British historian David Irving has been found guilty in Vienna of denying the Holocaust of European Jewry and sentenced to three years in prison.I wrote in November that "it is not a good idea at all to turn him into a free speech martyr. It is better to fight denier sewage with the truth than with police and prison sentences." I am more convinced today that criminalizing denial is a big mistake. Iran, for instance, has been exploiting this relentlessly and trying to pass off criminalization of denial as a prohibition of free debate, of open examination of the sources, etc.
He had pleaded guilty to the charge, based on a speech and interview he gave in Austria in 1989.
He admitted that in 1989 he had denied that Nazi Germany had killed millions of Jews. He said this is what he believed, until he later saw the personal files of Adolf Eichmann, the chief organiser of the Holocaust.Irving presents an interesting example of a person misusing scholarly talent. His current excuses for his past lies recall his past excuses for Hitler.
"I said that then based on my knowledge at the time, but by 1991 when I came across the Eichmann papers, I wasn't saying that anymore and I wouldn't say that now," Irving told the court.
I thought it would be fun to survey other blogs on the same topic. Well-meaning bloggers misguidedly expressing satisfaction at the sentencing include Neither Here Nor There, Nogbad's View, Sudan Watch, and Holks on the Fill (This last post is excellent, though). Expressing guarded satisfaction: Red Fish. On the fence: Rising Hegemon. Free speech uber alles: Sui Generis, Fullosseous Flap, Obsolete, LaShawn Barber, Zion Report, and Power Line.
Tags: David Irving, Holocaust-denial, sentencing, Iran
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