Who Would YOU Have Been in Nazi Germany? The Same Person You Are Now.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
It’s easy to look back on the injustices in history, while shaking your fist and saying, “Well I woulda…!”
This is especially true when we reflect on the WWII era and the rise of Nazi rule that ultimately ushered in the Holocaust and the death of millions. Whether imagining yourself as an American at the time or someone living in Germany during the rise of the Third Reich, most people I know seem to claim they would have been among the brave souls who stood up and said something… who stood up and did something.
My conservative evangelical friends especially seem to love to fantasize about what they would have done, likening themselves to Dietrich Bonhoeffer (the Eric Metaxas version who was a conservative evangelical assassin, not the Bonhoeffer of history who was a Lutheran, an LGBTQ Christian, and wasn’t directly involved in any assassination plot). Yet, until now, the question as to “Who would you have been?” or, “What would you have done if you lived back then?” has been purely hypothetical and imaginary.
But this question is no longer hypothetical. It is no longer imaginary.
And neither is the answer to the question.
In fact, this question has an incredibly easy answer. Who would you have been had you lived during this historical era of evil and injustice? What would you have done?
You’d be the same person you are now.
You would have done what you are doing now.
It’s easy to sit there and push back, saying, “Nope, those two things are not the same.” While I agree that Hitler comparisons and calling people Nazi’s is often overplayed in today’s parlance, the era you find yourself in is eerily similar. And yes– who you would have been during the rise and rule of the Third Reich, and what you would have done to stop the injustices and atrocities committed against the innocent, is exactly who you are today– and exactly what you’re doing now.
You see, Hitler didn’t begin by building gas chambers. Like the old analogy of a frog in a pot that slowly heats up until it’s too late, the road that paved the way to gas chambers was much more incremental, subtle, socially palatable, seemingly justified, or easily ignored– both to those within Germany, and without.
It all started with a nation who felt their glory days were over, and who worried their economy was in trouble. Along came a leader who connected with those who were scared, angry, and nostalgic for the past. This new leader promised to fix the economy; he was determined to rebuild their military, and he convinced the masses that he would Make Germany Great Again.
They caved into their fears, and they bought into his vision– probably never imagining it would one day end in death camps.
Getting to that point happened slowly, and in ways that few seemed to challenge or find too objectionable. He’d call the media “fake news” in a move that would later make it easy to deny what was really happening. He blamed their problems on Jewish immigrants who he called “viruses” and “leeches” and claimed were destroying the economy. Eventually the masses of scared and angry white people, individuals who probably would have objected to the idea of death camps at the onset of his rule, had been subtly convinced that Jews were leeches who were getting in the way of Making Germany Great Again– so they turned a blind eye to some evils, and actively participated in others.
These individuals not only ended up on the wrong side of history, they were lulled into collectively committing one of the most evil acts the world has ever known. And those who stood up at the end, stood up too late– because the battle should not have been waged at death camps– it should have been waged when the foundation was still being laid.
The foundation upon which death camps were built began with unchecked nationalistic pride, nostalgia for the past, promises to Make Germany Great Again, accusations the media was fake news, and speech after speech that blamed Germany’s problems on immigrants who were supposedly killing the economy.
By the time there was an actual building erected on that foundation, it was too late.
So, who would you have been during Nazi Germany?
What would you have done?
Would you have been on the right side of history, or complicit on the road to horrific evil?
I don’t need you to answer that question, because I already know the answer.
Who you would have been, is exactly who you are now.
And what you would have done, is what you’re doing today .
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Well... I'm absolutely certain that I would have.....................
Part of the resistance.
And what you would have done, is what you’re doing today.'
So I'd be supporting the rule of law and individual rights against a hysterical collectivist mob obsessed with race and hell bent on overthrowing elections and criminalizing dissent.
Do you believe that Donald Trump defends the rule of law?
I asked Sean.
Do Democrats defend it?
Politely, I will disagree. The man can't show his taxes and is installing a 'protective judiciary.' Joseph Goebbels installed a judiciary of law and order too.
