"Tell These Stories, As Difficult As They May Be" - Ken Burns On His Holocaust Documentary

[@shamus12]

Ken Burns is a living national treasure.

[@jimpalmer792]

"Ken Burns is a living national treasure" SECONDED !!! Just imagine if 'history' was taught in North American schools a la Ken Burns !

[@cynthianolder3557]

Love his docs! This one should be one of the more educational ones for us Americans

[@clumsydad7158]

made history pretty cool and 'real', that's a miracle in itself

[@dafrasier1]

He left out the part about Germany being CATHOLIC, or Italy being Catholics. Ken ; Overpopulation is NOT a solution.

[@steveaitch729]

a documentary about him would be interesting. maybe someone at PBS could be persuaded to consider financing the project.

[@susannjarvis5587]

Ken Burns is a wonderful storyteller. We need to hear all these stories. We need to own our mistakes as well as our triumphs. This documentary covers the historical record of the US response to the Holocaust. And that response was greatly underpinned and driven by the emotions, beliefs, and fears over immigration that still resonate today.

[@greatunborn]

I am a Filipino. While the Philippines was still a colony of the U.S., in 1933, the Filipino president, Manuel L. Quezon "welcomed over 1,200 Jews from Germany and Austria into an unlikely haven in the Pacific archipelago. With his Open Doors policy, even as most nations closed their doors to Jewish refugees, these Jews - who came to be known as 'Manilaners' - escaped Hitler’s growing menace and reached the Philippine capital. Were it not for interference by the United States government, however, there could have been thousands more rescued Jews... while [Quezon] had wanted to bring tens of thousands of Jews to the Philippines and permanently settle them on the island of Mindanao, his efforts were stymied by the US government, who limited him to accept 1,000 Jews a year." (Times of Israel) I am very proud of what my president did -- and wanted to do.

[@hunterrgntr]

What I gathered from the brief discussion was to get out there and simply tell the facts in every story. No matter how distasteful and uncomfortable it may be just tell the event(s) as they actually occurred.

[@dafrasier1]

Burns should do a Story on International Sex Offender. yes the Vatican, Holy See, Catholics. tell the horrendous story of Millions of Catholic Children Sexually abused by Clergy, by Catholics. the Largest Child Sex Abuse Ring in Human history, Would Colbert then say that Catholics are good?

[@bonniejosavland3227]

@@hunterrgntr well the Republicans of today & more recent (50 years) are especially against telling the real history of our minorities including the slaughter & pillage of our indigenous peoples & African Americans ( the real stories of slavery, acquiring, living, selling & their lives)!😳🥹🤬 Vote blue ppl bc now they are trying (& partially succeeding to control women & reverse their rights to their own bodies with the overturn of Roe

[@giyavictoria3747]

@@greatunborn thank you for sharing this. ❤

[@cynhanrahan4012]

Ken Burns was responsible for me divesting myself from my familial mythology of the Civil War and my southern ancestors. It really helped to know the truth, and apply it to real people's stories, and accept that my family was wrong, even the teenagers who were willingly conscripted. I need to see this Holocaust story.

[@unknowncitizen8192]

I have seen it twice. I just finished watching his documentary, about the US role in the holocaust; on my local PBS channel, for the second time this week. It is worth watching! 💯%

[@kathyrama4570]

Did you see his documentary on Jackie Robinson? What an incredible human being he was.

[@MissyGail4eva]

Absolutely...and his thoughtfully articulated take on musical storytelling in America with "Country Music" was breathtakingly comprehensive and resonant, a remarkable curation of our truly unique heritage.

[@SuzanneM_54]

@@unknowncitizen8192 There are 2 more parts, 6 hours in total.

[@miapdx503]

This is why teaching people the truth is so crucial. There are so many Americans who's whole existence, as they know it, is based on lies. And they cling to those lies, they repeat those lies. They do harm based on those lies.

[@gusgus8134]

Ken Burns is a history HERO! His docs should be shown in all schools.

[@waldolydecker8118]

MAGA will remove Ken Burns from schools because he tells the uncomfortable historical truth. MAGA don't subscribe to truth.

[@thunderousapplause]

Cant. Royalties.

[@gatorgirl5701]

I agree because his docs are factual, therefore can be fact checked.

