On 27th January 2020, Martin Turski, an Auschwitz survivor, was invited to speak (among other Holocaust survivors) at the 75th ANNIVERSARY OF THE LIBERATION OF GERMAN NAZI CONCENTRATION AND EXTERMINATION CAMP AUSCHWITZ.

In his speech, Turski remembers an episode in which the Austriac President, Alexander Van Der Bellen, housed a gathering of the International Auschwitz Committee. In one of the conversations regarding how the genocide was even possible, and how hatred towards Jews got to such proportions that it made room for Auschwitz to happen, president Van Der Bellen said: “Auschwitz didn’t fall from the skies.”. The full event can be seen in the video above. For Turski’s speech jump at 1:08:52, but the entire broadcast is particularly interesting to watch.

Indeed, Auschwitz didn’t happen over night; there was a clear direction in which things were going for a while – and anyone could have paid attention and noticed the red flags and stop the killing machine. But nobody did.

Martin Turski, in his famous speech, says:
(Transcript from Martin Turski’s speech at the “Auschwitz 75 Years On” Event. This event was a commemoratory event marking the liberation of the Nazi Camp, with Australian leadership and government celebrating together with the Auschwitz survivors.  Broadcasted via www.aptndirect.com . Re-translated and adapted to English (U.S.) by Ligia Brubaker. The subtitles in English are decent but not the best.)

“Let’s imagine something: We find ourselves in the centre of Berlin. The “Bavarian neighbourhood” – that’s what the name of the district which we are in – is merely three short bus stops away from the Tiergarten park, the Zoo. There is a metro station there, and Fritz-Schloß Park. And one day, in the beginning of early 1930s, you notice a posted ad on the park benches: “Jews should not sit on these benches.” You tell yourself – “It’s unpleasant, it’s unfair, it’s not right, but after all, there are so many benches around, a Jew could sit somewhere else.” – Of course they could!

[The Bavarian Neighbourhood was a district inhabited mainly by the elite of the society, police intelligence, German of Jewish origin at the time (Albert Einstein used to live there, Nelly Sachs the Nobel prize winner lived there, the politician and industrialist Walther Rathenau who was also minister for foreign affairs).]

In that district there is a swimming pool and on its entry door you one day notice another post-it, saying: “Jews access denied.” You tell yourself: “Well, pleasant this is not, but there are so many places in Berlin where you could swim and take a bath, there are so many canals, it’s almost like Venice.“

At the same time, in other places, you start reading inscriptions like: “Jews should not be members of German singing associations.” “So what?” – you think – “If they want to sing, make music, let them meet somewhere else and do their singing.” All right.

What comes up next is more like an order rather than a “should” or “ought not”. The inscriptions turn into “must”-s: “Non Arian children (Jews) must not play with Arian children (German).” All right, they’ll play on their own.

And then you read: “We only sell bread and food to Jews after 5pm.” All right; less choice; this makes your life harder – but after all, you can still do your shopping after 5pm.

But this is where my warning comes in: I warn you, this progression of restrictions is getting the society used to a thought: the thought that someone may be excluded; this thought becomes unquestioned in the society and it becomes part of your daily life and your thinking process. The thought that someone can be stigmatized and that someone might be alienated becomes part of your normal daily life.

– And that’s how it’s done, step by step. Slowly, both the victims and the perpetrators, begin to think that the exclusion of a group is something normal. The witnesses, those whom in English we call “the bystanders”, they see this every day and become familiarized with this thought; they become familiar with the thought that the minority that produced Einstein, Nelly Sachs, Heinrich Heine, Mendelssohn, and other Nobel prize winners, that that minority is different, that it can be pushed beyond the margins of the society, because they are a different type of people, they are alien people, that they are the people that carry germs, that they are the people that cause pandemics.

And this is a horror that is dangerous and that can happen anywhere. This way of thinking, the idea that a group can be excluded from the society at any point, is where what can happen soon (*compulsory anti-COVID vaccination) has its origin.

And if you consider that climate of introducing this thought (the thought of group exclusion from the society), and if you consider at the same time the words of Mr. President (“Auschwitz didn’t fall from the sky.”) , and also consider that the political leaders who were trying to ascend to power during that time ran on a “sales” politics and met all the demands of the workers and fulfilled all the desires of the workers in order to get the votes (par example, nobody used to celebrate Labour Day, but the workers wanted an extra day off / year, so 1^st May was introduced as a special holiday day celebrating the workers), […] you realize that they knew how to play on the sense of dignity of the German people. “Germans, move up from the shame of the Versailles treaty. Have your pride back.”

