Very interesting thread.
Finally i see some cold headed discussion (with some exception
).
It's difficult to analyze somethink so complex as the social contest of a nation 60 years ago, without a specific and professional knowledge.
But this is a good try.
About the "NAZI, not NAZI" issue:
I can use as example Italy under fascist regime, from an outher perspective it's easy generalize and use the equation Italians=Fascists, but is too much semplicistic.
Now let's try to enter in the shoes of another person.
You are a normal guy living in your country, you believe in your fatherland, you Salute your flag, pay taxes, and serve (is still this way) your country in the costricted army period.
A new party raise in the government, they seem to work well, there is some wellfare, thinks are going better (the damage of Versaille seem receiding), the king believe in this no-hair funny man.
Well, they ask you to do the roman salute... who cares?
At this point you have 3 options, based on your personal and cultural attitude:
[list=1]
- You are left minded, you dont like this government, and thinks are getting worse, they know it, they pursue you, make you lose the job, discriminate on you in every act of your social life, cut happens you misteriously disappear one night, and nobody will see you again, or you manage to escape in another country, maybe you succeded to hide your ideas and during the war you can start some kind of fight (they call you terrorist, but you know you're right)... and so on (probably i am in this category, or i hope so).
- You agree with this nice and friendly mans, they think like you, you are pride of your nation, pissed off by the Versailles threaty, you know, Italians are the best, and they do the best, all the newspaper say you are right, you are an important part of society, pride of your black shirt (an ugly italian, indeed ), we can call you a fanatic, and probably if the party says the jews are evil, you believe it, and hate them.
- you are a simple, middle citizen, no big culture, normal work, sometimes read newspaper (lot of good think is doing this fascist party, uh?), you see being part of the party make think easier in normal life, so you decide to subscribe, finally they may be a little too rude guys, but the thinks are working better since they take the power, you understand, the actual situation cut be solved as they say, waging war, expanding your nation's influence in the world, you have to do your duty, you recieve the call as a soldier, and you go doing your duty for your nation, obeing orders.
At home the thinks are changing... getting strange... your neighborought (sp?) is a jew, a good guy, how can him be so evil as they say?.
One of your school friends was communist, and has been found dead in an alley (someone say was beated to death by fascists, can you believe it?).
Your army is not so strong as they said, you fight in a ridicule little tank versus the mighty matildas in the desert, but is your duty, so... you fly in your underpowered and peeshooter armed plane versus flying wonders like Spits and Tempests, but is your duty, so... you are marching in the cold snow at -30° with your paper boots (yes, paper!!), well, at least you can use pieces of the blanket around it to warm a little your feets, and this red ghosts hide and appear and fight like if in summer, but is your duty, so...
Suddenly you hear "we surrender", and your camarades become your enemies, they shoot your officers and capture the soldiers as "workers" for Germany, luckily you manage to escape back to your country, your town has been bombed by the allies, destruction is everywhere, probably you manage to hide until the end of war and the arrival of the allies, or you join with the fascist army to defend your loved countryland betrayed by the king, or you join with the partisans and fight fascists and nazis, or cross the lines and join the fight side by side with the allies.[/list=a]
Well, will be surprising, but the bigger part of the population will fit in the option #3, like most of us.
And dont foul yourself (like me in option 1
).
The point?
Dont judge the story (big movements) like the mens (small actors), use different parameters, in story nobody is guilty (is just story), the mens are guilty, but usually few of them, not the entire population.
Judge people in different contests using the contest within THEY are, not using YOUR contest.
Just imagine to be there at the moment, with the knowledge of the period.
And ask yourself truly: "what i will do?".
Knowledge is freedom, every government know very well the best weapon to control people is information, so...
WATCH OUT !!!
YOU can become the NEW NAZI, without understand it.
Regarding the Svastika, is neither a finnish nor a German "copyright"
.
In fact is one of the older symbols of humankind, used since the prehistory by the early Homo Sapiens, is a variation of the spiral.
Long post, indeed.