[@mforcel]

@@thunderousapplause Can and is. Watched a series of his as part of class curriculum.

[@dianekosan994]

Absolutely!!

[@leighcarlson87]

“Tell the stories”. Amen! We must teach our children everything - the good, the bad and the ugly.

[@26beegee]

I’ve watched every doc Burns has ever made. They have shaped my historical view.

[@leemdynamo]

I think those films helped you shape your own views.

[@Tessmage_Tessera]

@@leemdynamo I think that's what the OP said. "They have shaped MY historical view." Are you confused?

[@hunterrgntr]

@@Tessmage_Tessera Kudos to you, kudos!

[@Mozart1220]

@@leemdynamo That's what the OP said. Do you have an issue with Burns?

[@googleisevil8958]

Must be one corrupted view then.

[@jamesclark6142]

Ken Burns is an American treasure!

[@yanapostolides601]

Ken Burns is a liar. You believe lies.

[@BluthBoy1]

Ken Burns and the people who work with him tell amazing, truthful and harrowing stories that shine a light on what was, what is and what could still be. We are more informed and better equipped for the power they provide us in knowing the frailties and majesty of the human experience. Thank you for telling and sharing these stories, as hard as they might be for the world to digest.

[@v66catta84]

This interview needed to go much longer. Excellent work by Ken Burns!

[@greenwitch9836]

The wonderful Ken Burns - I wish you had continued talking with him and finished that bottle. I love hearing him talk about his findings and Stephen asking some really great questions or giving great commentary of his own.

[@davidchrist1037]

We failed? We ended the war with the Russia efforts how does that qualify as A fail. Afghanistan was a fail, Korea was A stalemate, Iraq was a mistake, Vietnam was a total fail. Liberating the Death camps was a Nazi fail and their Downfall in any honor or national image Of a superior people. All because one Man had a grudge and paranoia.

[@michaelkahane2072]

The solution to your wish: Watch the documentary. I am the son of Holocaust Survivors and in watching the first episode I discovered history I was unaware of. It’s tough stuff but well worth it.

[@barcelonachair6487]

As a Canadian I learned this part of US history. I learned the good and bad of all world history even Canadian history. We delved deep in grades 11- 13 and then much deeper in University.

[@oldpossum57]

The St. Louis migrants, he internment and the dispossession of Canadians of Japanese descent, the Residential Schools, the Big Scoop…There is lots of evidence of unconscionable wrong doing in Canada.

[@barcelonachair6487]

@@oldpossum57 That is why I said "even Canadian history." We as students did not think for one moment we were free from atrocities in our own Country/world, I remember some of our lessons were posed as questions to make us understand our roles in events and proposing what we should have done differently. One of my history teachers (who was also the football coach) had travelled the world with his family every summer and used his photo slides to show us the world in our lessons. Like the pyramids, Great Wall, Isreal. We had taken field trips to Native reservations to understand the history from local tribe members. For World religion class we attended a service or worship of every world religion after we studied it. It saddens me how much education is being taken away from students now in the name of hate, power and ignorance.

[@rsmith02]

So did I in the US, as well as the internment camps which marred both our countries in WWII.

[@geminigirltwo]

I agree. Deny theirs and our history does not mean it did not exist. 🇨🇦

[@amyelizabeth529]

@@barcelonachair6487 Sounds like you had a wonderful history teacher who was successful in instructing his students on Allied actions/inactions, their biased ideologies, and the physical/emotional toll on the affected people. Well said.. 👏

[@LaurenWaringDouglas]

Ok, I know y'all have an extended version of this interview. You have to; this was too good. You could hear a pin drop in that audience. They were hanging on to his every word. Please post it as soon as you can!

[@N_Ides]

I love history and the way Ken Burns pays respect to it. The only way we improve is to learn from what has happened beforehand.

[@alwaysuseless]

Such a short conversation. But this is The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, not Fresh Air with Terri Gross. And both have their reasons for being. So, thanks for this. At least, now more people will look for the documentary, "The U.S. and the Holocaust," available on PBS.

[@barbarabaldwin7120]

too much time WASTED in the monologue!---This is Ken Burns,on the Holocaust!!!!