That government of that time also noticed that people were engulfed by a lack of sensibility; people ceased to react to evil. And that was the moment when that government could speed up the process of evil. What came later was something that developed immediately: Jews couldn’t get jobs, they couldn’t emigrate – and in a very short while, Jews would be sent to ghettos to Kaunas, to Riga, to my ghetto, to Litzmannstadt, and other. Most people there were later sent to Kulmhof – Chelmno on the Ner – where they were murdered in trucks with exhaust gases. And the rest made it to Auschwitz, where in a modern and more mannered way, they were murdered with the cyclone-B gas, in modern gas chambers.

President Van Der Bellen is right: Auschwitz did not fall suddenly from the skies. It was making progress, every day just a little bit, one baby step at a time, until what happened, happened.”

Now, I’d like to invite you to take part in an imaginary exercise. After all, does it really make a difference that Auschwitz was a way to get writ of genetic defects rather than a laboratory produced virus? Or are we supposed to only not kill other humans merely for genetic defect, but any other health reason is fair game? Does a viral infection that spreads rapidly among require a less dramatic action than a genetic disease that cannot be transmitted to others except through birth?

2020 – 2022: We find ourselves in the centre of New York. The Fieldston, Bronx, is a privately owned affluent neighborhood in the Riverdale section of the north-western part of the New York City borough of the Bronx. It is bounded by Manhattan College Parkway to the south, Henry Hudson Parkway to the west, 250th Street to the north, and Broadway to the east.  

And one day, in the beginning of early 2020’s, you can read a poster on the Henry Hudson Park gates: “I care about others. I got vaccinated. How about you?” You tell yourself: “It’s unpleasant, it’s unfair, it’s not right, but after all, this is merely one of the parks surrounding the neighbourhood; a person who doesn’t want to get vaccinated could go get some fresh air somewhere else.” Of course they could!

In that district there is a swimming pool, The Alderbrook Pool, and next day the billboard that towers just above the entry has a new banner picturing a happy, smiling group of friends. The text reads: “We can all help friends make memories again. Get vaccinated.” – and on the entry door you see an inscription, saying: “For access, please present a vaccination certificate.” You tell yourself: “Well, pleasant this is not, but there are so many places in Fieldston where you could swim and exercise, and besides, most homes do own their own swimming pool in this neighbourhood. It’s not that bad, surely one could sacrifice for a few weeks their swimming routine for the greater good of the community.“

At the same time, in other places, you start reading inscriptions like: “Our theatre gates are opening again! For access, please present your vaccination certificate.” “So what?” you think, “If someone doesn’t have the vaccine and its boosters, they can watch the online broadcasts of the plays; they don’t need to see the plays in person. Safer for everyone else if they just stay home and save lives.”

What you then read in the newspapers sound more like an order rather than a “should” or “ought not”. The inscriptions have now turned into “must”-s: “To enter indoor venues, patrons must use the city’s new app, the state’s Excelsior app or a paper card to show proof of vaccination.” All right, they’ll eat on their own.

And then you read: “KEY TO NYC: Requiring COVID-19 vaccination for indoor entertainment, recreation, dining and fitness settings. Staff at these locations are also required to be vaccinated. You’ll need to show a photo ID that matches your vaccine record.” All right; less choice; this makes your life harder – but after all, you can still cook at home and ear at home with your family. You can even take a master class in cooking online, so in spite it becoming a “must”, you don’t have to use any service that requires vaccination if you don’t want to get vaccinated. You have other options; it’s just this one option that you are excluded from, it’s just entertainment and dining and fitness that it is forbidden for you and those like you.”

But this is where my warning comes in: I warn you, this progression of restrictions is getting the society used with a thought: the thought that someone may be excluded; this thought becomes unquestioned in the society and it becomes part of our daily life and thinking process. The thought that someone can be stigmatized and that someone can be alienated becomes part of our normal daily life.  

– And that’s how it’s done, step by step. Slowly, both the victims and the perpetrators, begin to think that the exclusion of a group is something normal. The witnesses, those whom in English we call “the bystanders”, they see this every day and become familiarized with this thought; they become familiar with the thought that the unvaccinated are a different type of people, that they are alien people, that they are the people that carry germs, that cause pandemics.

