I was always confused how society went along until I saw what happened with a certain recent president. Then I realized the population wanted it, they gave it to him. At all levels - civil, people in government, judiciary, and other offices, etc. That’s how a whole movement took over.
That’s funny, I was fascinated with the Holocaust for years for that reason. Like how does an entire country turn a blind eye to rampant genocide in their own backyard?
Then the Orange Man ran for President and we laughed.
Then the Orange Man was actually elected and I thought “Holy fuck! I completely underestimated the level of stupid humanity is capable of.”
Some turned a blind eye. Plenty were perfectly willing to take part. Antisemitism had been built into Germany since Martin Luther. There was no shortage of Germans looking to exterminate Jews.
But yes, there were also good people in Nazi Germany.
Yep, and the vast majority of people who saw it coming got out or attempted to get out. Which leaves people unable or the brave who tried to change it from within.
Don’t forget the culpability of people who may not be fervent supporters, but who don’t want to get involved or inform themselves of what’s going on with their government:
One way or another, any government which remains in power is a representative government. If your city government is a crooked machine, then it is because you and your neighbors prefer it that way - prefer it to the effort of running your own affairs.
Hitler’s government was a popular government; the vast majority of Germans preferred the rule of gangsters to the effort of thinking and doing for themselves. They abdicated their franchise.
…and…
The former Berlin businessman I referred to earlier told me that he blamed his own group, people with the time and the money and the opportunity to know better, for what happened to Germany. “We ignored Hitler,” he said. “We considered him an unimportant fellow, not quite a gentleman, not of our own class. We considered it just a little bit vulgar to bother with him, to bother with politics at all.”
They thought of the government as “They.” The only possible route to a clear conscience in politics is to accept political responsibility, either as an active member of the party in power or as an equally active member of the loyal opposition.
I was always confused how society went along until I saw what happened with a certain recent president. Then I realized the population wanted it, they gave it to him. At all levels - civil, people in government, judiciary, and other offices, etc. That’s how a whole movement took over.
That’s funny, I was fascinated with the Holocaust for years for that reason. Like how does an entire country turn a blind eye to rampant genocide in their own backyard?
Then the Orange Man ran for President and we laughed.
Then the Orange Man was actually elected and I thought “Holy fuck! I completely underestimated the level of stupid humanity is capable of.”
But at least those who voted for him learned their lesson, right? RIGHT?
Some turned a blind eye. Plenty were perfectly willing to take part. Antisemitism had been built into Germany since Martin Luther. There was no shortage of Germans looking to exterminate Jews.
But yes, there were also good people in Nazi Germany.
Antisemitism is much older.
Yep, and the vast majority of people who saw it coming got out or attempted to get out. Which leaves people unable or the brave who tried to change it from within.
Fascist Populism is a bane to humanity.
Don’t forget the culpability of people who may not be fervent supporters, but who don’t want to get involved or inform themselves of what’s going on with their government:
…and…
—Robert A. Heinlein, Take Back Your Government