[@Ti5qu4ntum]

George Carlin was so right... "When you're born you get a free ticket to the freak show. When you're born in America you get a front row seat." 🙌🏼 Ken Burns is a National Treasure and must be protected at all costs.

[@yanapostolides601]

Ken Burns just said on CNN today March 7th 2023 "Jefferson saw no contradiction in slavery" This is a lie, of course, which leads me to believe he is a brainwashed political hack and liar that is EFFECTIVLY HELPING A RACE WAR AND DIVISION IN THIS COUNTRY.

[@mcm8737]

Anything KEN BURNS makes I am all in!!! There is no better documentary maker period, I learn so much and he makes things I wouldn't think would be of interest to me, interesting.👍🍀

[@johnweddel687]

Thank goodness for Ken Burns. He is able to tell us the "uncomfortable truth". I wish more people would watch this series (as hard as it is to watch at times) and learn the unvarnished history. Maaybe, just maybe "never again" would register with more people.

[@toluabisola]

It's so rare to see an American historian who doesn't shy away from uncomfortable truths and doesn't engage in make believe. This should be standard teaching in every US classroom, might help get rid of the nauseating exceptionalism that seems to plaque the country.

[@jimpalmer792]

"It's so rare to see an American historian who doesn't shy away from uncomfortable truths and doesn't engage in make believe." Yep. Donald Trump is the 'bizarro' Ken Burns.

[@rsmith02]

It's not actually rare if you read history books. Burns does a nice job synthesizing and adapting already well established history for TV.

[@l337pwnage]

all these America haters that refuse to leave, lol. Just like all the ones that were gonna leave after Trump got elected, but then they just stayed.

[@WoWhistorian]

@@l337pwnage Understanding and accepting your nation's mistakes and flaws is not "hating America." It's learning how to make it even better in the future.

[@l337pwnage]

@@WoWhistorian Well, we will Make America Great Again, but it will take time. Thank you for the encouragement.

[@JonBlondell]

You won't see anything about this on Any other talk show. Kudos to Stephen and staff.

[@loonylaura85]

Yes. From what I've seen (which is just clips on here because I'm in the UK), none of the other talk shows in America have properly serious people on like Stephen does.

[@nancywelsh2837]

@@loonylaura85 Seth Meyers does. Hoping Ken Burns is booked

[@lordbuddybear]

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah has plenty of similiar discussions, and they post longer interviews sometimes, too. This wasn't even getting 8 minutes, because it had to be aside another, longer interview with an actress

[@daniellesniewski8396]

"There is only one race, the human race." Well said!

[@TheZig726]

I watched the first episode and all I can think about was how history is repeating itself here in America right now.

[@ClayLoomis1958]

Yeah, but we removed our Hitler from office. These Q-Anon and hard right conservative people make a lot of noise, but they lose numbers all the time. The "left-wing cannibals and pedophile rings" nonsense is making even traditional conservatives shake their heads in wonder.

[@lillianrogers75]

That’s the same thought I had while watching the first episode. It’s a terrifying prospect.

[@marvinmartin4692]

It’s just heartbreaking to see all the brave men who served in ww2 being so dishonored by trump and his followers!

[@Maddiehere89]

I am afraid of the s as me thing happening here in US today. These MAGA ppl are not going to stop until it happens here. Trump is Hitler reincarnated!

[@prof.scheere6933]

Its disgusting. And they talk about religion and the constitution and such. Its so gross

[@amppma7302]

Ken Burns is a national treasure. his documentaries should be used to teach history in our schools.

[@yanapostolides601]

Nope he is a liar and a political hack.

[@amppma7302]

@@yanapostolides601 sounds like his work has made you feel guilty. instead of examining your legacy honestly, you are just falling back on the time honored tropes of denigration and denial. well done, keeping willful ignorance alive.

[@yanapostolides601]

@@amppma7302 Ken Burns said today on CNN "Jefferson saw no contradiction is slavery" This is an outright lie. I have the clip, and I've read Jefferson. Why would I feel guilty about telling the truth. You've typed a whole bunch of words but have no reason to them. What tropes? What denigration or denial? What "Willful ignorance" You've said nothing! You don't know who you are talking to. You assume you have the truth and everyone else is wrong.

