by Anatoly O. 03.21.2001
American students learn about WWII from "Schindler's List" and "Saving Private Ryan" by Steven Spielberg. The first film shows a member of the Nazi party Oskar Schindler as a hero. Oskar Schindler profits from the misfortune of the Jews. He employed Jews in his factory in exchange for sex and money.
Of the 8.86 million Jews who lived in Europe before the Holocaust, it is generally believed that six million perished as a result of Nazi genocide. Hundreds of thousands of others owe their lives to individuals, who followed their religious beliefs and humanitarian concerns and risked their lives in order to save Jews from the gas chambers. Many of these men and women paid for their heroic efforts with their lives.
It is not surprising that Spielberg preferred the greedy high living war profiteer to such people as Huguenot minister Andre Trocme, Father Benoît and Father Jacques; diplomats Aristides de Sousa Mendes, Per Anger, Raoul Wallenberg. Spielberg's best friend sold pardons for money and sex. It is outrageous that this film is recommended to school students for the study of history.
The second film tell us that WWII was not about saving civilization from national socialism, but about saving a last surviving son from any more combat. After seeing this anti-military and anti-any war propaganda, some young men and women changed their decision to participate in the Army. Teaching students history from such sources, the president can afford to say that WWII began on Balkans. American students deserve better.