Newt Gingrich awkwardly poses for smiley tourist photo in worst possible place.

[J. J.]

This isn't political, it's a stupid place to take a photo like that, regardless of who it is.

By the way, which one of you actually visited Auschwitz site?

I have, because I actually had a couple of relatives that were killed there.

There are photos of me at Gettysburg, and I have relatives that died in the Civil War.

A strange photo, I'll agree, but not inappropriate.  I'm happy he visited.

Why does New Gingrich visiting Auschwitz with his mistress that is younger than his daughter make you happy?

That is a bizarre statement.

I am absolutely happy that any American politician wants to be familiar with the Holocaust, and would be willing to go to the site and see the scene of a horrific crime against humanity.  That his wife wanted to join him is fine.

I'm just surprised anyone would complain about it.

[HST1948]

By the way, which one of you actually visited Auschwitz site?

Sadly, there are people vitising Auschwitz, a really sad, sad place, who are acting far worse than Newt, totally innocent on this picture by comparision.

I've been. We went on the tour during a trip to visit family that still lives in Krakow. My grandfather grew up in    Wadowice and fought for the Polish army in WWII before he was taken prisoner by the Nazi's. When we went we found that we had family killed there. 

In relation to the picture, its probably in poor taste, but I'm glad Gingrich made the effort to visit Auschwitz.  I think it's a place that all our politicians should have to see. And guys, the jokes are in really poor taste.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

There are photos of me at Gettysburg, and I have relatives that died in the Civil War.

A strange photo, I'll agree, but not inappropriate.  I'm happy he visited.

...

Are you seriously comparing a systematic, cold-blooded slaughter of millions of victims of the Nazi sick ideology with a Civil War battle?

Because my ancestors and relatives were direct, sometimes fatal, victims of the very same Nazi atrocities, I'm really offended by this post.

[ingemann]

For the record Morgan is officially my hero (actually, he's been that for about two years now but I thought I would just make it clear now in case there was any confusion).

Also,

Sadly, there are people vitising Auschwitz, a really sad, sad place, who are acting far worse than Newt, totally innocent on this picture by comparision.

Why am I not surprised?

Because it's a place visited by millions, including by a whole lot of school classes. I know when I was in Terezin the first time I saw some school kids behave terrible.

The picture I found hilarious mostly because it is such so typical tourist picture in such a horrible setting, but I don't find it inappropriate. It's just couple with a interest in history visiting KZ-camp.  

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

For the record Morgan is officially my hero (actually, he's been that for about two years now but I thought I would just make it clear now in case there was any confusion).

Also,

Sadly, there are people vitising Auschwitz, a really sad, sad place, who are acting far worse than Newt, totally innocent on this picture by comparision.

Why am I not surprised?

Because it's a place visited by millions, including by a whole lot of school classes. I know when I was in Terezin the first time I saw some school kids behave terrible.

The picture I found hilarious mostly because it is such so typical tourist picture in such a horrible setting, but I don't find it inappropriate. It's just couple with a interest in history visiting KZ-camp.  

Ugh, I remember reading news about some dude, who posted picture of him inside an Auschwitz crematorium on Facebook.

[ingemann]

There are photos of me at Gettysburg, and I have relatives that died in the Civil War.

A strange photo, I'll agree, but not inappropriate.  I'm happy he visited.

...

Are you seriously comparing a systematic, cold-blooded slaughter of millions of victims of the Nazi sick ideology with a Civil War battle?

Because my ancestors and relatives were direct, sometimes fatal, victims of the very same Nazi atrocities, I'm really offended by this post.

..and his relatives was fatal victims of the Civil War. Different war mean different things for different Peoples, Belgians was much more traumatised by WWI than WWII, for American WWII is a fond memory of the last clean war, while for Poles it was much more traumatising incident. Sometimes you just have to accept that something you see as the worst thing in the world doesn't mean the same for people who lived through it the same war in a different way.

[Pheurton Skeurto]

Come on guys, holocaust jokes are just GAStly...aha! jew did nazi that coming! Am I reich?

oh god i'm going to hell

[/Uncontrolled laughter+heartattack=death]

[ingemann]

For the record Morgan is officially my hero (actually, he's been that for about two years now but I thought I would just make it clear now in case there was any confusion).

Also,

Sadly, there are people vitising Auschwitz, a really sad, sad place, who are acting far worse than Newt, totally innocent on this picture by comparision.

Why am I not surprised?

Because it's a place visited by millions, including by a whole lot of school classes. I know when I was in Terezin the first time I saw some school kids behave terrible.

