# I want my half hour of life back after reading this SDMB thread. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 24, 2008, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-half-hour-of-life-back-after-reading-this-sdmb-thread/469281 "2008-10-24T00:45:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-half-hour-of-life-back-after-reading-this-sdmb-thread/469281/1 "2008-10-24T00:45:00Z")
But seriously…[this one.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=489196) I don’t understand why it’s still going, actually. Just from reading the topic title I thought “DFTT”. So the holocaust never happened? Who knew? Really, the OP of that topic is either a troll or batshit insane. I’m leaning more towards the former. Nothing anyone says will change his mind since he’s just here to get reactions (well, at least I think that, YMMV). I don’t reply at all in GD. It scares the hell out of me. But I read it pretty often. It’s topics like that, though, that I wish they’d close down when it’s apparent it’s just silliness.\* \*Actually some good discussion came out of it–so it wasn’t all bad–but at this time I’m thinking it’s time to stick a fork in it and say hi to the OP here. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-half-hour-of-life-back-after-reading-this-sdmb-thread/469281/2 "2008-10-24T00:49:00Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > So the holocaust never happened? Who knew? Well, although the less detailed reports frequently leave this out, the Holocaust actually took place on the Holodeck, so there is considerable debate as to whether it really occurred or not. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-half-hour-of-life-back-after-reading-this-sdmb-thread/469281/3 "2008-10-24T00:49:34Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > So the holocaust never happened? Who knew? The Jews, of course. Duh! ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-half-hour-of-life-back-after-reading-this-sdmb-thread/469281/4 "2008-10-24T00:49:54Z")
Yeah, he’s a piece of shit. Flush and forget. Aaah! Couldn’t say that in GD. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-half-hour-of-life-back-after-reading-this-sdmb-thread/469281/5 "2008-10-24T00:50:20Z")
Why did you read the whole thing? You’ve been here long enough that you should know by now how threads like that go. ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-half-hour-of-life-back-after-reading-this-sdmb-thread/469281/6 "2008-10-24T00:52:09Z")
Only a half hour? Apparently I’m a glutton for punishment, because I know I spent longer than that on the hope that it would get better. I usually enjoy reading stuff like that because I find it interesting to try and figure out how people like the OP of that thread think. So far though, my conclusion is that they don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-half-hour-of-life-back-after-reading-this-sdmb-thread/469281/7 "2008-10-24T00:52:16Z")
I don’t think it’s a troll, as such (other than the highly amusing user name), or someone who’s insane. There are simply people who believe this, and base their world view on a single conspiratorial lens, through which every thing that has ever happened can be viewed. For him, it’s that Jews are to blame for everything. For others, it’s that a race of alien lizards is secretly behind the world governments. For still others, the alien lizards are Jewish. This is what happens when you deprive people of a common mythological source for evil (eg the Devil), leave them to their own devices, and create the world wide web for them to nurture each other! ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-half-hour-of-life-back-after-reading-this-sdmb-thread/469281/8 "2008-10-24T00:52:26Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > Why did you read the whole thing? You’ve been here long enough that you should know by now how threads like that go. You’re right. I have only myself to blame. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-half-hour-of-life-back-after-reading-this-sdmb-thread/469281/9 "2008-10-24T00:53:15Z")
“DFTT”? Do Feed The Troll? Who’s missing something, you or me? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-half-hour-of-life-back-after-reading-this-sdmb-thread/469281/10 "2008-10-24T00:55:12Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > “DFTT”? Do Feed The Troll? Who’s missing something, you or me? 🙂 When I typed it, I was thinking “Don’t Feed The Troll”, but I now realize people don’t usually use a contraction with it. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-half-hour-of-life-back-after-reading-this-sdmb-thread/469281/11 "2008-10-24T01:00:55Z")
> [@Junior\_Spaceman](#): > > I don’t think it’s a troll, as such (other than the highly amusing user name), or someone who’s insane. There are simply people who believe this, and base their world view on a single conspiratorial lens, through which every thing that has ever happened can be viewed. For him, it’s that Jews are to blame for everything. For others, it’s that a race of alien lizards is secretly behind the world governments. For still others, the alien lizards are Jewish. > > This is what happens when you deprive people of a common mythological source for evil (eg the Devil), leave them to their own devices, and create the world wide web for them to nurture each other! I hear ya, I find myself checking out these kinds of threads with a sort of anthropological curiosity ---
