Arnie and Hitler

[DukeP]

Originally posted by KvHagedorn

Do Russians get a guilt trip heaped on them? NO.. to them Stalin is still a hero! Do the British get a guilt trip because they used and abused the rest of the world to enrich themselves, with many colonial wars in the process? No, they don't. So why are the Germans plagued with the onus of being somehow inherently evil?

I think theres several reasons, apart from the victorious writing the books.

1) Hitler damn near succeded. That he failed, was more due to his own megalomaniac ideas, than due to european intervention.

2) That the entire idea behind "Nationalsocialism" is very strong - its the good old bread and Circus all over again. The academics that decides whats good and whats bad, fears the reaction of the masses.

3) A lot of the same academics flirt (ed) with communism - and for a good reason. The idea of communism is just about as appealing as the idea of nationalsocialism - just to the academics instead of the lower to middle classes. To admit that they where wrong, is one thing - to admit the extend, is quit another.

Just my 5€.

~~DukeP~~

[mutz]

Excuse me, but IMO, intellectualizing and philosophizing over Hitler is just digging around in the bullshit-baffles-brains aspect and has little to do with the reality.

I lived in Munich for about eight years in the sixties, and knew and worked with quite a few "ex" Nazis and heard many, many versions of the "truth". I frankly hope they are all dead now. Cold-hearted, blood-soaked, greedy people.

Oratory aside, Hitler marched around with a big stick in one hand and bread in the other. Those who helped carry and swing his stick got the bread, those who didn't got the stick. The oratory was just a call on the impotent promising potence or dire consequences, veiled and unveilied. Those who became Nazis were types looking for a leg-up to power. When the Allies marched in, these same guys either went in hiding, split with their loot or came around grinning (unaccustomed facial expression) at the Allies looking for a leg-up with them.

Hitler was successful because he knew how and who to incite and who to put down, and how! That's all. Jew-hating is an old world tradition so that was an easy arrousal, still is. Dissatifaction and frustration are always there, just exploit them. If you meet resistance, beat it up or kill it. The illusion of master race, super man has always been around and still is. Hitler had no qualms exploiting that one or any other that worked.

Stalin, Mao, Djenghis Kahn, Pol Pot, Saddam Hussein and all the sort throughout history follow the same pattern, knew the same tricks. And there will always be another one or three. America is getting ripe for one too.

Ignore the bullshit and excuses and look at the reality. Reality is always the simplest.