Just A Dollar

There are many factors that are essential to the manifestation of a holocaust with prejudice being at the core of these contributing factors. If all prejudice was eliminated all cause for holocausts would be destroyed. Sadly it is impossible to eradicate prejudice because it is naturally fostered by human beings and their environment. Education and exposure to different minorities can help break down prejudice, but ultimately the only recourse to prevent future holocausts is to subdue human prejudice through the judicial system. The Center for Constitutional Rights, known as CCR, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of human rights through litigation. This organization and others with the same purposes and goals are immensely important in defining human rights and in preventing future holocausts.

Government is an institution vital to human existence because it helps combat the evil side of human nature. Thomas Paine explored this idea in Common Sense and said, “Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.” A working government ensures the fair and equitable treatment of all people in order to maintain a constructive and healthy environment for all to live. Though governments are useful in fighting the ugly side of humanity, they are still run by humans and are subject to human vices. Ideally government would not be necessary, but it is needed to counteract individual desires for the greater good. Organizations like the Center for Constitutional Rights are important to monitor governments to ensure that it does not degrade into a vehicle for the release of the worst side of human nature, and that unjust legislation is opposed. Holocausts cannot occur without this governmental corruption; either the government’s assistance or apathy towards a holocaust must fall into place to perform a successful holocaust. A government normally comes to support a holocaust through the influence of political extremists who gain favor with the citizens during a tumultuous time due to war or economic distress. A bold and striking leader is necessary to galvanize the extremists and lead others to the cause. Hitler performed this function incredibly well within the Nazi party for the Nazi Holocaust. His rousing speeches united Germany under the Nazi beliefs and isolated the Jews. Ismail Enver held a similar role in the Ottoman Empire as a leader of the Armenian Genocide. He helped facilitate the deportation and murder of many Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.

The next step in a successful holocaust is to cut out the political power of the targeted group in the government. The targeted group of a holocaust is generally a minority who has little resources to fight with and cannot fight the oppressors toe to toe. Their only recourse to save themselves from persecution is through pleas to the government to step in and stop the injustice. In the Nazi Holocaust there were very few Jewish politicians in Germany to begin with, and the rise of the Nazis removed all Jewish influence from the German government. Without a political voice the Jews were unable to battle the injustices served to them by the Nazis legally, and with the lack of easy access to firearms in Europe, the Jews did not have any other ways to fight back.

Facing an oppressive government without any method of legal recourse, the only thing left to the targets of a holocaust is their money and material possessions. It is difficult for the government to seize belongings and outright force poverty upon the targets, though it certainly can be accomplished. During the Armenian Genocide the Ottoman Empire blatantly decreed that all property of Armenians including land, livestock, and homes belonged to the government without cause. Most governments are not that blatant and impose economic restrictions that slowly destroy the economic health of the holocaust targets as in the Nazi Holocaust. The Nazis began their economic onslaught by organizing a boycott of all Jewish businesses and gradually increased the measures to banning Jews from various jobs in the schools, arts, and sciences among many other professions. Other restrictions were placed on the amount of money Jews could carry at one time and what they could do with the rest of their money. Eventually the economic oppression culminated to the Kristallnact Pogrom where all of Germany’s synagogues were destroyed and over 7,000 Jewish businesses were wrecked.

At this point the government has eliminated the minority’s political power and economic resources. The targeted group of a holocaust is powerless and has no resistance methods available to them. The persecution will continue until the targets have been removed or a benevolent outsider steps in and stops the process.

The prevention of holocausts is not very complicated and can be easily summed up by the golden rule “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The most important aspect for a government is to be based upon equality where every citizen receives the same treatment regardless of race, religion, etc. No one group should gain power over another; the checks and balances in the government should allow for a fair representation of all minorities. No obviously unfair legislation should be passed, and no politician should put place more importance on his or herself over the people he or she serves. This equality principle helps prevent biases and prejudices from