The Worst of the Madness Once,
Once in an attempt to explain the history of his country to outsiders, the Polish poet Czes?aw Mi?osz described the impact of war, occupation, and the Holocaust on ordinary morality. Mass violence, he explained, could shatter a man’s sense of natural justice. In normal times, had he stumbled upon a corpse on the street, he would have called the police. A crowd would have gathered, and much talk and comment would have ensued. Now he knows he must avoid the dark body lying in the gutter, and refrain from asking unnecessary questions….
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2010/nov/11/worst-madness/?pagination=false&printpage=true