[@yanapostolides601]

@@amppma7302 I will say the same words to you.... well done, keeping willful ignorance alive.

[@amppma7302]

@@yanapostolides601 just an educated guess here, but it sounds like A: you don't actually read what you write.. or B: English isn't your first language, hence the grammar/usage errors that make your comments difficult to understand. BTW, you are clearly in the minority here. as I said previously, this sounds personal.

[@Lonewolfmike]

Mr. Burns is holding a mirror up to our faces right now and we have to listen and make sure this NEVER EVER HAPPENS AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@johndoey9918]

@Lonewolf 1970 Re your "never happens again" comment: So true. It seems impossible to normal people, yet it is right before our eyes again today. If our voting citizenry does not pay enough attention to see that the face of facism now rising in this country, encouraged by the sociopathic former president and his enablers, is a parallel to the lead-up to WW2 which must be stopped at the ballot box and in the schools, it won't be because Ken Burns didn't sound the alarm while there was still time to save the country and rule of law.

[@captainofmysoul108]

You're right, that is why we need to make sure we stand up to the genocide that is currently happening to the Uyghur Muslim people in China. History is repeating itself right now!

[@dellishart9535]

What an amazing man, keep telling history to the masses 👍🏼👍🏼

[@kormanroger]

The truth hurts but it must be told

[@DETROIT1948]

Ken Burns, The Truth and Nothing But The Truth.

[@dr.buzzvonjellar8862]

Thanks again Ken Burns.

[@0920121908250727]

This will not go down well with our country’s racists and those trying to ban books and teaching of historical facts in our schools. Thank you Mr Burns for doing this work. We need to know the truth.

[@charlesdavis1080]

I grew up in a small town in CT in the 1960's. I remember an old couple who lived alone at the end of a street. My relatives called them " DPs". The way said that phrase was like they were using the "N" word. I later learned that DP stood for Displaced Person. They were refugees from WWII, maybe even Holocaust survivors.

[@nancywelsh2837]

My social science prof had a multi-digit number tattooed a few inches below his elbow. That arm was paralyzed. Wish he told his story.

[@marvinmartin4692]

On the day of my father’s funeral, I found out he served in Europe during ww2, and that he had been part of the liberation of 2 camps. I was told he came back a different man. I had no idea why he didn’t want me to join the army out of high school. Now I know!

[@prof.scheere6933]

He should have told u himself. Not telling someone something doesnt help them. Happened to me my whole life. You need to tell people why to avoid things and why those things effected you so otherwise people will go figure it out for themselves

[@libbyworkman3459]

@ Marvin Martin. Your father probably couldn’t talk about it without breaking down and crying. Men don’t like to cry, especially in front of their children. I was seven years old when America entered that war. And I was still in grammar school when American troops liberated the death camps. The photos I saw in the newspaper were horrifying to this day. I stopped praying for many years because I thought, these were God’s chosen people, I know they prayed for God to save them. Why should I think God would answer my prayers if he didn’t answer his chosen people’s prayers?

[@jorgecaraballo8499]

My dad served in the army in the 1960s. He didn't want me to join.

[@dsantamaria713]

Burns can relay History with honesty, and dignity, even when it's so difficult to hear and see... His commitment to every detail is outstanding, and will never insult the truth with a fabricated lie, or cover-up... He invites us to learn, and accept the truth, no matter how difficult, and I have been appreciating his work and the Man he is for a very long time now.. Thank you, and ALL those involved in making these Historical brilliant documentaries... They are truly a Gift to us all! ♥️♥️♥️

[@richardsedding8444]

So glad the Late Show is back, thank you Stephen Colbert and team for posting these videos each day!

[@dafrasier1]

Colbert's support of Catholic Child Sex Abuse is NOT a good thing. Cover UP.

[@francespetryshyn439]

Oh I love this man!! So much!!

[@blueberrybop]

As a European it has always irked me how the US has promoted themselves as the heroes of WWII, as if the rest of Europe hadn't been fighting their asses off before the US stepped in to help out... It's refreshing to hear that someone has taken a deeper look into the truth about the US involvement. I hope I can find this documentary somewhere, because I'd love to watch it!

