strictly controls its people. Righting even one of the aforementioned situations would require both a great expenditure of resources and that Americans as a whole submit to a lower standard of living than we are accustomed. These are just two reasons why it is implausible to make America the protectors of the world.

[watershield]

Hi Adam
I would be interested to get the name of the movie and the name of the author of the story line. A little research could provide motive.

Stories such as this tend to lack perspective. It is true that the Jews were not widely held in high esteem, however there were other things going on.
The United States was assisting the Soviet Union with matters in Asia. Japan had invaded China and surrounding counties.
Conflicts started as early as 1937 in China with the U.S. going full tilt after Pearl Harbor Dec 7 1941.

It was actually Britian and France that had dropped the ball allowing Hitler to gain his position in Europe. The U.S. Wasn't really involved with matters in Europe until after Germany attacked Poland.

After 1939 every one, not just Jews, required travel papers in Nazis controled areas. How would a Jew immigrate any place if his travel papers were denighed? He would need to sneak out, attempt to obtain passage and seek asylum. From what Ive read, asylum was never an issue. However getting out and gaining passage was next to impossible.

Anyone can make a movie. The question however is , was it based on fact or politiacl agenda and / or idealism?

[hedge*]

I feel that by saying America is responsible for the death of even one Jew targeted during WWII only displaces the responsibility of the Nazis to own up to their actions, and makes America a scapegoat to dealings that we are clearly not accountable for.

I totally agree.
If you wanna get a good representation of what it was like for Jewish people in Europe during the third reich then you have to watch Schindler's List.

[Addicus]

it was called America and the Holocaust: Deceit and Indifference

[Eireayne]

Though the US gov't publicly aimed for neutrality during WWII, economic assistance through the selling of US made supplies and the buying of product from other countries involved in the war was totally unbalanced. The US lend-lease program funneled ammo, tanks, materials mostly to the Allies. The axis powers also received a small amount of economic trade so that the US could effectively say that they had not chosen a side. But when you look at the numbers, the trade was overwhelmingly unbalanced in favor of the allies. The US was still reluctant to get into a war in Europe, after just coming through depression and internal problems.

I think the book "Night" by Elie Wiesel is an amazing account of a personal experience with the holocaust.

Some American folks were suspicious that something was happening to the Jews during the War, but the whole truth wasn't widely known or confirmed until after the camps had been discovered and liberated when Germany fell. Which was too late. America had a history of being strict on immigration at various points prior to WWII.

Was the point of the movie that there was a US gov't conspiracy or condoning of Germany policy? Because I think that would be innaccurate.

To say that the United States is responsible for the welfare of persecuted peoples is both hypocritical and unrealistic. This would mean that we are obligated to make a greater effort to help everyone in the world who is under some form of hardship or persecution, such as the starving people in third world countries or the Chinese who are ruled by a fascist government that strictly controls its people. Righting even one of the aforementioned situations would require both a great expenditure of resources and that Americans as a whole submit to a lower standard of living than we are accustomed. These are just two reasons why it is implausible to make America the protectors of the world.

I think you should email this to the current administration. Of course I do think that most of us could live a little bit less comfortably. Our current standard of living may be a little inflated (mine included.)


Awesome post. I love history!

[Addicus]

the basis of the movie was to expose the American indiference/cover-up of Jewish immigration. They tried to make America look as bad as Hitler because people we prejuiced against the Jews and therefore reflected that in the immigration quotas. Like, many more english people were let in than Jewish people for example.

It was all based on the fact that we could have helped this was but didn't. I don't blame the America of that time at all, but at the same time, I don't condone it.