Germany ca.1934

[vanir]

I've just been rereading an excellent book on the Third Reich by Martin Kitchen (ex-Professor and Dean of History), in which he describes a State where every German citizen lived in deathly fear of a completely abused and corrupt system of law from 1934.

 

In a role combining the intelligence services and domestic policing the SS were elevated to powers beyond the jurisdiction of courts, which became themselves a mockery of any justice system totally engrossed in competitive behaviour to hand out ever more brutal sentences for the most concocted offences.

 

It is an entirely different view to the slavering masses of dedicated Nazi worshippers often popularised in contemporary publications and media. Pr Kitchen's description is one of total disarray and political cannibalisation, of individuals with public nicknames like "dummi dummi" holding the highest offices, and only the most vile and brutal of they even capable of controlling their own subordinates. He depicts a rampant and criminal grab for wealth and power, the establishment of "little führers" throughout the Reich virtually from conception.

He describes a picture where an abuse of the democratic system from within the halls of government and through neither fault nor any lax of the community a totalitarian state run by violent, criminal mass murderers was simply a consequence.

 

Yet the vast majority of popular media documenting the Nazi regime far more claims the complacency of the general public in establishing them to power, though certainly expresses some sympathy "for the poor fools" and tries to understand the circumstances of Versailles and the Great Depression to have led the German community to such desperation.

 

 

I was curious about other people's thoughts. Please refrain from becoming too involved in the Holocaust with this discussion, if we may keep it to the politically formative aspects so that the thread doesn't become offensive with a word put wrongly or an opinion expressed poorly, please.

[Darth Avlectus]

Well, as someone who tok a zero period of TV production in high school, I am inclined to reply at least to this part:

 

Yet the vast majority of popular media documenting the Nazi regime far more claims the complacency of the general public in establishing them to power, though certainly expresses some sympathy "for the poor fools" and tries to understand the circumstances of Versailles and the Great Depression to have led the German community to such desperation.

 

 

When I talk about the stench of corruption being a reason why I decided to turn from media and TV production, this is a main ingredient of the corruption I am referring to. "Blame the people." Such bull****.

 

blame-blame-blame-blame-blame

 

Freedom of speech is a great thing. However, tweaked in exactly this way where it is being slanted this way screams vested interests.

 

While yes there is lots of laziness and complacency, even people who refuse to "go out and find out for themselves": such is sentiment that of a cop out. Looking to shift the fault. Covering their asses.

 

There is a huge difference between changes brought about by inevitability, and that which could have been easily prevented but wasn't due to whatever reason (selfish short sighted interest and benefits being a culprit here I'm willing to wager). Preventable folly that wasn't prevented and thereafter bad decisions building upon it.

 

In short: Irksome that they decide to blame the people while conspicuously overlooking those in charge and what they have/have not done.