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Seems like that is going a bit off topic here. How does bringing up Donald Trump enforcing rule of law relate to the subject at hand being Nazi Germany?
Donald Trump has trampled the rule of law, but Trump is not the topic.
I tried to research how many executive orders have been overturned by SCOTUS but couldn't find a number.
How is President Trump violating the law?
Do you have facts to support your claim?
I know that past Presidents have had quite a few EO's overturned by SCOTUSS
then you just cant help yourself but to talk about him then Bob
If I had been a child in NG, I would most likely have turned out differently than I am now. As we grow, we are influenced by environment and the people who rear us. Just as the children of the KKK often grow up to be racists because of where they are and who they are raised by. I might have grown up hating a segment of people because of the climate of that time and indoctrination by the people who raised me. So no, I don't think I would be the same person that I am now had I grown up in Nazi Germany.
I think Dr Corey (the author) is more concerned with the adults in the 1930s. The ones who were there as the Nazis rose to power. What did they do and not do?
And what would we have done or not done if we had been in their place?
You don't think Krystallnacht was warning enough? Or was it too late already?
Any student of history who is not contemplating these things right now is willfully looking the other way.
Of course, totalitarianism can infect any form of government butt fascism is designed to be totalitarian...
Republics, such as our own, could employ totalitarian tendencies without Constitutional checks on power.
How did Germans in the 30's let their republic become a totalitarian nightmare? The voted for that shit.,,
The damn gop and Citizens United let multinational corporations and the oligarchs purchase our Republic.
Constitutionally we still have checks and balances to power. If they aren't employed right now... too late.
The Constitution is a piece of paper, with no magical powers. It cannot ensure anything at all. The courts might have, but they've been packed with authoritarians.
People must defend the rule of law against other people who would make America a plutocratic oligarchy.
Oh, wait... The authoritarians have already succeeded...
I like to think I would have been similar to the person I am today. I see myself as avoiding military service and an asset to the country through my advanced manufacturing skills. I see myself much like Ferry Porsche pushing ahead with what I do best.
I think the question is myopic. The problem is not that people simply stood by and watched a monster grow or that they were brainwashed. It’s much more complicated than that. Nazi germany was being economically crushed by war reparations. Political turmoil was rampant. Germans were resentful of losing their place in Europe. Hitler rose out of that confusion with a clear vision which led not only to an amazing rejuvenation of Germany, and even his picture on the cover of Time Magazine as Man of the Year, but also to Germany’s utter destruction and the death of 100 million people.
Essentially, his plan was to negate the Versailles treaty which meant refusing to continue with crippling war reparations. Most Germans cheered because it dramatically improved their standard of living. Hiltler was a magnetic demagogue and extremely popular. There was no reason to stop him at the time.
He blamed the Jews for Germany’s defeat in World War 1 because, in his opinion, they were primarily responsible for getting the United States to intervene and turn the tide of the war. He decided to deport all the Jews (not kill them). Some liked the idea of deporting Jews and many didn’t but, by that time, Germany was a police state. If you spoke out or were perceived as a potential opponent, you were arrested and taken to a concentration camp. You had no recourse, no appeal. Although his henchmen were mistrustful of each other, they were loyal to him. There was no way to politically stop Hitler. The only way to get rid of him was to kill him.
So, in answer to the question, what would you do? By the time people realized that he was dangerous they had two choices. Either get on the train or be run over by it.
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The question is interesting , but because anyone alive today has hindsight on their side and already know what happened . Still a difficult question to answer , because we alive today didn't go through the same things that formed the situation to begin with , the losing of a major war , the penalties of reparations imposed by the victors , the economic destruction of a world wide depression, and any number of things that can be added to the mix.
I equate the question to someone saying if I could go back to a point in my life , knowing what I know now , once you know something , you cannot unknow it , and cannot disregard it .
and having read this seed , I will most likely think about the question posed , and most likely will have difficulty coming to an answer for myself as well.
That' the best we can do, I think...
Personally, I have concluded that we must keep shining a light on evil... and hope that most people will see it for what it is.