The picture I found hilarious mostly because it is such so typical tourist picture in such a horrible setting, but I don't find it inappropriate. It's just couple with a interest in history visiting KZ-camp.  

Ugh, I remember reading news about some dude, who posted picture of him inside an Auschwitz crematorium on Facebook.

I would find that inappropriate, but it really depend on the context ("the Holocaust was a terrible thing, here's a picture of the crematorium (with me in it)" versus "Look at me in the gas champer, isn't it cool").

[Link]

There are photos of me at Gettysburg, and I have relatives that died in the Civil War.

A strange photo, I'll agree, but not inappropriate.  I'm happy he visited.

...

Are you seriously comparing a systematic, cold-blooded slaughter of millions of victims of the Nazi sick ideology with a Civil War battle?

Because my ancestors and relatives were direct, sometimes fatal, victims of the very same Nazi atrocities, I'm really offended by this post.

..and his relatives was fatal victims of the Civil War.

I don't know if you've ever been to the United States but if you are still walking around feeling as passionately about the Civil War as Jews feel about the holocaust we would have a name for you...

[Link]

There are photos of me at Gettysburg, and I have relatives that died in the Civil War.

A strange photo, I'll agree, but not inappropriate.  I'm happy he visited.

...

Are you seriously comparing a systematic, cold-blooded slaughter of millions of victims of the Nazi sick ideology with a Civil War battle?

Because my ancestors and relatives were direct, sometimes fatal, victims of the very same Nazi atrocities, I'm really offended by this post.

..and his relatives was fatal victims of the Civil War.

being gassed to death in a concentration camp≠a volunteer soldier dying in a battle

There's a difference.  It's subtle.  But it is a difference.

[J. J.]

There are photos of me at Gettysburg, and I have relatives that died in the Civil War.

A strange photo, I'll agree, but not inappropriate.  I'm happy he visited.

...

Are you seriously comparing a systematic, cold-blooded slaughter of millions of victims of the Nazi sick ideology with a Civil War battle?

Because my ancestors and relatives were direct, sometimes fatal, victims of the very same Nazi atrocities, I'm really offended by this post.

I would say that both were horrific and that we should remember both.

[tpfkaw]

And you don't know that the soldiers in question were volunteers, either.

[J. J.]

There are photos of me at Gettysburg, and I have relatives that died in the Civil War.

A strange photo, I'll agree, but not inappropriate.  I'm happy he visited.

...

Are you seriously comparing a systematic, cold-blooded slaughter of millions of victims of the Nazi sick ideology with a Civil War battle?

Because my ancestors and relatives were direct, sometimes fatal, victims of the very same Nazi atrocities, I'm really offended by this post.

..and his relatives was fatal victims of the Civil War.

I don't know if you've ever been to the United States but if you are still walking around feeling as passionately about the Civil War as Jews feel about the holocaust we would have a name for you...

Well, considering that my ancestor was fighting against a variation of that flag, yes, I do feel passionate.  I think that the loss should be honored, in both cases. 

I take it you oppose slavery, Link?

[Mechaman]

There are photos of me at Gettysburg, and I have relatives that died in the Civil War.

A strange photo, I'll agree, but not inappropriate.  I'm happy he visited.

...

Are you seriously comparing a systematic, cold-blooded slaughter of millions of victims of the Nazi sick ideology with a Civil War battle?

Because my ancestors and relatives were direct, sometimes fatal, victims of the very same Nazi atrocities, I'm really offended by this post.

..and his relatives was fatal victims of the Civil War. Different war mean different things for different Peoples, Belgians was much more traumatised by WWI than WWII, for American WWII is a fond memory of the last clean war, while for Poles it was much more traumatising incident. Sometimes you just have to accept that something you see as the worst thing in the world doesn't mean the same for people who lived through it the same war in a different way.

So say I went to somewhere in the Irish countryside and had a picture of myself taken in front of a graveyard.  Could I then compare visiting the Emerald Isle similar to visiting a Holocaust death camp because "my relatives died in the Great Famine"?
You see it's more of a context of how direct of an impact it has on somebody.  Kal's family is probably a lot more affected by the events of Auschwitz and the Holocaust than JJ's family is being affected by some Civil War battle and my family was affected by a food shortage in a distant land over a century and a half ago!
Just saying.

Note: I'm not really outraged by JJ's comment but I had to comment on the emotional differences.  You know kind of like how a lot of Americans have more of an emotional connection to JFK's assassination than they do Abraham Lincoln's.
Maybe in about twenty or thirty years there would be less of a difference.

[Link]

This isn't political, it's a stupid place to take a photo like that, regardless of who it is.

By the way, which one of you actually visited Auschwitz site?