This way of thinking, the idea that a group can be excluded from the society at any point, is where the *what* that can happen soon (a new genocide) has its origin. And if you consider the fact that you are living in a society which had accepted this thought, and if you consider at the same time that the German genocid didn’t just fall from the sky, and is you also consider that the political leaders who are currently trying to ascend to power run on the mirage that they are giving people a voice (through movements like BLM, Moms Demand Action, Food Justice, Me Too, open borders, etc.), […] you realize that they know how to play on the kindness and sense of ethics of the American people who always want to help the less fortunate.
“American, this is a great opportunity to make reparations for that awful time in your history, when you were mean and oppressive to your slaves, you naughty gal. Move up from the shame of being a mean slave owner, and open your pockets. Be nice for once in your life and just let everyone in to enjoy the abundance; don’t discriminate against people any more, you evil b*t*h!”

The powers that are fighting to bring tyranny in America – have no doubts about it! – is indeed noticing people are engulfed by a lack of sensibility; people cease to react to evil – and they actually go one step further: they are informers; they L-O-V-E telling on their neighbors through the apps that allow them to inform the police when an unessential worker leaves the house. And thus, this is the opportune moment when these powers can speed up the process of evil.

Now, just to be clear: do not read “the tyrants” = “the Democrats”. No. Republicans are just as thirsty for power just as the Democrats. “The Tyrants” is formed by any soul who wishes to take away someone else’s choice.

So where to from here? All these already happened in America between 2020-2022. What could happen soon – and is very likely to – is that unvaccinated people might not be able to get jobs, travel at will, and then – how long till they will be sent to ghettos? How long till, in a modern and more mannered way than Auschwitz, they are going to become casualties of the policies – and why would it be too far-fetched to imagine even being eliminated? It’s not like it didn’t happen before…

President Van Der Bellen is right: Auschwitz did not fall suddenly from the skies. Likewise, the NEW AUSCHWITZ is not falling out of the skies. It is making progress, – now – here – today – every day, just a little bit, one baby step at a time, until what will happen, will happen.

The COVID virus is definitely a dangerous virus that we know veeeeery little about. What is far more dangerous, though, is that in today’s modern America, the thought that a group of people can be excluded from having access to public parks and vital services has been planted in America’s mind.

But don’t be confused: this attempt to convince – and in some parts of the world FORCE people to accept a vaccine – was never about a cure or even about the success of the attempt to force people. It was merely an exercise of linguistics, in which words that would have never entered our daily vocabulary otherwise – words like “essential worker” – were meant to prepare the groundwork for what is to come. No one is so naive that they would believe that everyone will get vaccinated. There’s no way anyone believes that. This was not about how many people allow themselves to be forced into accepting the vaccine, it was about being able to define groups of people based on labels. “Jews”, “Aryans”, “Vaccinated”, “Unvaccinated”, “restriction”, “limit”, “granted”, “forbidden”, “proof”. Who on Earth used these words in the free Western World in the 2020’s America?… – Well, we all use them now, don’t we?…

What happened during the pandemic and with the vaccination is WRONG. There is no other way to put it.

Next time when another group will be excluded and have their options taken away, everyone will have a prior reference: “You’re against the Family Reproductive Reform, and you don’t think the government should have a say in how many kids a family has? Who knows better how many resources we have and what amount of people this nation can feed, isn’t it the government who has all the data? Why would you even think that your own government would fight against their own country?
Well tough. I didn’t want a vaccine and I had to accept it so I wouldn’t lose my job. Yes, we do need to put a limit on the number of children a couple can have, because it is for the greater good of everyone that we manage our food resources wisely. You can’t *possibly* be that selfish and not realize that you and your 7 kids take away twice as many as my family!”

So before the fake news narrative spreads further false rumours about what the Russians are doing at the Ukrainian borders, and before we all “forget“ about COVID and the COVID mandates – and regardless if you have taken the vaccine or not – ask yourself the following two questions:

1. What stopped you from defending people’s right to choose? Because whatever stopped you now from speaking when other’s people rights to choose were being stripped away is exactly what will stop other people from speaking when your rights will be taken away. Do not assume for one second that if you say nothing when other’s people’s rights are taken away, someone will say something when your rights are taken away – and taken away they will be.

2. If you did get vaccinated, was it because you had a medical reason, or because you were afraid of the consequences of actually exercising your free will? Did you choose to take the vaccine out of medical reasons or out of fear? If you chose it out of fear, you are already a victim and a perpetrator of the tyranny to come.

Regardless if you are vaccinated or not, you should NEVER not defend the right to choose. The day you can enforce something on someone else, someone else can enforce something on you. This is a game that you will lose, because there are always bigger, older, wiser snakes in the grass than you. Even if you are a president. The second when you lose your rights as a person, titles and functions become null.

In the words of Jordan Peterson, “When you have something to say, silence is a lie.”