[@cal2780]

You can purchase it from PBS, public broadcasting station. "Signals" is their catalog. Check it out. Ken's other documentaries are available there

[@Synathidy]

There are two things that the USA, my nation, has in spades: 1. Stupidity 2. Narcissism We make it very clear to the rest of the world that we are NUMBER ONE in these areas. 'Merica.

[@julieehrlich9925]

I protested the Vietnam War in the sixties. When I watched Ken Burns documentary, I cried every night.

[@kellig.6819]

I adore all Ken Burns documentary! Mr Burns is a genius director. ❤ Looking forward to this new one. ty Mr Burns

[@AkDragoon]

Ken Burns is such a good documentarian that he made Baseball interesting to me...

[@chezmoi42]

That takes a special talent. I remember that Roger Angell's New Yorker baseball articles drew me in, me who couldn't sit through a game. (Sadly, I see we have lost him this year, at the grand age of 101.)

[@jimsykes6843]

The struggle is real. I watched an interview with him on KZbin on some mainstream TV show, and half the KZbin commentators were openly fascist, while the others were accusing him of discounting the "fact" that "Americans were heroes in WWII" and "saved the world from Nazism". It's terrifying people are so openly racist and misinformed. I applaud Ken Burns for doing this important work.

[@katl6426]

It's so frustrating how Americans continue to believe they single-handedly won WW 2. If Japan hadn't attacked them they'd have continued to let their supposed allies fight on their own, just as they had for several years against Hitler.

[@Trund27]

One of my celebrity crushes. Always love his work.

[@paulaswanson13]

Thank you Stephen for interviewing this amazing man. I’m a long time fan of his documentaries.

[@VeNoMsEpItApH]

Thanks Ken for shining light on this unspoken history.

[@phyllisstrider2998]

You should do a whole show with Ken Birns!! The man is a history book. He tells a great story.

[@WildwoodClaire1]

"The U.S. and the Holocaust" is Burns' finest documentary.

[@AmberAmber]

Agreed. Just watched it ‐ brilliant & bittersweet. *edit‐clarity* his talents made something abominable & horrific much more well‐known, & thats the bittersweet bit... The lies revealed by Mr. Burns' talents & adherence to the most unpleasant yet necessary facts.

[@tlgoody]

Ken Burns has done many great documentaries but this one may be one of the most important. There are important lessons in this one. It can happen here. It already has more than once and history is rhyming now.

[@johnfarr2738]

Absolute love Ken Burns! He’s never been afraid to always tell the truth

[@johnfarr2738]

Not just “Our Side”

[@vc27r]

Wow, Ken looks great! Hopefully he has many more years and docs in his future!

[@Rockingruvin]

Ken Burns is a national treasure.

[@SpiffEatWorld]

Slight correction: Ken Burns is an international treasure.

[@annm4833]

I finished watching this series last night on PBS and as usual I learned things I'd never heard before. I've learned from every one of his documentaries and I'd love to hear much more of his personal take on these. They're fascinating and Ken Burns is like a walking history book.

[@katford7286]

I always felt that my education in American and world history was pretty solid. But after watching this documentary, I realized that what I had learned about America's role in the Jewish plight didn't even scratch the surface. It's so important that our history is taught accurately and comprehensively in our schools so as to learn these hard lessons and avoid them in the future.

[@kiwibob223]

No no , can't make children uncomfortable. /S

[@tinaperez7393]

There's so much history that isn't taught. That and civics. I've read a lot about the industrial age and the labor movement and white collar crime. And the history of the labor movement and how the laws came to be that offer labor protections and safe food, beverage, medicines, cosmetics, personal products, and sanitation, etc. The history of agricultural policy, etc. It's so obvious when people talk about anything related to these topics these days how little of the history of these topics they know. Otherwise their views would be very different and informed, and not easily manipulated.

[@tinaperez7393]

I hope Ken does a comprehensive documentary on the native American history and the U.S. next. Unless he's already done that (I'm not aware of ALL his docs although I've seen many - I better check Wikipedia!).

[@ansuajo]

You do know that the U.S. school education is a global joke and a paragon of a white supremacist propaganda system?

[@suvivares]

I do not understand why he has not received an Academy Award yet!!!! A shame!!

