Damn you, groupthink!
Today I spent the day watching the PBS 6-part series Auschwitz: Inside the Nazi State on Netflix. Ever since 6th grade, the first time I remember learning in depth about WWII, Nazi Germany and the Holocaust -- I've been intrigued by this period in history. I've been attracted to the Nazis and Adolf Hitler, their propaganda, etc. because its baffling the amount of power one individual was able to obtain with one idea during one of the most desperate times in Germany, post-WWI, through fear. It's unfathomable that humans can be capable of the atrocities that occurred during the Holocaust, at Auschuwitz, in the occupied nations. I thought this before when thinking about why I love the Joker as a villain and its the same reason I'm intrigued by the Third Reich: they terrify me and I am just left speechless at the thought that humans can be capable of such violence. I can't fathom in living with the fear a fascist state instills in someone, especially being of the minority being discriminated against by the regime. The methods and psychology behind it all has peaked my interest more and more as I've grown older.
I feel now more than ever I have opinions and questions about what when on than in the midst of getting my mind blown while I was learning about this in school. It seems as though I'm less sheltered now and have a broader scope now that I'm able to draw comparisons, question current views, and have a founded opinion on the matter. So in regards to this I think about the dangers of groupthink, the power of manipulation through fear, victimization and the seemingly eternal blame game, justified violence, forgiveness, a bunch of stuff.
After WWI, Germans were in ruin. Austrian Hitler began to talk pretty to the Germans and blamed the Jews for their losses in the war. He and his cronies convinced that there was a Jew conspiracy against them and that the Germans had to squash them before the Jews took over their country. The Nazi drilled anti-Semitic propaganda into German brains for years. Promoted an Aryan race. Jews were humiliated, degraded, murdered, etc. as were other non-Aryans. Anyone in the way of German progress would not be tolerated. Women, children, the old, the sick, the maimed. Only the strong blonde and blue eyed, straight as a board non-Jew would bring Germany back to greatness. And Hitler did bring Germany out of the rubble. I believe Hilter actually saving Germany and its economy actually made people stay blind to the wrong the Nazi party was carrying out. The vermin who killed my country are being exterminated and my country is once again thriving. Made total sense to the public at large.
The people, the soldiers, every German just want to be prosperous once again and blaming it on someone made them feel better about it. A lot of the ex-SS interview during the program said they did what they were told for their country. They were taught this was this enemy and the enemy had to be done with. Its not a secret many civilians who didn't help were scared to death of what would happen to them if they were found out. Or they witnessed it and didn't wish this upon themselves. This is the human condition, we are emotionally driven creatures. The Nazis were driven by hate caused by blame. The Jews who survived the camps, their families and sympathizers hate the Nazis because of what they did. To me, the Jews and the other sent to camps where not the only victims here. I'm not saying they should not have any kind of responsibly but they are victims of manipulation. They were taken advantage of at their weakest point by someone who delivered what he promised to them although other people paid the price.
There was an panelist talking after one of the episodes who I was involved with the Jewish Heritage museum who when talking about Dr. Mengele who performed atrocious experiments on children, when he fled that you would assume he went on to live a lush life on some island somewhere drinking cocktails but "a little justice was served" when he was actually found in a shanty town in Sao Paolo tore up and being treated by doctors in less than hygenic facilities. I felt uneasy about him saying that justice was served in that way. I just thought it was his subtle way of expressing hate and blame toward Mengele. another educator in the same conversation said she would never debate the Holocaust with a guilty party because that would be like a geologist having a debate with someone who believed the world is flat. I just thought the pain these people feel over these events is only making them perpetuate the blame game. It's as if Jews have used their victimization as crutch, they can badmouth and damn the Nazis to hell because of what they did, its their right as victims. In the grander scheme of things, it some ways makes them no better than the Nazis were. I'm not saying they don't have a right to be pained, angry, emotional but there has to be a time to let go. Maybe some people have but the interviews with the survivors and other Jews really had no evidence of that. And Maybe their time hasn't come but no one has straight out declared they're even trying.
