I’ve received a very odd/interesting reaction to that post about Harry Belafonte’s historical revisionism. Lots of readers — with no ill will whatsoever from what I can tell — have used this as an opportunity to inform me about one rumored half-jewish, quarter-jewish or vaguely Jewish Nazi. Heydrich was rumored to have some Jewish blood. The captain of the Bismarck was given a pass for some Jewishness because the German Navy needed him. Etc.

That’s all fine and interesting to a point, I suppose. But let’s be clear: Suggesting that a Christian German with a Jewish grandfather working in the Nazi bureacracy constitutes evidence of Jews working with Hitler is unacceptable and to a certain extent buys into Nazi logic. None of these alleged or real part-Jews, were openly Jewish in any way, if they had been, nothing could have saved them. Assigning culpability to their Jewishness even as they denied it is reprehensible. This is a form of Holocaust denial to say the Jews were responsible for the Holocaust (some moonbat neo-Nazi types claim Hitler’s alleged Jewish ancestry proves that the Holocaust was perpetrated by the Jews, which is only slightly more rational than putting your finger to your lips and making that b-b-b-b-b spitty sound). I know none of this was the intent of the people writing me, even the harder-edged types. But it kind of needs to be said.

Moreover, all of this gives Belafonte way too much credit. The guy was speaking out of the part of him that doesn’t sing calypso music. He’s an idiot. And shame on the press for not pointing out the nastier implications of what he’s saying.