[@annedwyer797]

I kind of feel as though Ken Burns is in his own category of documentarians! Also, since PBS is THE only outlet for his documentaries; that makes them not qualified for nomination: (Wikipedia) "The Best Documentary Feature award requires either week-long releases in both Los Angeles County and New York City[a] during the previous calendar year, or a qualifying award at a competitive film festival from the Documentary Feature Qualifying Festival list (regardless of any public exhibition or distribution), or submission in the International Feature Film category as its country's official selection. The qualifying theatrical runs must meet the same requirements as those for non-documentary films regarding numbers and times of screenings. Additionally, a film must have been reviewed by a critic from The New York Times, Time Out New York, the Los Angeles Times, or LA Weekly."

[@williameisenberg1999]

Thanks for people like Ken Burns … Telling the Truth about America’s dark past .

[@jstone247]

I'm not American but I have always enjoyed Ken Burns historical documentaries. In 1980/1990s I think he produced a series on Native America history called, 500 Nations. Very well researched and presented. Also, does that guy ever age?

[@eldorados_lost_searcher]

He does. I noticed that he looks a little less fresh-faced in this, compared to his previous appearances.

[@chezmoi42]

@@eldorados_lost_searcher Coming up on seventy, it's allowed. I think it's the hair style that gives that impression of youth - those cute bangs.

[@eldorados_lost_searcher]

@@chezmoi42 I didn't mean it in a negative way, just an observation.

[@chezmoi42]

@@eldorados_lost_searcher I know, Garret, same here. I'm a fresh-faced lady who just turned 80. Sort of feels like the new 70.

[@le2800]

​@@chezmoi42 Cute!!! My mom's the same! A fresh faced woman closing in on 80s looking like late 60s!!!

[@tr7b410]

His work imparts much wisdom to our data base of truth.As Plato said;We must never honor men,only TRUTH.

[@ericminch]

Which is undoubtedly why TFG, in his wisdom and his unerring reverence for Plato, has named his social media platform TRVTH SOZIAL.

[@velikovskysghost]

I've been watching the "The U.S, and the Holocaust," which is excellent and one that I highly recommend. To deny it is ludicrous to be sure and Ken Burns brings light to what we didn't know about our great nation.

[@BeerStein33]

Most Trusted Man in America. ⏳📚🤔💭📈

[@nightengale7163]

Ken Burns is a phenomenal talent. The message in this documentary needs to be heard by every American. There needs to be more availability of the documentary. The availability on PBS is too limited.

[@robvangessel3766]

We're supposed to learn from history in order to evolve - as an ethical people, as civilization. Let's start learning; in spite of the corrosive effect of media disinformation.

[@clumsydad7158]

problem is human life is short, and each new gen has to bother to learn

[@robvangessel3766]

@@clumsydad7158 Ideally, that's what the history pages are for - if people just looked at them more

[@KohalaLover]

Ken Burns makes well thought out documentaries. Class act.

[@robinconner9450]

Ken Burns documentaries should come a workbook and be taught in EVERY history class.

[@susankovacs8678]

Thank you Ken Burns!

[@erinnstreeter]

While this interview wasn't nearly long enough, I'm very glad the show brought Mr. Burns on to share the news about this new film.

[@Greenfuego]

I watched the first episode earlier today. Damn! The things they don’t teach in school.

[@lindakluth5611]

I learned it in school. We watched it black and white films in the seventies. Plus history books.

[@vrt6545]

Hey Linda: you and I might be from about the same vintage -- the ritual in my high school (in Tex-izz, no less) was to run Alain Resnais's "Night and Fog" ([for jrs. and srs., or just the srs? [it's been awhile]). Nobody said much for the first half-hour afterwards

[@ansuajo]

American schooling is a white supremacists propaganda....hello?!

[@bakersdirtydozen]

Ken Burns needs to make an in-depth slavery documentary.

[@peggypolo3643]

A national treasure!

[@kittywalker2944]

This program is Vitally important to watch. I have learned so much in the first episode alone. (Didn’t know I’d been living in ignorance.) It is helpful to see where we have been and where we are headed. It’s also interesting to see the parallels between 45 and Hitler. If nothing else, this show is a warning. But it is much more.

