The Nazis Were Not Evil
by Calling the Nazis evil does us no good.
The Nazis were a political party that carried out disgusting and brutal acts of violence. They not only tried to exterminate an entire race of people, but also killed political opponents, the sick and disabled and just about anyone they wanted to. But were they evil?
To find the answer to this question, first we need to ash ourselves. Who were the Nazis? We all know about Hitler, but the Nazi party was much larger than it’s leader. It not only included citizens, both workers and business owners, But millions of soldiers as well. It is unlikely that millions of evil people were born and raised in Germany all at same time. No, these were ordinary people that were inspired to awful and hateful things. Why? Answering that question with “Because they were evil.” does not encourage us to think about it any further. If we do not think about how it was possible for so many people to be manipulated into believing in this hateful ideology, we have no hope of preventing it in the future.
I am concerned that we are repeating past mistakes in countries like Afghanistan and Iraq. We are trying to force them into democracy but have left them desperately poor, (the way we left Germany after WWI), and vulnerable to hatred.
The truth is, the ideology was evil. Not the people. They say a good mentor or coach can bring out the best in people. Why can’t the opposite be true. We all have the capability to do awful things. I know we don’t like to think of the Nazis as ordinary people and I understand. We don’t like to think that it would be possible for our neighbors to turn on us, or us on them. But it is.
I began to think about this after reading The Nazis Were Evil By Louis T Wermann. I agree with the points in his article. I think It outlines the dismissive attitude we have about the Nazis. Someone who could call any of the politicians in North America a “Nazi” has not spent much time thinking about the gravity of what really happened.
Dismissing the Nazis as evil is dangerous. Because to understanding the hows and whys of Nazi Germany gives us the tools to prevent it from ever happening again.
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Post Commentthenewoddthomas
On August 18, 2009 at 12:09 am
very good.
ladybaby
On August 18, 2009 at 12:17 am
I agree with you. Even our own soldiers who go to war not wanting to do harm, end up being sucked into the violence, and turn violent and evil in their actions, because it is “Their DUTY.”
Marie Milton
On August 18, 2009 at 7:28 am
I know this is true : ) Hitler wasn’t anymore evil than the Leaders of today…they are more so if you ask me…
DynamicLethargy
On September 15, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Some time ago I saw an interview with a writer on TV. I forget who, but he’d just written a biography of Hitler.
What he said frightened him most about Hitler was not that he was a mad man, but that he was a normal person and still did all those terrible things.
I believe the potential to be another Hitler lies within all of us, and we must be adamant about rejecting that potential.
Blithe
On November 25, 2009 at 12:46 pm
I am too much happy to see this…Many times we see things and we regard them as evil though we are familiar with what we do in our lives too. Every man has a story of his own hidden within himself i mean, thinking about a person to be evil is okay but how the whole Germany and Axis to be evil, and the people, the common people who voted for Nazi Party would have something great in their minds about their country or whatever ideology you say… The point lies, not every man can’ t be wrong in his senses, i mean one, two can be, but all the German-axis nation gone mad-at what we think today about whole of the army, who were recruited Germans…In this way, in US, all of you voting for parties today who raise slogans which are evil-sh in their way invading Afghanistan, Iraq, ruining the peace of other countries and giving International media a spicy topic to discuss on and setting the routines to watch news-at-nine with wife and commenting, ” Hanny i just love that man the way he thinks, what you say is it a good idea sending more troops to Afghanistan “. Now one question, ” what is the fault of those soldiers who are being sent to Afghanistan and Iraq “. At first the same soldiers fought Nazis and then they are themselves-Nazis. At last, the American people have to decide-what they want, spending money on soldiers abroad who are payed nothing for their lives or Giving a job to a hungry American who is sleeping without bread and next day voting for the Politician who promises for Jobs…Thank-you for reading it…!
JasonM1
On May 7, 2010 at 11:45 am
Stupid post. Obviously we as humans have a choice to do \”good\” or do \”bad\” (evil) every day. The Nazi\’s CHOSE to do what they did. They might have been inspired by a mad man and looked for an escape via Jews but THEY chose to do what they did which were evil acts and therefore they were just as evil as Hitler. Simple as that.
You don't understand
On May 18, 2010 at 2:03 am
How come Germany rose so fast, so proud, and so powerful that churchill avoided negotiation and attacked Germany? Forcefully?
IT WAS HIM WHO STARTED THE REAL WAR!
Hitler wanted to take back Polish ground from WWI
Germany had to fight 2 Fronts because the Jewish Bolsjeviks and the British wanted to fight them.
Germany wanted to free Europe from the economy destroying Jews and other outside threats.
Hitler asked the Jews to leave Gemany and go to Palestine before WWII.
Now they have banks in EU and the US to fund Israel, they also inherit nearly all the media, brainwashing us, so we keep our eyes on everything except the Jews, who are creating weapons of mass destruction behind our backs.
You should know more about history, thank you Hitler, you were a great man. Btw guys, stop being so liberal, it won’t work out…
Engel
On June 4, 2010 at 12:27 pm
Couldn’t agree more. My uncle Klaus was an SS guard and all I get from people are horrible comments. He just has that label that will never be taken away. Just because he wore a grey uniform and fought for Germany doesn’t make him an evil man. He did it because he HAD to do it. There was no choice. People are so easy to judge, but he wasn’t a bad man. And I’m not just saying it to defend him cos he was family. I’m saying it cos it’s true. The war did change him. He had to be brave for it. But that didn’t make him evil. It wasn’t just Jews that died in that war, it was the soldiers too. Okay, not all deserve respect, but I’m defending my uncle cos I know deep down that he was a nice person. RIP Uncle Klaus.
Claudia Maier
On October 20, 2010 at 8:17 am
Yes I agree all Germans are inherently evil.
Afam
On November 16, 2010 at 11:25 pm
History is always written by the victors, and Nazis were not bad, they were competition, when a country reaches a point where other countries are threaten, the lies begin, now JEWs, well enough said….
Germany will rise again, they are inherently smarter and wiser, most of the worlds creations and creators were German, enough said… Keep reading American history, let them lie to you… As if American didn’t enslave millions, kill millions, and interfere with 80% of the worlds countries today… Please wake up…. Smell the dead bodies, wake up!!!!