I couldn't help by see parallels between the way the Nazis treated the Jews and the way the Israelis treat the Palestinians. The Jews, by condition, believe they are The Chosen. Immediately, there's the superiority complex comparison. In Israel, the history books do not mention the existence of Palestine. There is no such thing as a Palestinian to an Israeli only Israeli-Arabs. Even so the Israeli-Arabs live in deplorable conditions, beggars on the street harassed by Israeli soldiers. The victims are the victimizers. The Arabs have their fair share of violence against Jews too. Its seems as though that genocide hasn't been thought of an answer to get rid of the Arab nuisance in their Holy Land of Israel just so the comparison to Nazi Germany wouldn't be as clear as day.
It seems not only the Jews have yet to learn from the mistakes of WWII but the entire world. Genocides have gone on since then in Rwanda and Sudan and little has been done because of FEAR. At the human rights summit in college where I heard the facts about Israel and Palestine conflict I stated above, I went to one about Sudan and Darfur. Two Sudanese citizens were there speaking on behalf of their people and they were so angry that for 12 years the UN has done so little about the genocide there. They said that it seems that they only away a problem like this gets attention is when a celebrity is behind and what's funny is a couple years later, Darfur became the "hot cause" because of George Clooney, Angelina Jolie and others.
Being human is a complex thing. We cling to so much because of pain and anger and sadness and justify it with our right to feel this way because we're human. But in the same line, because
we are human we can learn change and accept change. In the same way I understand why the Nazis did what they did and how they were able to be unapologetic about it, I understand why Jews hold the grudge, may not be able to forgive them but at the same time, it would help if people, victims of all kinds, would minimally have the intention of letting go of all these destructive emotions.
People have this odd way of thinking that if you don't feel these things that if ever don't feel sad, or angry about what happened, people will forget. Anyone who knows this happened can never forget as long as we keep educating people about this era. OBJECTIVELY informing the minds being molded of what happened, everyone involved's point of view, backed up by documents, photos, etc. and letting students question and have opinions about what they learn without being judged, have healthy debates.
No one can change what happened and nothing will ever wash away the gravity of what happened, not even those who deny it, but there has to come a time where gripping needs to not be. Victim and victimizing roles need to be eradicated. Responsibility must be taken and instead of dwelling, blaming, finding scapegoats, causing further hurt. We need to work towards a future where this isn't a problem practicing tolerance, becoming a global community, valuing human life, just learning to co-exist instead of proudly dividing ourselves into superior and non-superior groups. May be right now is not the time for this and that's fine but one can only hope for a time where it will be.
I have some more stuff to say about this stuff but I'm drained! I've never debated this with anyone so if anyone actually reads this and want to add or challenge this be awesome and do it.
I've been eating a lot. bad stuff and good stuff. The idea that I need to gain weight is ingrained within me. Now if I could only get some exercise in there.... ANYWAY! I'm super stoked about my next culinary experiment: baked falafel, quinoa tabbouleh and mint-cilantro yogurt sauce! now all i need is money to buy the ingredients! haha
Ugh Walking Dead. JIM! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! also, ONE MORE EPISODE! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Thanksgiving this year, was geeky personally. I watched a lot of Batman and Joker stuff on Netflix, watched Season 1 of Dr. Who which I loved, pulling at me heartstrings and giving me anxiety attacks. The only thing I hate are the Dalek's voices, so grating! I got two seasons of Dr. Who to watch before Dec. 1st, as always, leaving everything to the last minute haha. Thank you, Morrissey for infecting me with your Dr. Who love. I also spent a lot of yesterday reading this insane reddit thread on the Elan School, gave me the heebie-jeebies.
Triple Decker December shows! The Radio Dept, Warpaint and Peter Hook performing Unknown Pleasures! supa excited! God, I'm going to melt into ice cream soup at Warpaint, those girls give me a boner. I'm hoping it isn't weird at Peter Hook like watching a lame cover band or something. I really just want to hear those epic basslines live. WILDERNESSSSSSSSS.
BERFDAY IN TWO WEEKS, HOLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. I'm declaring it a weekend long event.