Why I Admire Ernst Zündel

How could anyone admire a man that publicly admits admiration for Adolf Hitler, that openly acknowledges himself to be a “Holocaust skeptic,” and who never apologizes for his political incorrectness and nonconformist views? Who could possibly approve of a man who has put his personal freedom and indeed life on the line countless times in order to do nothing more than bring the world’s attention to what he believes to be an honest, albeit alternative view of history? Who could appreciate anyone bold enough to literally carry a cross on his own back, on behalf of all the world’s German population for no other reason than to at least partially exonerate them of the collective guilt forced upon them after the Second World War, and who to this very day, denounce Mr. Zündel for his self imposed role as their defender? Who could possibly hold in high esteem a man who rejects twenty-first century materialism as the answer to life and all its mysteries and instead seeks satisfaction in more personal pursuits like developing friendships with those that cannot possibly advance the “intolerant and violent” racist agenda attributed to the alleged “patriarch” of the “hate movement?”

Who could possibly admire a man that has sustained nothing but persecution from society at large, who has been the victim of ongoing smear campaigns launched more than three decades ago, who has suffered from every conceivable attack on his character, finances, family and even on his life. Who could think highly of man who despite all these things, and despite the fact that he is in prison at this very moment, not for a crime, no…no…. but because the Canadian government has determined that this pacifist is somehow a danger to Canada’s National Security, maintains a positive attitude and believes without any less certainty, that his cause is just, and that society will someday judge him, not on what the mainstream media says about him today, but upon his selfless and altruistic actions over a lifetime.

Again, I ask, who could ever appreciate a man who for the last several decades has devoted himself to bringing forth the unpopular views of hard working academics, who were it not for Ernst Zündel, may be unknown today, and their work tossed into the sea of forgettable historiography, not based on its merit, but based upon the fact that it didn’t sit well with mainstream and politically acceptable views? How could anyone possibly hold a man like this in high regard, when there are so many other courageous individuals out there willing to stand up for their views, heroes that wouldn’t consider apologizing for their beliefs, like American politicians? For instance, when Jim Moran boldly exclaimed the obvious fact that Israel stood the most to gain from a U.S. war in Iraq, and in fact was influencing American foreign policy by way of a few well placed American Zionist officials. What about Trent Lott, who stated at a GOP function that the United States would have been, better off today had Strom Thurmond become president back in the 1950s. What about the daring exploits of Howard Dean, the Democratic parties best bet in 2004, a man unafraid to take a stand on an issue he can apologize for later. Yes, America is full of courageous people, people unafraid to throw their neighbor to the crocodile, in hopes of being the last eaten.

If I were interested in apologists and hesitant stands on ambiguous issues, I’d have plenty of heroes to admire, right here in the United States. Being an academic, I could seek out other academics to idolize and/or admire, there are so many courageous examples, although I can’t think of one right now. Some of you might shout, “Hey, what about Noam Chomsky?” I’d just say, been there done that, and found the esteemed professor “sympathetic” to Ernst Zündel’s plight, “outrageous,” he even exclaimed, but in the end, he felt that it wouldn’t be in anyone’s best interests, if he were to speak out too vocally on Ernst’s behalf.

What about all the gutsy journalists working for the prestigious networks and newspapers? Certainly, these bold “defenders” of truth and justice would write an article on the illegal nature in which Ernst was deported from the United States to Canada, where he was subsequently thrown quietly into a solitary confinement cell in the Toronto West detention Center, in Toronto Canada. These brave journalists would definitely be interested in an expose on how the new terrorism laws are already being abused to silence dissent. The idea that Mr. Zündel is a threat to any nations national Security is ridiculous, the man hasn’t committed a violent crime in his entire life and has never been convicted of a crime that wasn’t later overturned in Canada’s highest court. The brave and courageous purveyor’s of “fair and balanced” news haven’t written an article yet, that even approached an equitable portrayal of Mr. Zündel. Ernst Zündel’s crime is that he is politically incorrect, nonconformist and no matter what the powers that be throw at him, he just won’t apologize and prostrate himself like our illustrious American politicians. He is dangerous only to the status quo, and they know it, that in fact is why he currently languishes in prison, not because he actually represents a danger to society.

Ernst Zündel admires Adolf Hitler, so what? Ernst Zündel doesn’t believe any Jews were gassed at Auschwitz, so what? Ernst Zündel is and has been for some time; extremely critical of Zionism and its designs on the world, by God…it is too damned bad more people aren’t behind him on this! Zündel is unafraid to do what Jim Moran didn’t have the guts to do, and that is to stand up to and challenge the State of Israel, and the undisputed influence Zionists have in the United States and Canada today. Don’t fool yourself, this disproportionate influence is very real, Congressmen have written books about it, as have Senators. Viktor Ostrovsky, a former Mossad agent wrote a tell all book about Israeli espionage in the United States and how the Israelis could “count on” American Jews to do much of their work for them, after all it was a Jewish thing, and had nothing to do with patriotism. It is an undisputed fact that more than one hundred Israelis were detained for espionage in the United States immediately following September 11th, and inexplicably deported back to Israel before charges could filed, and more importantly before the American people were informed.

