Why?

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

Yeah I'm not certain I completely agree that Nazism was kinda integral to German character.

However his facts were certainly not roundly disputed.

Pete

Not the way I heard it. I had a German family living next door for many years. Hans' description of the 30s was rather enlightening. Nazism was certainly not a facet of their culture. Also had a good friend in Nuremburg, she really knew her history, sadly she was killed in a traffic accident.

[beej]

The rise of Nazism is a classic example of how a disspirited people can be mesmerized by a charismatic leader with a message that portrays his audience as superior. He simply seduced them. The Weimar Republic was doomed from the start and was ripe for the picking and there you have it. A bit simplistic perhaps but that's essentially what happened in my judgment.

[piece-itpete]

John, what we need is someone who's willing to commit their life to digitizing every book ever written. And do it

Rob, what really, really pissed off the Germans was his absolute belief that Nazism and being German were logical extensions. I don't blame them. In this case I'd say he pissed off the left but for a documented event, not cultural theories. If it's any consolation their left and ours are quite a bit different. Heck I bet their left then and now are quite a bit different.

beej my wife 'babysat' an elderly German lady many years ago who used to talk about life between the wars. She remembered being put in stocks with her mother for taking apples from a tree, because they were seriously hungry.

She also believed in Hitler and that it was all a pack of lies.

Pete

[beej]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

She also believed in Hitler and that it was all a pack of lies.

Pete

Pete, to this day there are holocaust deniers.

[piece-itpete]

Yeah. She had better reason than today's evil morons I guess.

Pete

[bobabode]

Too bad the old man isn't around for some eyewitness testimony for those of you who like to question Nazi extermination camps. He certainly agreed with published accounts after having been there for the liberation of at least one camp, Landsberg in Bavaria IIRC. The 10th AD/ 3rd Army was his outfit.

An old Nazi and Hitler supporter calling the death camps a pack of lies is typical Pete. She probably was rounded up and forced to stack and bury the victims and wished to remove the stench from her memory in any way that she could. Hardly a credible anecdotal source Pete.

[Boreas]

Just to be clear, Pete, are you saying that this "eyewitness" was credible?

John

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by beej

The rise of Nazism is a classic example of how a disspirited people can be mesmerized by a charismatic leader with a message that portrays his audience as superior. He simply seduced them. The Weimar Republic was doomed from the start and was ripe for the picking and there you have it. A bit simplistic perhaps but that's essentially what happened in my judgment.

Right. You appeal to their sense of "exceptionalism" with much flagwaiving and patriotic ballyhoo. Germans were told that they were the best at everything, second to none and that it was their destiny to remain on top forever. And, that anyone who dared to speak critically of the party or the nation was; "A bad German, one who does not truly love the Fatherland."

Any of this sound familiar?

For those of you whom I haven't already shared this, there is more to the quote in my signature. Words I will NEVER forget.

Tili Darak lived around the corner from us when I was a young man. Tili, besides being an amazing cook and all around wonderful person, was a Hungarian Jew and a holocaust survivor.

The full qoute goes like this;

"When they start up with waiving the flags and the marching bands and all the hoopla. When they try to shame you and tell you you don't love your country if you don't go along. THAT is when they are up to no good."

I do not like all of these uber-patriot, flagwaiving nincompoops we have running around this country yelling that anyone who doesn't agree with them "hates America" today. And that's just how it is.

Dave

[bobabode]

You don't believe in wearing your heart on your sleeve, do you Dave?

I always liked that crazy phucker Roosevelt - "Speak softly and carry a big stick!"

Now we have every cowardly, draft dodging, punkassed Repub beating on their fat little chests and screaming for war with Iran, endlessly....

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by BlueStreak

I do not like all of these uber-patriot, flagwaiving nincompoops we have running around this country yelling that anyone who doesn't agree with them "hates America" today.

Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.