Why Neo-Nazis Deny the Holocaust

HostThe voices in this episode are synthetic, and the script was written by a language model. The positions are real, and they come from the thread.

HostWhy do neo-Nazis deny the Holocaust? It's a question that sparked a lively discussion with over a hundred comments on Reddit, in a subreddit called NoStupidQuestions. The thread wasn't just about the 'what' but the 'why' behind this persistent denial.

HostThe consensus was pretty strong: it's not about genuine disbelief. In fact, the top-scoring comment, with over a thousand upvotes, framed it as a calculated recruitment strategy. The conversation was largely civil, though some attempts to draw parallels to other conflicts were quickly pushed down.

Strategic denierThat's right. For us, it's a bait-and-switch tactic. You can't start by openly celebrating mass murder on an industrial scale; that's just bad for optics and political viability. We're trying to attract new recruits, and you don't lead with your most repulsive views.

Blame shifterBut it's also about flipping the script. We assume Jewish people made it up or exaggerated the Holocaust to play the victim and manipulate others. It fits our narrative that they're cunning manipulators, and it justifies our claims that we're the real victims of a smear campaign.

HostSo, it's a strategic move for recruitment, and a way to shift blame. But what about the inherent contradictions in those arguments? Someone who'd tell you that the illogic is actually the point.

Bad faith actorYou're looking for logical consistency where there isn't any. Antisemites know their remarks are frivolous, open to challenge. They're amusing themselves, because it's their adversary who's obliged to use words responsibly. The contradiction, like saying 'it didn't happen, but it should have,' is a feature, not a bug.

Strategic denierExactly. Many of us, especially the leadership, know it happened and are proud of it. But we deny it to create doubt and antagonize Jewish people. It's about 'hiding our power level' from 'normies,' gradually radicalizing individuals by starting with socially acceptable grievances before introducing more extreme antisemitic views.

Historians viewBut the historical record is unequivocal. General Eisenhower, for instance, insisted locals tour liberated concentration camps and commissioned documentaries precisely because he foresaw future denial. He said something like, 'One day, people will try to deny this happened.' He was right.

Blame shifterAnd it allows us to claim the Holocaust was a fabrication used to justify the creation of Israel and deflect criticism. We believe Jewish people control media and institutions, using this power to spread a 'fake history' for PR and to maintain control. It's all part of a broader paranoid conspiracy.

Strategic denierWe'll often minimize the death toll or claim non-Jewish victims to dilute the narrative and make it seem less horrific. We exploit the fact that most people can't comprehend the scale of millions of deaths, making it easier to sow doubt about the numbers. Auschwitz, for example, we'll present it as merely a work camp, ignoring its dual role as an extermination camp.

Bad faith actorIt's the 'Schrödinger’s Genocide'—it simultaneously didn't happen, but we also desperately wish it did. And we totally want to do it again. The cruelty is the point; we get a sick enjoyment out of gaslighting, knowing we cause misery by forcing others to confront horrific history.

Historians viewThe actual Nazis on trial at Nuremberg didn't deny it happened. They tried to justify their actions by claiming they were following orders or that their specific role was minor. Rudolf Höss, the longest-serving head of Auschwitz, was quite open about his actions, detailing the extermination of millions by gassing and burning.

Blame shifterThat's just what they want you to believe. The creation of Israel is seen as a direct outcome and justification for the 'fabricated' Holocaust. And the presence of Jewish people in movies and TV is cited as evidence of Jewish control over media, used to propagate this narrative.

Strategic denierWe also use denial to create a persecution complex, claiming that bans on Holocaust denial prove a Jewish conspiracy to silence us. It allows us to present Nazism as a nationalist political position that was unfairly smeared by history, rather than an ideology responsible for documented genocide.

Bad faith actorThis behavior is a form of 'narcissistic supply,' where the cruelty and the frustration of our opponents are the point. It's a tactic, not a belief. The DARVO tactic—Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender—is a common framework for our defense mechanisms when confronted with wrongdoing.

Historians viewBut extensive evidence, including survivor testimonies, Nazi records, and physical remains, makes denial futile. The original Nazis didn't exactly try to hide what they were doing; they documented a lot of it because they genuinely believed history would vindicate them. Denial is a later development.