[@cheftekniqakabuletteborn8127]

ken burns is an amazing historian

[@tommyt1971]

Watched part 1, just got thru about half of part 2 and it gets more fascinating each minute. This guy simply can NOT make a weak documentary. I might even put the Handmaid’s Tale and House/Dragon on hold to finish this thing - it’s monumental.

[@alexaales7937]

I am always happy to see Ken Burns even tho he always has something depressing to say. I really want to watch ALL his documentaries before i die (maybe not the baseball one, as a i am German and don't care for it) but over here they are hard to come by. I am very interested in this latest doc, can't wait to see it. we learned early on in school about the atrocities that my country committed against humanity but we also learned that other countries did not seem to be eager to help these poor people turning them away at the border and so on. Antisemitism never was and never will be something that only happened in Germany. nevertheless i'd like to thank the american people for helping liberate my country at great cost so that i was able to grow up in a democracy! Thank you for your sacrifice!

[@elisemiller13]

okay Alexa Ales, deflecting much?

[@chezmoi42]

@@elisemiller13 From what? Germany has worked very hard to overcome the horrible heritage of WWII. America seems hell bent on reviving the worst of our heritage - and theirs.

[@kkpenney444]

I appreciate your sentiment, Alexa. It's difficult for Americans to unwind our mythologies and we should look to Germany more to learn how. Don't listen to lahla13- sounds like they're deflecting. Also, you may change your mind on baseball if you catch the doc- one of my favorites of Burns'.

[@chezmoi42]

Wouldn't it be wonderful if Arte picked it up? Sounds like we could all use a little historical reminder of what the rise of the far right can lead to; it's far too prevalent in Europe nowadays, as well as the US.

[@fetmar]

I would have loved a longer interview. It would be amazing if Mr Colbert were to do a longer format interview show one day a week.

[@joeanon5788]

I'm a real American because.... I came across the Siberian land bridge.......I came over on the Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria......I was a Pilgrim and landed on Plymouth Rock.......I was living in Africa when I was involuntarily enslaved and brought here .........I was one of many people from Europe who could afford passage.....I was a criminal sent to Georgia from Europe.......I payed for passage from China to California, and worked on the railroad........I was from Ireland and Europe and came here due to the great famine......I came here after the Great War to end all wars.....I came after WW2.......I smuggled myself out of Communist Russia.......I was on a helicopter out of Viet Nam.....>..>...>.....we are all immigrants.

[@r000ty]

Having the other side see their perceived enemies as child murdering demons is the dehumanisation process needed for them to justify extreme violence. This is not going to end well, greetings from Germany.

[@chezmoi42]

What point, exactly, did you want to make? You do not specify which you consider the 'other side'. If you understand anything about American politics, you'd know that it's the far right who actually does call the left 'child murdering demons', and they are the ones who are actually threatening, and committing, extreme violence. Sound familiar? It will not end well if we allow it to continue. This reminder of the consequences of such behavior is a timely warning.

[@kiwibob223]

That makes no sense.

[@tinaperez7393]

@@kiwibob223 yes it does. The trick is to dehumanize the other side to the point where you can convince a whole bunch of their enemies that extreme violence against those inhuman "others" is justified and voila, you've got wars of extermination and genocide all over again. And they don't even have to be huge, obvious, or overt - just little and subtle and out of sight - like extreme sentencing of blacks for now nonviolent crimes in the U.S. and outsourcing their labor for free to companies (paint being a huge beneficiary) and even making prisons private - inviting a profit motive into the justice system. And in the past, the forced boarding schools of native American children "educating" their language and culture out of them, an attempt to eradicate their culture.

[@le2800]

I prided myself on being somewhat of a history buff, but I have to admit that even I wasn't aware of our true contributions to the war. I had also bought into us being the heroes of the story. I will definitely have to check out this documentary. Thank you, Ken Burns and thank you Stephen Colbert.

[@Djynni]

Thank you Stephen for having one of our greatest storytellers on your show.

[@PvtEd]

Wonderful documentaries. No Doubt. How we choose to apply that information is what we are ultimately faced with.

[@joanndavis1450]

Amen Ken. Thank you for sharing all the stories. You are a treasure. XO

[@mspocahontas46]

Thank God for Ken Burns!!

