[Vision2020] Hitler's Germany
Joe Huffman
JoeH@turbonet.com
Sun, 15 Jun 2003 09:27:46 -0700
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See also:
Hitler's Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust
by Daniel Jonah Goldhagen
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679772685/qid=1055693561/sr=2-1/
ref=sr_2_1/104-3226486-2192766
And a little bit on the other side of the story:
Plotting Hitler's Death: The Story of the German Resistance
by Joachim C. Fest, Bruce Little (Translator)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0805056483/qid=1055693645/
sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-3226486-2192766?v=glance
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0805056483/qid=1055693645
/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-3226486-2192766?v=glance&s=books> &s=books
I don't have a degree or even any formal study in the subject but it has
been a hobby of mine for a while. My impression is that while there
were some people that did take a part in actively resisting the policies
that were put in place and the control of the media made it very
difficult to resist and that with the right kind of peer pressure and
approval it became possible, acceptable, even praiseworthy to
exterminate the Jews and other 'subhumans'. The police squads that
followed up behind the German army as they went across central Europe
sent postcards home of themselves smiling, next to piles of bodies they
had killed. Some officers brought their families along and would
sometimes watch them as they 'worked'.
And don't think it couldn't happen here. There have been sociological
and psychological experiments that pretty conclusively show that a
person in authority can convince someone to inflict torture and fatal
injury to an human without much difficulty. And with something like 60+
million people killed by their own governments in the last century I
think the issue is pretty much settled that it happens way too easily.
The question is how to prevent it and how to stop it once it begins. So
far there are no universally accepted answers.
-joe-
----
<http://www.joehuffman.org/> http://www.joehuffman.org
<http://www.modernballistics.com/> http://www.modernballistics.com
<http://www.boomershoot.org/> http://www.boomershoot.org
<mailto:JoeH@joehuffman.org> mailto:JoeH@joehuffman.org
<mailto:phone@joehuffman.org> mailto:phone@joehuffman.org (Cell phone
text message 110 chars max)
-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-admin@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com]
On Behalf Of DonaldH675@aol.com
Sent: Sunday, June 15, 2003 8:44 AM
To: vision2020@moscow.com
Subject: [Vision2020] Hitler's Germany
Dear Tom and Visionaries,
I have what amounts to a second undergraduate major in German history
between 1919 and 1945 and Holocaust studies. I am certain that your
experience with German nationals was positive and that when/if you
discussed that time with them very few would have positive things to say
about Hitler or his regime. However, to accept their statements that
they were forced to follow the dictates of the 3rd Reich is an
oversimplification. Hitler was voted into office by the same people who
later disavowed any involvement or willing cooperation with his hateful
government. Hitler's policies, including his anti-Semitism, were well
known and endorsed by the German populace prior to 1932 (and yes, I know
the number of popular votes for fascist candidates was declining).
Nonetheless, without the tacit, if not enthusiastic support, of the
majority of German people it would have been impossible for the horrors
of the Holocaust and World War II to have taken place. That is not to
say that decent folks who spoke out were not imprisoned or killed --
they were often were. There is no doubt that fear of retaliation shaped
many responses to individual situations. But, the reality is that the
surviving generation of World War II Germans often retell their story in
a way that denies their contributions to Hitler's agenda. This denial
that is self-serving and not supported by factual analysis.
Sorry to sound so strident but the role of German people, and their
eager collaborators in Poland, France, the Ukraine, and especially the
Croatians, cannot be excused or forgotten.