HostSo, the thread largely agrees that denial is a strategic, bad-faith tactic. Let's dig into some of the specific examples people brought up to illustrate these points.

Strategic denierThink about Gamergate, for instance. It's cited as a pipeline for recruitment into the 'alt-right,' which were just neo-Nazis. It shows how initial grievances are exploited, and then you gradually introduce the more extreme views. You don't start with '6 Million Wasn't Enough' shirts, even if Proud Boys wear them later.

Blame shifterIt's about portraying Jews as deceptive liars seeking empathy points. We need Jews to be simultaneously worthless and powerful enough to secretly control society, and denial helps maintain this contradiction. The Rothschilds are often mentioned as an example of this supposed Jewish financial control.

Bad faith actorAnd it's not just about denying; it's about the performance. The film 'The Believer' captures this perfectly, with a neo-Nazi character asking, 'if Hitler didn’t kill six million Jews, then why the hell is he a hero?' It highlights the internal contradiction that's meant to disorient.

Historians viewIt's important to remember that the concept of 'crimes against humanity' was effectively created at Nuremberg because the Nazis' actions, though legal under their regime, were morally indefensible. This wasn't just about breaking laws; it was about a new category of evil.

Strategic denierWe also tend to ignore places like Treblinka and Sobibor. Those were pure extermination camps with very few survivors, making denial much harder to spin than Auschwitz, which had a work camp component we can exploit.

Bad faith actorThe thread even referenced Jean-Paul Sartre's observations on antisemitic rhetoric, noting that fascists aren't operating with a coherent ideology. Truth is irrelevant compared to power and authority. They exploit the fact that liberal democracy values truth, while their ideology is about hierarchy.

Historians viewAnd many Germans, even those who supported the Nazi government, were unaware of the full extent of the Holocaust. That's why forced tours of camps were necessary after liberation. It wasn't just about documenting for history, but for immediate public awareness.

Strategic denierThe original Nazis themselves tried to destroy evidence and use euphemisms for the 'Final Solution.' That shows an early awareness of the need to conceal the full horror from the public, even if they thought history would vindicate them later.

Blame shifterOur ideology requires us to be the victims of Jews, so denying the Holocaust makes our worldview internally consistent. We can't be the villains if they're the ones fabricating history to control us.

Historians viewGeneral Eisenhower's D-Day messages also show his commitment to accountability, even in the face of potential failure. He understood the importance of truth, a stark contrast to the later denial tactics. The final stage of all genocides is denial, an attempt to erase the victims from history.

HostSo, the thread largely agrees that denial is a strategic, bad-faith tactic. But there were a few voices that offered a different perspective, views that didn't gain much traction.

HostA few commenters suggested that some neo-Nazis genuinely believe the Holocaust didn't happen, or that the numbers were greatly exaggerated, due to deep-seated conspiracy theories. And one person even suggested it's a 'tribal thing to say, not a genuine belief,' similar to Flat Earthers.

Strategic denierWhile some might genuinely believe it, especially those deep in the propaganda, the leadership knows better. It's a tool. We're not trying to convince historians; we're trying to recruit new people and sow doubt among the general public.

Bad faith actorIt's less about genuine belief and more about the performance of it. The goal isn't truth; it's power. And if denying a well-documented historical event helps assert that power, then that's what we'll do. Richard Spencer getting punched, for example, shows that sometimes physical force is the only answer to bad-faith arguments.

HostThe discussion on Reddit's NoStupidQuestions ultimately landed on a strong consensus: Holocaust denial isn't about historical accuracy for neo-Nazis. It's a calculated strategy for recruitment, a tool to shift blame onto Jewish people, and a bad-faith tactic designed to provoke and assert power.

HostThe thread frequently referenced Jean-Paul Sartre's observations on antisemitic rhetoric, highlighting the deliberate illogic at play. While the historical evidence is overwhelming, the conversation underscored that for deniers, the truth is secondary to their ideological goals.

HostSloppod out.

HostSloppod is sponsored by Taskpile.app.

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