I have, because I actually had a couple of relatives that were killed there.

There are photos of me at Gettysburg, and I have relatives that died in the Civil War.

A strange photo, I'll agree, but not inappropriate.  I'm happy he visited.

Why does New Gingrich visiting Auschwitz with his mistress that is younger than his daughter make you happy?

That is a bizarre statement.

I am absolutely happy that any American politician wants to be familiar with the Holocaust, and would be willing to go to the site and see the scene of a horrific crime against humanity.  That his wife wanted to join him is fine.

I'm just surprised anyone would complain about it.

Oh Gwad.  Why does everything in this God forsaken country have to turn into some stupid over the top political statement?  There are tons of movies and pictures of concentration camps (the Germans loved documenting stuff).  If you are as old as Newt Gingrich and allegedly a history professor and you actually had some huge epiphany when you got to Auschwitz that gassing people is wrong then you need to have your head examined.    Some guy visited Auschwitz on a trip.  End of story.  Stop with all this over the top nonsense.  You've already said those Jews were the equivalent of volunteer soldiers who died on battlefield in the Civil War, which is absurd.

After reading your Cain remark and your remarks in this thread I just get the feeling that you feel compelled to say anything no matter how absurd to defend whatever right wing politician is being critiqued.

I am absolutely happy that any American politician wants to be familiar with the Holocaust, and would be willing to go to the site and see the scene of a horrific crime against humanity.  That his wife wanted to join him is fine.

I'm just surprised anyone would complain about it.

Mr. Strawman,

Please show me where anyone in this thread complained about Newt Gingrich going to Auschwitz.  The OP started a thread about an awkward picture.  He didn't say all Republicans should be banned from Auschwitz.  What are you smoking?

[Gustaf]

The difference should be pretty obvious...I met my grandmother a week ago. She would've died in the Holocaust had she not fled to Sweden. No one now living has met anyone who died in the Civil War. In fact, it's reasonable to assume that no one on here has even met anyone who in turn met anyone who died in the Civil War.

The emotional link is obviously a lot weaker.

And that's not even getting into how a battle, horrific as it may be, does not signify the same thing as a genocide.

[ingemann]

There are photos of me at Gettysburg, and I have relatives that died in the Civil War.

A strange photo, I'll agree, but not inappropriate.  I'm happy he visited.

...

Are you seriously comparing a systematic, cold-blooded slaughter of millions of victims of the Nazi sick ideology with a Civil War battle?

Because my ancestors and relatives were direct, sometimes fatal, victims of the very same Nazi atrocities, I'm really offended by this post.

..and his relatives was fatal victims of the Civil War.

being gassed to death in a concentration camp≠a volunteer soldier dying in a battle

There's a difference.  It's subtle.  But it is a difference.

Did his relatives die in the Holocaust? Because that's the major difference not at all subtle, I feel a lot more strongly about the German occupation of Denmark than the Holocaust, the Armenian Holocaust, the Trail of Tear or the Nanking Massacre, which was something which happened to other people, the occupation of Denmark on the other hand while much less unpleasant (very mildly put) is something my older relatives could tell me about, something from which I can find traces when walk around in the city, something much more personal for me.

[Link]

There are photos of me at Gettysburg, and I have relatives that died in the Civil War.

A strange photo, I'll agree, but not inappropriate.  I'm happy he visited.

...

Are you seriously comparing a systematic, cold-blooded slaughter of millions of victims of the Nazi sick ideology with a Civil War battle?

Because my ancestors and relatives were direct, sometimes fatal, victims of the very same Nazi atrocities, I'm really offended by this post.

..and his relatives was fatal victims of the Civil War.

being gassed to death in a concentration camp≠a volunteer soldier dying in a battle

There's a difference.  It's subtle.  But it is a difference.

Did his relatives die in the Holocaust? Because that's the major difference not at all subtle, I feel a lot more strongly about the German occupation of Denmark than the Holocaust, the Armenian Holocaust, the Trail of Tear or the Nanking Massacre, which was something which happened to other people, the occupation of Denmark on the other hand while much less unpleasant (very mildly put) is something my older relatives could tell me about, something from which I can find traces when walk around in the city, something much more personal for me.

You should try it sometime.

Just because something happened to you or one of your relatives doesn't mean its the worst thing in the world.  Frankly when I see things like the holocaust that happened to other people it evokes a much stronger feeling from me and I realize that things that have happened to me and my family comparatively aren't that bad.  You of course are free to draw you own conclusions.

[Link]

There are photos of me at Gettysburg, and I have relatives that died in the Civil War.

A strange photo, I'll agree, but not inappropriate.  I'm happy he visited.

