Apparently biographies of the Austrian painter as well as stories and history books of the 30’s and Nazism still are made and sold in pretty large quantities.
The question everyone still is asking is; “how could it happen?” For some reason the answer to that question still eludes a large portion of historians and political commentators. It might be that these people has been sniffing furniture polish, and to a certain extent that is probably true. Others ignore the facts, and yet others try to invent their own description to hide certain aspects of National Socialist ideas.
And yet anyone with the perception and knowledge surpassing that of a Lemur can with very few sentences tell you all you need to know.
People are as individuals smart, as a group however they are highly stupid. Bunch together people in groups, throw some platitudes over them, give them “free stuff” and create a common enemy and people will do pretty much everything you tell them. We’ve seen this so many times that when people still get surprised, it is a much stranger mystery than the rise and fall of National Socialism. And we’re still seeing the same today, even in the so called democratic states.
Another so called mystery that baffles historians is how many of the people behind the schemes seem pretty nice. They were family fathers, well educated and cultivated so how could they start a world war and the holocaust?
Again the answer is as easy as the question.
The ones arguing for and eventually implement collectivistic ideas have for the most time been pretty run-of-the-mill individuals. I remember when I sat at a government body of a middle sized Swedish city and realized that the ones I cared for, hang out with and had most in common with on a personal basis was the communists and socialist, and yet still I knew that if given the chance they would happily lock me up, shot me in the neck or throw me into a death-camp.
Even the nicest most loveable father of the year will do despicable things if or when he ends up with great power in his hands under a totalitarian regime.
And the real answer that we should be looking for is; what is the difference between getting taxed, shot, forced into labor and fight in endless wars by people in red shirts in opposite for being taxed, shot, forced into labor and fight in endless wars by people in black shirts?
The truth is that any idea that opposes individualism and personal freedoms will eventually end in mass graves, war, hyperinflation, poverty and madness. There are no exceptions.
Well, you are partly right. Give such a disastrous situation as in which the central european - especially Germany - countries found themselves after a lost war, a devastating inflation and the stock crash of 1927, you have all the ingridents you need. If, at such a situation, someone holds out the golden carrot - do this, do that, follow me and you will be rewarded, and the reward turns out to be the riches of your neighbour, people will grab for it. In Germany as in Sweden. Why then the cruelty so openly displayed? One of the best answers I have found was in the book by Marcel Reich-Ranitzky (viz. Internet) when he and his brother are scrubbing the floor under the supervision of an SS-man. His brother asks "Why are they doing it to us?". Marcel answers "Because they can!". In Germany as well as in Sweden. Given the opportunity.
ReplyDelete