So, is it possible to admire a man like Zündel? During his infamous 1988 Holocaust Trial, a trial in which his opponents love to mention his conviction, but never mention the fact that this unjust conviction was overturned by Canada’s highest court later, Zündel apparently impressed another young man named Jurgen Neumann who had this to say about Ernst Zündel, “he is a very sincere individual. He actually seemed to believe exactly what he said… (Amazing) He never avoided any questions asked of him.” This was what impressed Neumann at the time and still impressed him during the 1988 trial. According to Neumann, Zündel asked him to do many things that a mere propagandist would never request, i.e. continue to independently research the topic. This indicated to Neumann that Zündel was sincere about the subject and that he continually attempted to widen his field of factual knowledge as any historian would. Imagine that, admiring a man that does and believes in what he says. Certainly an odd concept in this day and age, being that we are so often exposed to a tremendous number of people more than willing to take whatever position they are told to take, or in the case of the politicians, whichever way the winds blow, as manifested by poll results.

In a recent article entitled “Why I admire David Irving,” a gentleman by the name of Nick Herbert had this to say about the “notorious” David Irving, another controversial revisionist author, “I am not a professional historian and my knowledge of what went on in WW II is not extensive but for most of my life I have been trained in the methods of rational thinking and can follow an argument like a rat terrier. I recognize a good argument when I see one and have familiarized myself with most of the rhetorical counterfeits of reasoning. I consider myself an expert truth-seeker.” Herbert then went on to say, “As a scientist, seeking truth is part of my profession.” Interestingly, Herbert later went on to say the he hadn’t read a single Irving best seller, which indicates to me, that Irving, like Zündel before him, has advanced onto a “higher plane,” in that they both have in many ways become bigger than life. The historian Irving rejects this, whereas the publicist Zündel embraces it, recognizing the absolute advantage it represents in “getting the message out.” Another gentleman by the name of Edgar Steele recently commented on Irving’s apparent hesitation to accept this role, and insinuated that Irving preferred to hide among his facts quietly, waiting for historical revisionism to somehow become fashionable, something Zündel knows will never happen unless revisionists take risks, and that is exactly what Ernst Zündel has done for decades. Steele even declared that most of Irving’s fans probably weren’t all that interested in his historiography, but instead saw him as an symbol, someone that was willing to confront the purveyors of distorted history, something so blatantly obvious today, that only the most indoctrinated souls still deny the existence of. To take this position in regards to Irving does detract from the fact that the man is an incredible historian; unparalleled in many respects, and has an almost unmatched ability to make written history palatable to the masses, his prose is fantastic. But there is an element of truth to what Steele says as well, Irving has become bigger than life, even to his detractors, who have tried and tried to consign him to the trash heap of obscurity without success for more than twenty-five years.

An interesting detail about both Ernst Zündel and David Irving is that neither holds a degree in history, yet both men are infinitely better versed in just about every aspect of history than I am, and I hold a masters degree in history and politics. Of this, there is no doubt whatsoever. I have come to know Mr. Zündel through correspondence and am literally amazed at his ability to recall the smallest details out of the thousands of history texts he has read. I have been told that Mr. Irving has a photographic memory, which may be true, and could explain his phenomenal ability to deliver the most rational, well-conceived and coordinated presentations I have ever heard from any historian.

It has become abundantly clear to me that our allegedly fair and balanced mainstream media has seriously misrepresented both Irving and Zündel. When my Hispanic wife and I met Ms. Ingrid Zündel for the first time, we didn’t meet the “yellow-eyed Hun, black widow spider, virulent racist,” that the media might have led us believe, no… we met one of the most intelligent, kindly and concerned women we had ever met. My family and I quickly became enamored with her, and she said, what should have been more than obvious at that point, “If only people would get to know Ernst, they would find that he is one of the kindest people in the world.” In fact, that is exactly what I have found by corresponding with him, rather than relying on highly biased media reports and/or ADL profiles of the man.

Ernst, unlike most other revisionists, who may in fact actually feel the same way, but are too fearful to admit it, is a threat to the ADL because he not only denies that there was ever a systematic plan to gas Jews during World War II, but also implicates Zionism and its appendages, like the ADL, as the exploiters of this myth, for the purposes of fleecing the world’s Gentile population and the imposition of unreasonable, and often dubious political demands, something Congressman Jim Moran was once quick to note, and even quicker to apologize for. One must wonder if perhaps Ernst Zündel isn’t far more important than anyone ever imagined, after all, someone went to a great deal of trouble to quietly and quickly deport him from the United States to a country where they could be sure he would be effectively silenced during a period of crisis following September 11th, in the United States. In fact, Zündel, may have been one of the more vociferous whistleblowers in North America following the attack in New York, honestly pointing out undeniable, albeit uncomfortable facts, like the surreptitious deportation of more than a hundred Israeli spies from the US following the attack, as well as the extremely unpopular view that Israel was really the only entity with anything to gain from a preemptive war in Iraq. Since Zündel’s illegal arrest and deportation, we have come to learn a lot about the integrity of the United States government, namely that it is more than willing to deceive us, in order to exert its will over us. If Zündel were free today, and not under the news blackout employed to further marginalize his most rational views, he’d be unapologetically implicating Israel as the soul beneficiary of any further hostilities in Iran or Syria as well, an idea that even moderates are now lending some credence to.

