Do you think that the folks that followed Hitler were truly unique human beings?

[Cut-Throat]

Or do you think it's possible that this 'type of mind' that blindly follows a misguided leader is walking among us today?

Just wondering?

 

[REWahoo]

Re: Do you think that the folks that followed Hitler were truly unique human bei

Isn't a thread that contains Hitler in the subject line dead on the first post?

 

[samclem]

Re: Do you think that the folks that followed Hitler were truly unique human bei

I don't think they were unique. Given the right environment, plain old people will do amazing things. Remember Stanley Milgram's work (link below). You sure couldn't do that study today.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment

 

[Nords]

Cut-Throat, is this a CHP or were you trying to invoke Godwin's law within the first 10 words?!?

Are you volunteering to get out the vote for your local area's elections?

 

[Cut-Throat]

Re: Do you think that the folks that followed Hitler were truly unique human bei

Cut-Throat, is this a CHP or were you trying to invoke Godwin's law within the first 10 words?!?

Are you volunteering to get out the vote for your local area's elections?

I know it's hard, but I'm just trying to get people to actually think - for themselves.

Here is a quote to ponder:

"Naturally, the common people don't want war, but after all, it is the leaders of a country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders.That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country."

Hermann Goering

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

i don't feel as if i've been lead. i feel as if my government does not always best represent me. i don't believe in guilt by association. i don't believe i incur bad karma by the "evil doing" of my government even though i do accept some benefit. but then, i'm not a cabinet member; i'm just a common person.

as for hitler stopping a thread, which mass murderer are we allowed to mention in passing?

 

[Craig]

Of course not unique, and definitely walk among us ... Cambodia / Pol Pot, Yugoslavia / Milosovec, Rwanda, ad infinitum.

As long as there are bar fights, there will always be war ...

Now, if you really want fun with this thread, read "That Every Man Be Armed", by Halbrook, and let's talk guns, self defense, and how the "Hitlers" of the world have been hindered by the "common" man ...

Or is this just another "W" thread ...

 

[BigMoneyJim]

Re: Do you think that the folks that followed Hitler were truly unique human bei

Hitler in the subject. Man, where do we go from here? Maybe I should start a kayak photo thread.

As far as people thinking for themselves, this country seems too polarized for that. A lot of Bush-hating Republicans would vote for him a third time over voting a Democrat into office. Or at least that's what I've been hearing. 'Course I live in "red" states.

I hardly pay attention to the news anymore, but when some news comes out about bad stuff the administration is doing I roll my eyes and sarcastically say "who could have known?"

 

[MasterBlaster]

CT just wants to argue and inflame people.

 

[Dawg52]

Or do you think it's possible that this 'type of mind' that blindly follows a misguided leader is walking among us today?

Just wondering?

Considering that Bush has a 28-31% approval rating, yeah I guess some are blindly following him. But his approval rating suggest that many do not blindly follow him as his approval rating was 75-80% just 4 years ago. But to link his supportors to the same "type of mind" to Hitler's followers, thats way over the top to me.

 

[bpp]

Re: Do you think that the folks that followed Hitler were truly unique human bei

I don't think Godwin's Rule applies to discussions that are actually about Hitler or the Nazis.

Otherwise, this post does not exist, and this was the world's shortest thread.

(Darn that Hitler. Not only did he kill millions in his lifetime, he wreaks carnage on internet discussions to this day.)

Bpp

 

[grumpy]

Re: Do you think that the folks that followed Hitler were truly unique human bei

It has crossed my mind on ocassion (during the Nixon years, and again recently) that I need to be as smart as my ancestors who realized they had to flee Hungary before the Nazi's took over. How can one know in advance that his country is headed down a path of no-return? I don't think we're there yet and I don't think George W (Congress gets a lot of the blame too) can take us there in the time he has left in office but I certainly don't like the trend. I am hopeful that the country will realize the need for a drastic change in direction. Too many Americans have their heads in the sand and are not prepared to hold our gov't to live up to the principles we espouse. The erosion of personal freedoms in the name of fighting terrorism has gone too far.

Grumpy

 

[MJ]

Re: Do you think that the folks that followed Hitler were truly unique human bei

Considering that Bush has a 28-31% approval rating, yeah I guess some are blindly following him. But his approval rating suggest that many do not blindly follow him as his approval rating was 75-80% just 4 years ago. But to link his supportors to the same "type of mind" to Hitler's followers, thats way over the top to me.

