Ah, January 27, a date of solemn reflection and enduring lessons. Germany, to its immense credit, has claimed this day since 1996 as a moment to honor the victims of National Socialism. It’s the anniversary of Auschwitz’s liberation—arguably the worst place in history to be “liberated” from, which says all you need to know about the horrors endured there. The United Nations followed Germany’s lead in 2005, officially dubbing it International Holocaust Remembrance Day. And rightly so! Some things, dear friends, demand remembrance, lest humanity decides, “Well, that went poorly—let’s do it again, but with hashtags.”
Germany, of course, handles this day with all the gravity you’d expect from a country that’s done more public penance than a monk who misplaced the Holy Grail. They don’t just acknowledge their past; they’ve turned it into an ongoing national therapy session. Imagine a dinner party where someone spills wine on the rug and spends the rest of the night apologizing profusely while researching carpet cleaners. That’s Germany, forever tidying up the stain of history, and quite admirably so.
Enter Elon Musk, the human exclamation point in an otherwise punctuated world. You see, our dear Mr. Musk recently found himself in hot water—boiling water, really—over what appeared to be a Nazi-style salute. Yes, the man who wants to colonize Mars decided to flirt, ever so fleetingly, with that gesture. And like clockwork, the internet erupted. In Germany, where even the faintest whiff of such symbols sets off alarm bells louder than a Wagner opera, the reaction was swift and sharp. The collective outrage was less “mild disapproval” and more “absolutely-not-you-titanium-twit.”
Now, Musk’s defenders—bless them—claim he was merely excited. Excited! Is that what we’re calling it? You’d think the man just found out his Tesla stock skyrocketed, not, you know, veered into the most disastrous hand choreography in human history. One imagines these defenders saying, “Oh, it’s not what you think! He was just… animated!” Animated, perhaps. But maybe don’t take animation tips from the History Channel’s World at War.
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, wielding his nation’s hard-earned moral authority, weighed in. Freedom of speech, he reminded us, does not extend to “supporting extreme-right positions.” Translation: “We’ve been to this rodeo, and it ended with rubble. Kindly sit down, Elon.”
All of this unfolds against an unsettling backdrop. A recent survey found that one in nine young Germans hasn’t even heard of the Holocaust. Heard of it! A quarter couldn’t name a single concentration camp. Not Auschwitz, not Dachau, not even the ones featured in old war movies. It’s as if history has been slowly misplacing its car keys, and with it, our collective memory.
Now, I’m not here to be a gloom merchant, but this is dangerous territory. History has this nasty habit of circling back, like an unwanted dinner guest who still has your spare key. Forgetting these lessons isn’t just ignorance; it’s the prelude to catastrophe.
And so, here we are. Germany, steadfast as ever, observing International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day that refuses to let humanity’s worst mistakes slip quietly into obscurity. And then there’s Elon Musk, whose “moment of excitement” reminds us all why this day remains so crucial. Because, as history has shown, when people start throwing up dangerous gestures—or, heaven forbid, start defending them—it’s a sign we need those reminders more than ever.
So remember, dear friends, the past doesn’t disappear just because we’re tired of hearing about it. It lingers, it festers, and it waits for its cue to re-enter stage left. And when it does, trust me, it’s rarely in the mood for a comedy.
