'Never again' what?

I am challenged on this day, International Holocaust Rememberance Day, to explain exactly what the world promised when it swore "Never again!" in the wake of the realisation of the horrors of the Holocaust, ended only by the defeat of Germany at the conclusion of World War II.

"Never again" what?

What will we never do again?

It is abundantly clear to me we are only too happy to repeat the previously unforgiveable mistakes of the German citizens who had no affection for Hitler or the National Socialist German Workers' Party: Nazis.

I'm horrified that we have forgotten what so quickly.

The phrase "never again" is frequently diluted & its necessary power eroded by its appropriation for much less significant causes. Perhaps some may be worthy in their own right, but what event since the advent of social media doesn't pale in comparison to the sheer weight of human lives slaughtered by just one of history's many megolomaniacal ideologies?

Beyond extraordinarily ignorant, it's immensely offensive that the phrase might be used in the wake of a school shooting to advocate gun control, precisely the policy of the Nazi party.

In 1938, Hitler signed a new Gun Control Act.

The German Jews were ordered to surrender all their weapons, and the police had the records on all who had registered them. Even those who gave up their weapons voluntarily were turned over to the Gestapo.

This took place in the weeks before what became known as the "Night of the Broken Glass", or Kristallnacht, occurred in November 1938. That the Jews were disarmed before it, minimizing any risk of resistance, is the strongest evidence that the pogrom was planned in advance.

"Never again" what?

On the topic of dilution of meaning and erosion of important meanings, the radical left have appropriated the word "Nazi" to serve their own fascistic agendas. They accuse anyone who disagrees with their extremism as being "Nazis", and "literally Hitler", then justifying lawless acts of violence against their targets.

How can we remain ever vigilant against the kind of evil excesses and abuses of governmental authority Nazis personified when perfectly traditional, liberal views such as sensible immigration policies and national sovereignty are lumped into the same basket of deplorables as genocidal authoritarian regimes? All that unfortunately does is make Nazis seem normal instead of conservatives seem evil, and that is a great disservice to the vigilance required to ensure, "Never again."

Nipping fascism in the bud is the necessary defence against becoming the next nation to unwittingly comfort illiberal tyranny.