Rose Huskey
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<DIV><SPAN class=3D281431116-15062003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>See=20
also:</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D281431116-15062003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D281431116-15062003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>Hitler's Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the =
Holocaust<BR>by=20
Daniel Jonah Goldhagen <BR></FONT></SPAN><SPAN =
class=3D281431116-15062003><FONT=20
face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679772685/qid=3D105569356=
1/sr=3D2-1/ref=3Dsr_2_1/104-3226486-2192766">http://www.amazon.com/exec/o=
bidos/ASIN/0679772685/qid=3D1055693561/sr=3D2-1/ref=3Dsr_2_1/104-3226486-=
2192766</A></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D281431116-15062003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>And a=20
little bit on the other side of the story:</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D281431116-15062003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D281431116-15062003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>Plotting Hitler's Death: The Story of the German =
Resistance<BR>by Joachim=20
C. Fest, Bruce Little (Translator) <BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0805056483/qid=3D10=
55693645/sr=3D1-1/ref=3Dsr_1_1/104-3226486-2192766?v=3Dglance&s=3Dboo=
ks">http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0805056483/qid=3D105569=
3645/sr=3D1-1/ref=3Dsr_1_1/104-3226486-2192766?v=3Dglance&s=3Dbooks</=
A></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D281431116-15062003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D281431116-15062003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D281431116-15062003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>I=20
don't have a degree or even any formal study in the subject but it has =
been a=20
hobby of mine for a while. My impression is that while there were =
some=20
people that did take a part in actively resisting the policies that were =
put in=20
place and the control of the media made it very difficult to resist and =
that=20
with the right kind of peer pressure and approval it became possible,=20
acceptable, even praiseworthy to exterminate the Jews and other=20
'subhumans'. The police squads that followed up behind the German =
army as=20
they went across central Europe sent postcards home of themselves =
smiling, next=20
to piles of bodies they had killed. Some officers brought their =
families=20
along and would sometimes watch them as they =
'worked'.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D281431116-15062003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><FONT face=3DArial><FONT color=3D#0000ff><SPAN=20
class=3D281431116-15062003>And don't think it couldn't happen =
here. There=20
have been sociological and psychological experiments that pretty =
conclusively=20
show that a person in authority can convince someone to inflict torture =
and=20
fatal injury to an human without much difficulty.</SPAN> <SPAN=20
class=3D281431116-15062003> And with something like 60+ million people =
killed by=20
their own governments in the last century I think the issue is pretty =
much=20
settled that it happens way too easily. The question is how to =
prevent it=20
and how to stop it once it begins. So far there are no universally =
accepted answers.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><FONT face=3DArial><FONT color=3D#0000ff><SPAN=20
class=3D281431116-15062003></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><FONT face=3DArial><FONT color=3D#0000ff><SPAN=20
class=3D281431116-15062003></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><FONT face=3DArial><FONT color=3D#0000ff><SPAN=20
class=3D281431116-15062003></SPAN></FONT></FONT>-joe-<BR>----<BR></FONT><=
A=20
href=3D"http://www.joehuffman.org/"><FONT=20
size=3D2>http://www.joehuffman.org</FONT></A><BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.modernballistics.com/"><FONT=20
size=3D2>http://www.modernballistics.com</FONT></A><BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.boomershoot.org/"><FONT=20
size=3D2>http://www.boomershoot.org</FONT></A><BR><A=20
href=3D"mailto:JoeH@joehuffman.org"><FONT=20
size=3D2>mailto:JoeH@joehuffman.org</FONT></A><BR><A=20
href=3D"mailto:phone@joehuffman.org"><FONT=20
size=3D2>mailto:phone@joehuffman.org</FONT></A><FONT size=3D2> (Cell =
phone text=20
message 110 chars max)<BR> </FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style=3D"MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader lang=3Den-us dir=3Dltr =
align=3Dleft><FONT=20
face=3DTahoma size=3D2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>=20
vision2020-admin@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com] <B>On =
Behalf=20
Of </B>DonaldH675@aol.com<BR><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, June 15, 2003 8:44=20
AM<BR><B>To:</B> vision2020@moscow.com<BR><B>Subject:</B> [Vision2020] =
Hitler's Germany<BR><BR></FONT></DIV><FONT =
face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT lang=3D0=20
face=3DArial size=3D2 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF">Dear Tom and =
Visionaries,<BR>I have what=20
amounts to a second undergraduate major in German history between 1919 =
and=20
1945 and Holocaust studies. I am certain that your experience =
with=20
German nationals was positive and that when/if you discussed that time =
with=20
them very few would have positive things to say about Hitler or his=20
regime. However, to accept their statements that they were =
forced to=20
follow the dictates of the 3rd Reich is an oversimplification. =
Hitler=20
was voted into office by the same people who later disavowed any =
involvement=20
or willing cooperation with his hateful government. Hitler's policies, =
including his anti-Semitism, were well known and endorsed by the =
German=20
populace prior to 1932 (and yes, I know the number of popular =
votes for=20
fascist candidates was declining). Nonetheless, without the =
tacit, if=20
not enthusiastic support, of the majority of German people it would =
have been=20
impossible for the horrors of the Holocaust and World War II to have =
taken=20
place. That is not to say that decent folks who spoke out were =
not=20
imprisoned or killed -- they were often were. There is no doubt =
that=20
fear of retaliation shaped many responses to individual =
situations. But,=20
the reality is that the surviving generation of World War II Germans =
often=20
retell their story in a way that denies their contributions to =
Hitler's=20
agenda. This denial that is self-serving and not supported by =
factual=20
analysis.<BR>Sorry to sound so strident but the role of German people, =
and=20
their eager collaborators in Poland, France, the Ukraine, and =
especially the=20
Croatians, cannot be excused or forgotten.<BR>Rose=20
Huskey<BR></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML>
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