Green MP stands by comments linking climate change threat to Holocaust
The Holocaust Centre’s called on Green MP Steve Abel to apologise, after he claimed potential deaths due to climate change will far exceed the Nazi’s war crimes.
Abel also said bosses of high-emitting companies and complicit politicians are a truer form of the concept of the ‘banality of evil’, which is based on Holocaust architect Adolf Eichmann.
But Abel says he was not diminishing the Holocaust, and was suggesting banal people’s actions can lead to disastrous consequences.
Abel was speaking to Parliament on the third reading of a Government bill that would prevent legal challenges against polluting companies.
In his speech, he referred to author Hannah Arendt’s concept of the ‘banality of evil’, based on Eichmann.
The precise meaning of the concept has been heavily debated by academics, but a common reading suggests evil things can be done by bland, bureaucratic people who don’t think critically, rather than natural villains.
“It strikes me that those corporate bosses today—and, frankly, complicit politicians—are a truer form of the banality of evil, because though they will never personally come so close, as Eichmann did, to transporting human souls to the gas chambers, collectively their actions are far more consequential,” Abel said during the debate.
“May I express, to complete the idea, that the concept of the banality of evil implies that there is a sort of blandness to an action that has a terrible consequence.”
“Right now, our whole planet is being, effectively, gassed. The consequence of that is not 6 million deaths but tens of millions and hundreds of millions of deaths.”
Six million Jews died in the Holocaust.
The Holocaust Centre chair Deborah Hart says the ‘banality of evil’ has been invoked in many political debates.
“Invoking that concept, together with the imagery of the gas chambers, both risks misrepresenting Arendt and diminishing the historical enormity of the Holocaust, and it does nothing to shine a light on what is essentially a policy disagreement.”
“The Holocaust has important lessons for society. They should be discussed and learnt. But comparisons between those responsible for the machinery of the Holocaust, and politicians and businesses involved in contemporary policy debates risks triviliaising the Holocuast.”
Hart said the comments were offensive, and Abel should apologise.
Speaking to Newstalk ZB, Abel said he stood by his comments.
“In no way did I diminish the horrors of the Holocaust. It’s a touchstone for how terribly wrong humanity can go when unthinking actions are taken by functionaries that can lead to a horrid death toll.”
“I’d say it’s an even more banal situation we’re in now, because people aren’t intending to harm future generations, but their actions will do exactly that.”
“The consequences of our inaction on climate change, at a political and corporate level, are untold human suffering.”
He also said his reference to the planet being “gassed” was a reference to greenhouse gases, not Nazi gas chambers.
Asked about the comments, Greens co-leader Chloe Swarbrick said Abel’s point on the banality of evil was a fair one.
“Plenty of legislators in this place, myself included, have pointed to the concept of banality of evil on issues such as abuse in state care.”
Asked twice whether the comments were acceptable, Swarbrick wouldn’t address the question directly.
“Steve made his points in the chamber. At the end of the day, what we are talking about here is the real, existential threat of climate change.”
“Steve will clarify. But the point he was making was one about the banality of evil.”
Abel confirmed he spoke with Hart on Tuesday, and said she didn’t ask for an apology.
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