[@gafls3151]

Bless Ken Burns ♥️

[@MosmMAli]

Ken Burns s Mohammed Ali doc was a classic

[@pnwmeditations]

I respect the hell out of Colbert for being able to hold space for such serious conversations on late night TV.

[@user-dg9pu4pe9d]

Too bad this interview was not longer.

[@marvinmartin4692]

The thing is, the people who really need to see his documentaries never will be willing.

[@clumsydad7158]

such is life

[@kindabluejazz]

There will be a few that peek, and might be somewhat changed, and might at least show a scowl when they see their neighbors do something abhorrent. There are a few commenters here that say Ken's previous works changed them. But what's most important is children learning the truth and not becoming ignorant clones of their lost parents.

[@inthevault9603]

Thank you Ken Burns for being who you are and sharing it with us along with all your co-researchers and historians.

[@BennilocoLoves]

Ken Burns is one of my heroes! 🫶

[@pauline1279]

Wish the interview was longer.

[@ShantakumarV]

Sometimes we should mention that the writer of many of KenBurns films( the civil war/the history of baseball/jazz) is a self effacing and master historian called Geoffrey Ward.

[@channelthree9424]

I never had much interest in the Civil War until I watched Ken Burns’ documentary on it. His documentary on Jazz inspired me to by a saxophone for my 40th birthday. I’ve never finished watching his Baseball documentary but it is definitely educational and informational. For me to enjoy watching anything about baseball is a miracle since I do not like baseball.

[@coyoteclockworkstudios3140]

I highly recommend "Prosecuting Evil" as a complimentary documentary. It talks about the US's unprecedented stance at the Nuremberg Trails, and in a way, how far we've fallen from that nobility. The US has refused to sign anti-war crime pacts, because "we're not doing war crimes." And every other country has said "But you are, though."

[@jorgerodriguez3392]

About time someone tells it like it is

[@jb5880]

A gem.

[@TheFriendlyTroll]

That interview needed to be a lot longer.

[@bethb.6813]

Change your format, Stephen. I'm glad you shared this news of Ken Burns new documentary on the Holocaust with us at all, but that was about all. No wonder your guest was so nervous. This interview was no more than a skid mark.

[@Aww-Geez]

Glad there is someone able to teach what schools can’t and what kids lose interest in to get interested.

[@KennethStone]

Yep. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

[@ninagage2311]

I love Ken Burns ❤️

[@michaelkerr9942]

Brilliant

[@m.hernandez1404]

Sometimes the truth is hard. That doesn't make it any less real.

[@acme.videos]

Ken Burns' Holocaust documentary is a masterpiece and should be shown in every school.

[@jerryguzman1921]

He should get the Nobel peace prize. By the way ... Peter Coyote is a great narrator.

[@rhiannonrede]

Ken Burns is my fav film maker. I know that I am always in for a delicious ride. Can't get enough.

[@KWd-ir9jc]

I saw the holocaust documentary and as an African American, I thought we had it terrible but the horror seen in that docunentary was beyond belief. Everyone must see that docu because we are about to relive it again.

[@myrrhbear]

You know, KW000d9, speaking as someone who is Jewish, and who a huge part of my family was murdered in my grandparents generation, whose mom grew up with parents who lived through these insane horrors, all of which is of course very near to home for me and so had a massive impact on my life, not to mention the crazy racism I've experienced first hand many times in my life, it means a lot for me to see what you wrote. I appreciate that. It seems to me that people who have been on the receiving end of hatred and degradation, and dehumanisation, should a) understand each others suffering and be supportive and compassionate towards each other, and should want justice and care for each other, but also b) should learn to recognise the core elements of what led people to treat others these ways (i.e. seeing people who are different in any way as "the other" or as less human, or as not deserving of the same justice, compassion, and human regard as everyone else, and the cruelty that follows), and we should note clearly when people start slipping towards those attitudes, and should speak up and say something. However, I think we should do this from a core of identifying harmful behaviours, but *loving and believing in our fellow human being* - i.e. not hating those who have wronged us, and then propagating more hatred towards those people, but instead trying to build towards a world where nobody hates anyone else - a world where people are doing better at caring about each other, all of us, and realising that we all share this one little world and one story that we each took part in together.

[@gatorgirl5701]

Ken Burns is a National Treasure!