What about the death threats and major negative reaction the Dixie Chicks got from "patriotic loyal" citizens when one of the group used her "Constitutional" right to comment that she was ashamed that the Prez was from Texas.

 

[laurence]

Can't back up anything with scientific evidence, but I have long been the lone voice questioning decision made by this administration at work, yet I think I've managed to garner the respect of those at work, simply by engaging in positive, contructive arguments on the matter. The group think, mob mentality is quick to form, but is just as quick to melt away when the light of reason is shined on it. What happened in Germany was a result of deep, entrenched bigotry (Hey, everybody hated the Jews, even France was passing anti-semetic laws, and the U.S. wouldn't accept shiploads of Jewish refugees, sending them back to certain death), extreme economic hardship, and wounds from WWI. Sure, people can be sheep, but the man on the street already couldn't give two bits about a Jew back then, they didn't have to be moved far to get to ovens and gas chambers.

I remember talking to a coworker from the baltic region about the horrors of the Yugolsav war, and the mass murders in Kosovo. His response was, "Yeah, but those are bunch of scummy people, real trash!"

So how much of it was Hitler convincing sheep to become murderers, and how much of it was the Nazi party running to get in front of the parade?

 

[Dawg52]

Re: Do you think that the folks that followed Hitler were truly unique human bei

What about the death threats and major negative reaction the Dixie Chicks got from "patriotic loyal" citizens when one of the group used her "Constitutional" right to comment that she was ashamed that the Prez was from Texas. 

It truely is unfortunate when death threats are made against a 'personality' or anyone that expresses and opinion. I certainly can't classify these people as "patriotic loyal" citizens. Anyone that made a death threat to them probably do deserve to be lumped into Hitler's followers mindset. But those are very few and can be found in both conservative and liberal camps. 

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Between the milgram experiment mentioned above and the stanford experiment, yes, its been shown that everyday, ordinary people will quickly become sadistic torturers and able jailers.

For a modern example, see Abu Ghraib.

 

[HFWR]

Push a few hot buttons, and viola...

Those God-less, baby-killing, homosexual commies...

Those jack-booted, Bible-thumping, fascists...

Maybe if we outlawed hyphenated words...

As for me, my politics are a mixture of libertarian, conservative, liberal...

I think in the upcoming elections, NO incumbent will get my vote. Time to kick a$$ and take names...

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

The group think, mob mentality is quick to form, but is just as quick to melt away when the light of reason is shined on it

"there exists an obvious fact that seems utterly moral; namely, that a man is always a prey to his truths. once he has admitted them, he cannot free himself from them."~~albert camus

 

[Robert the Red]

Cambodia.  A nation of nice gentle people.  Even they have their share of psychopathic and sociopathic scum.  Promote the scum to positions of arbitrary authority, because they'll do what the leaders say.  Better yet, abuse and indoctrinate children enough and some of them turn into psychopathic scum and will be follower-types, too . Then any level of violence can be produced.

The people who strung up black men, choking them slowly while burning them alive with gasoline -- some of them are still among us.  They would have made good Vernichtungslager guards.  (And from about the same era as Hitler.)  A man who vocally supported their right to do so as "a way of life" remained in the US Senate until he died of old age, very recently.

 

[Cool Dood]

Re: Do you think that the folks that followed Hitler were truly unique human bei

Byrd died?

 

[laurence]

Strom Thurman, Jesse Helms.

 

[OldAgePensioner]

Charles Manson, H. Rap Brown

 

[JB]

Re: Do you think that the folks that followed Hitler were truly unique human bei

This week PBS ran The Man Behind Hitler . It's about the life of Joseph Goebbels who became the Minister of Propaganda. The film is facinating.

 

[Cool Dood]

Re: Do you think that the folks that followed Hitler were truly unique human bei

Like every political discussion, this one finally comes to the point where one can't avoid the conclusion that both Republicans and Democrats are dicks, and people should stop voting for either of them.

 

[Dawg52]

Re: Do you think that the folks that followed Hitler were truly unique human bei

Like every political discussion, this one finally comes to the point where one can't avoid the conclusion that both Republicans and Democrats are dicks, and people should stop voting for either of them.

Hard to argue with that.