**Author:** ![Jeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-half-hour-of-life-back-after-reading-this-sdmb-thread/469281/12 "2008-10-24T01:09:29Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Well, although the less detailed reports frequently leave this out, the Holocaust actually took place on the Holodeck, so there is considerable debate as to whether it really occurred or not. _snicker_ ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-half-hour-of-life-back-after-reading-this-sdmb-thread/469281/13 "2008-10-24T01:10:25Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > When I typed it, I was thinking “Don’t Feed The Troll”, but I now realize people don’t usually use a contraction with it. :smack: I was entertained by this. 😃 As for the rest, you got nuthin. As nutcases go, he’s certainly not the crunchiest. I’ve definitely seen way more far-out stuff on other message boards. Are you pitting the mods for not closing it, the OP for creating it or yourself for reading it? Please note that self-pits are not allowed. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-half-hour-of-life-back-after-reading-this-sdmb-thread/469281/14 "2008-10-24T01:16:57Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > The Jews, of course. Duh! That’s what the Masons want you to believe. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-half-hour-of-life-back-after-reading-this-sdmb-thread/469281/15 "2008-10-24T01:19:36Z")
> [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](#): > > I was entertained by this. 😃 > > As for the rest, you got nuthin. As nutcases go, he’s certainly not the crunchiest. I’ve definitely seen way more far-out stuff on other message boards. > > Are you pitting the mods for not closing it, the OP for creating it or yourself for reading it? Please note that self-pits are not allowed. 😛 Good question. While making it the thought in my mind was the first: Just the fact that it hadn’t been closed yet. But right before I hit submit I thought how some ignorance was fought in the thread and how it spawned off SOME interesting discussion (hence the footnote I added). But, really–at least in my opinion–the “okay, this is officially never going to go anywhere” point was reached in that thread by post 120 or so. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-half-hour-of-life-back-after-reading-this-sdmb-thread/469281/16 "2008-10-24T01:20:24Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Well, although the less detailed reports frequently leave this out, the Holocaust actually took place on the Holodeck, so there is considerable debate as to whether it really occurred or not. Goddamn those malfunctioning safety protocols. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-half-hour-of-life-back-after-reading-this-sdmb-thread/469281/17 "2008-10-24T01:23:13Z")
I’d like to take this opportunity to say- Germans, stop apologizing for the Holocaust! You were not personally involved! Seriously, every German I meet feels the need to apologize. ‘I was not even born yet’ is a plenty good excuse. Besides which, I’m of German descent. Instead of apologizing, get me some beef wurst and play some Mozart. ---
**Author:** ![Bag\_of\_Mostly\_Water](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bag_of_mostly_water/32/1029_2.png) [@Bag\_of\_Mostly\_Water](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bag_of_Mostly_Water)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-half-hour-of-life-back-after-reading-this-sdmb-thread/469281/18 "2008-10-24T01:30:10Z")
Allan Gurfinkle shows his true colors in posts 205 and 275. He only cares about the holocaust in that it was used by some to rationalize the establishment of Israel as a Jewish state. This lead me to think he was your typical pro-Palestinian plant. However, post 275 is particularly revealing when he says that slanders against the Nazis equals slanders against white Christian European society. I now think he believes the Palestinians are just as bad as the Jews but the Palestinians can be used (for now) to further his cause. He’s your typical white supremacist. Nothing is going to change is his mind. I hope he either never has children or, if he does, they rebel something awful. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-half-hour-of-life-back-after-reading-this-sdmb-thread/469281/19 "2008-10-24T01:41:59Z")
One standard reply to this sort of thing is that people may be reading the thread other than the people replying to it and the Monster Raving Loony who started it. Let’s face it, many people–_most_ people–are probably pretty ignorant about a great many things. They believe the Holocaust happened for the same reason they believe the War of 1812 happened, or that there’s a country called Nepal somewhere in Asia–they learned about it from a book back in high school. Now, along comes some guy who says the so-called War of 1812 is a big fat lie, or there’s not really any such place as “Nepal”, and he reels off all sorts of statistics and very practiced arguments allegedly debuking the nefarious Nepal Conspiracy. Well, how the hell are they supposed to know what’s true or not? So, we post facts and arguments (in between truly massive amounts of snark) because supposedly this place is or will soon be indexed by Google, and you never know who might wander in here–maybe even someone who has run across one of these guys and is thinking “Damn, that can’t be right, can it? I mean, old Mrs. Wormwood, my high school history teacher, said there was a war in 1812/country called Nepal/deliberate mass murder of the Jews by Nazi Germany during World War II. Old Mrs. Wormwood wouldn’t have lied to me, would she?” and so they Googled “Holocaust hoax” and out we popped as link #12,742. Also, hard-core deniers may be unlikely to see the error of their ways barring the discovery and succesful removal of a brain tumor; but I believe there have been cases of naive people who’ve been roped in and then later changed their minds (see [Jean-Claude Pressac](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Claude_Pressac)). Again, who knows who all could be reading that thread (or any other public argument on the subject); maybe someone who’s lurking and saying “Yeah, that’s right! Give those Holohoaxers what for! You tell 'em…Huh, I’d never heard _that_ before. That–that can’t be right, can it?” Not right away of course, but cumulatively, perhaps simply from having the same old lies shot down and the same old facts presented over and over again, with new presentations. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-half-hour-of-life-back-after-reading-this-sdmb-thread/469281/20 "2008-10-24T01:44:52Z")
> [@Ex\_Chemist](#): > > He’s your typical white supremacist. Nothing is going to change is his mind. I hope he either never has children or, if he does, they rebel something awful. Douchebag like that, I hope he never has _sex_. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-half-hour-of-life-back-after-reading-this-sdmb-thread/469281.md?page=2)