The Decimation of Poland
Words, in any language, are meant to convey meaning and describe what is seen and felt and thought. For this purpose, adjectives and adverbs are the most important. In some cases, such as in describing the role of the Einsatzgruppen in Hitler's plans, some idea of the sheer immensity of inhumanity must be given at every point, but the resources of a language have only so many words to describe horror, disgust, terror, inhumanity, injustice, brutality and fear. It is no good, as lawyers and judges would have us do, describing a day using nouns and verbs only. The murdered dead in their millions demand that they be remembered in all the horror of their killing. However, in that very remembrance, we are doing a disservice to the living of today and to future generations. It seems that, in so remembering, we are providing some causal link between the first intentional mass genocide carried out by the Germans, and the genocides that continue round us to this day. It is as if the appetite for horror movies is somehow translated by the lowest intelligences coupled, paradoxically, with some of the most brilliant, into real acts of repetition of the imagined horrors seen on the screen.
This writer, as many others, can only stumble about in the filth, feeling dirtied to his soul and, put simply, unable to apply any hint of sanity to the whole matter. Take this as just one concept: a group of men gathered round a table, listening as one speaks, with possible additions by others, noting on memoranda pads in front of them the details of what is being explained, just as if it was the introduction of a new system at the local abattoir, to speed up the processing of the end product, where all the details must be arranged and co-ordinated to make the new method operational in the shortest possible time. That some such meeting took place is certain, in order that Himmler and Heydrich should understand Hitler's purpose in ordering the formation of the Special Task Forces, and some of the details must have been agreed with him before they commenced work. On 22nd August 1939, at Obersalzburg, Hitler had told the assembled Generals that they would not like certain things that would occur, once they had occupied Poland, and warned them not to interfere. It was a warning that was needed for, indeed, it would not be to any sane person's taste and would be something absolutely new in the waging of war.
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