So inevitably the question arises, is Ernst Zündel a threat to Canada’s National Security because he is allegedly the “patriarch” of a virulent and violently racist subculture that has never ever amounted to much in the political mainstream, or is he a threat because there is a great deal of merit to his arguments? The aforementioned Noam Chomsky is attributed with having once said, “If you don’t believe in freedom of expression for those you most despise, you don’t believe in freedom of expression.” Such an incredible simple but meaningful concept, yet contemporary Americans cannot accept its pure unadulterated logic, despite paying it lip service continuously, citing it as perhaps our most important Constitutional right. The problem in America isn’t that we have no theoretical understanding of the importance of our Constitution; it’s in our application of the principles espoused within that document that we fail. Our government through the media propagates its agenda by providing us with its simple foundation, never its entire structure, and it reinforces this agenda by demonizing and marginalizing its opponents. Being that we are almost completely at the mercy of our television, oh come on, admit it, we tend to believe what is broadcast, and therefore we become the indoctrinated, not the educated, no matter what Fox news says, and we then reject, often out of hand dissenting views. This is known as “selective distortion,” in advertising circles, and is a well-known concept throughout the entire media apparatus. In social psychology the tendency to accept what one is told, no matter whether or not it is accurate, and then reject later information is known as “belief perseverance.” In either case, it reinforces what a well known cosmologist and top thinker named Stephen Hawkins had to say about knowledge and that was, “The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”

The way in which the mainstream media has portrayed Ernst Zündel over these last several decades is absolutely erroneous. The man is not the “hate monger,” he has been depicted as. Ernst Zündel is dedicated, he is honest, intelligent, even frighteningly so and has a tremendous amount of integrity. I admire Ernst Zündel, despite his views, because he himself is an admirable individual. I do not necessarily care so much that his views offend other people; I don’t have to. If they don’t like him or his views, I know for a fact; Ernst isn’t going to make them listen; he only wants to be free to speak his mind to those interested in what he has to say. Unlike our current North American governments, Zündel, the alleged “Nazi” believes in freedom of expression, and has never espoused otherwise.

We must remember that it wasn’t so long ago that the powers that be were referring to James Ennes, the author of Assault on the Liberty as an “anti-Semite, a racist and a Nazi,” merely because he was relating the truth that in 1967 the Israelis intentionally attacked an American ship killing dozens and wounding nearly a hundred American sailors. The facts behind this case have been known for decades, yet, quite honestly, the same powers that seek to silence Zündel today silenced Ennes twenty some years ago in the same manner they have traditionally attacked the purveyors of truth forever, by slandering them, and going after their livelihood, reputation, family, etc… Fortunately for Ennes, Mr. Ward Boston, the military officer in charge of the USS Liberty investigation in 1967 recently came forward signing affidavits testifying to the fact that Lyndon B. Johnson ordered the attack on the USS Liberty “covered up,” so that the American people, his theoretical boss, would never learn the details of what really happened. Ennes was “rehabilitated,” as Zündel will one day be, but Ennes was fortunate in that his ideas didn’t land him behind bars. We can no longer afford to allow societal leper Pariah’s like Zündel, and Ennes to suffer for speaking out, when we are either too ignorant or afraid to do so.

Ernst Zündel should never have been illegally and unconstitutionally deported from the United States for having an opinion that differed from others. He should not have been thrown into a solitary confinement cell, denied access to the media and simple items, like blankets, chairs, and writing material, but he was. As previously mentioned, the man has not been charged with a crime, he is being held because his ideas implicate individuals belonging to a powerful and wealthy minority within our population in the commission of crimes. Crimes that they are in fact guilty of, and know that they are guilty of, for this reason they must imprison and silence courageous and incorruptible individuals out there like Zündel, who won’t sell out the truth, no matter what these people do to silence them.

It for this reason, that I admire Ernst Zündel, a man that refuses to apologize for having an educated opinion, a man that remains willing to sacrifice everything for others, even if they do not recognize or appreciate his efforts. Ernst Zündel is an oddity alright, maybe even eccentric, after all, in this day and age, believing in something fervently is considered radical, or worse, non-conformist.

Visit the author's blog 'Politically Correct Apostate' at: [email protected] http://pcapostate.blogspot.com/