...

Are you seriously comparing a systematic, cold-blooded slaughter of millions of victims of the Nazi sick ideology with a Civil War battle?

Because my ancestors and relatives were direct, sometimes fatal, victims of the very same Nazi atrocities, I'm really offended by this post.

..and his relatives was fatal victims of the Civil War.

I don't know if you've ever been to the United States but if you are still walking around feeling as passionately about the Civil War as Jews feel about the holocaust we would have a name for you...

Well, considering that my ancestor was fighting against a variation of that flag, yes, I do feel passionate.  I think that the loss should be honored, in both cases. 

I take it you oppose slavery, Link?

You're an odd egg dude.  I can honestly say I don't feel passionately one way or the other about slavery or the Civil War.  I like most sane busy Americans have other stuff on my mind at the moment.  You may still be wearing black and mourning for some relative you never met who volunteered to go to war over 140 years ago, but I think you are in a minority... thankfully.

[TheGlobalizer]

I certainly think that the Holocaust gets far too much attention, but there's some things you just don't do, and wearing your finest and cheesing the camera in front of one of world history's most horrific and systematic extermination centers is one of those things.

Just saying.

I would say the same thing about Ground Zero, at least while it was still rubble.  Being rebuilt, less so, because then it's about transcendance.

[Link]

There are photos of me at Gettysburg, and I have relatives that died in the Civil War.

A strange photo, I'll agree, but not inappropriate.  I'm happy he visited.

...

Are you seriously comparing a systematic, cold-blooded slaughter of millions of victims of the Nazi sick ideology with a Civil War battle?

Because my ancestors and relatives were direct, sometimes fatal, victims of the very same Nazi atrocities, I'm really offended by this post.

I would say that both were horrific and that we should remember both.

The sun is hot and my oven is hot.  If I stuck my head in either long enough I would die.  That's doesn't mean they are equal.

[ingemann]

There are photos of me at Gettysburg, and I have relatives that died in the Civil War.

A strange photo, I'll agree, but not inappropriate.  I'm happy he visited.

...

Are you seriously comparing a systematic, cold-blooded slaughter of millions of victims of the Nazi sick ideology with a Civil War battle?

Because my ancestors and relatives were direct, sometimes fatal, victims of the very same Nazi atrocities, I'm really offended by this post.

..and his relatives was fatal victims of the Civil War.

being gassed to death in a concentration camp≠a volunteer soldier dying in a battle

There's a difference.  It's subtle.  But it is a difference.

Did his relatives die in the Holocaust? Because that's the major difference not at all subtle, I feel a lot more strongly about the German occupation of Denmark than the Holocaust, the Armenian Holocaust, the Trail of Tear or the Nanking Massacre, which was something which happened to other people, the occupation of Denmark on the other hand while much less unpleasant (very mildly put) is something my older relatives could tell me about, something from which I can find traces when walk around in the city, something much more personal for me.

You should try it sometime.

Just because something happened to you or one of your relatives doesn't mean its the worst thing in the world.  Frankly when I see things like the holocaust that happened to other people it evokes a much stronger feeling from me and I realize that things that have happened to me and my family comparatively aren't that bad.  You of course are free to draw you own conclusions.

I have no trouble feeling empathy, I'm just not a holier than you type, I recognise people feel stronger for their own loss than for others loss even if the neighbour loss are more significant. In fact recognising that and not demanding of the others that they should grieve for our loss more than their own is usual what we call empathy. But I guess a pretentious hack, who compare anyone not looking at the world precisely as them to KKK, do need a dictionary to explain what empathy is.

[Link]

I certainly think that the Holocaust gets far too much attention, but there's some things you just don't do, and wearing your finest and cheesing the camera in front of one of world history's most horrific and systematic extermination centers is one of those things.

Just saying.

I would say the same thing about Ground Zero, at least while it was still rubble.  Being rebuilt, less so, because then it's about transcendance.

I agree.  I think in the mad dash to get Jewish votes and Jewish campaign contributions things have gone way over the top.  I mean Gingrich, an American of all things, calling the Palestinians a "made up people" just to pander to the pro Israel lobby is sickening.  But I don't think comparing Jews that were systematically exterminated to some relative J. J. discovered on genealogy.com last week and decided to mourn is appropriate.

[Link]

I feel a lot more strongly about the German occupation of Denmark than the Holocaust

I have no trouble feeling empathy

okay.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Link, for once in your life try not to be a Country Member.

---

Anyway, the picture is hilarious (for reasons pointed out by Gustaf very early in the thread, obviously). The thread is... bizarre. Very Atlas.