(no subject)
The spirit of Hitler haunts us still. Neville Chamberlain is remembered poorly for his appeasement policies -- rather than act quickly to stop Germany, he made room for the Nazis to build up their military and grow in power, only acting when it was clear that Hitler's ambitions could not be controlled, and he would never be a partner for peace. Today, the legacy of those actions to relieve German grievances, create a peaceful Europe, and prevent the bloodiest war the world had ever known, is to think of such cooperative actions toward nascent Hitlers a cowardly and stupid idea.
This is a deep and lasting scar in American politics. We are burdened with a perpetual idea that western powers must be vigilant against madmen and contain or destroy our enemies. But people like Hitler do not achieve power merely on their own virtue; behind every Nazi story there is a mountain of real injustice carried out by outside parties that gave a sick breeding ground for evil men to grow. This philosophy of making enemies of those we deem evil and frequently using violence when politically and militarily viable generates the hostility and legitimate suffering that permits evil to grow.
Iran seeks a nuclear weapon because they have been puppetted and bullied by greater powers throughout recent history, and they want a shield against such brutes as the United States, which propped up the very tyrant their last popular revolution opposed. Now the same United States seeks to deny them this independence, alongside by the most violent country in the middle east, Israel, whose burning defiance and militancy is a direct product of the Holocaust, which viscerally proved to many Jews that they could survive as a people only by relying on their own strength, not blind faith in others' mercy, compassion, or even humanity. Iran is not the hero of this story. But even its dysfunction is something we made, because of the scars we carry from Hitler.
Would the world be a more peaceful place today, if not for World War II? Not necessarily. The world is extremely peaceful in the modern era, there are just so many people that it seems violent. Since WWII, rich countries have shown remarkable restraint from war -- far more than "democracies" in general, despite the common misconception. The power at the disposal of modern world powers is too great, and the costs too high, for them to casually fight, and this is compounded by globalization and media. World War II left this scar as well. But even as the pace of war slows, we can't seem to shake off the impulse to crush little Hitlers.
History is as it was, and it can't be changed. But when I see, even today, fears of little dictators, and bold assertive deadly attitudes winning out over cowardly appeasement, I feel that we are endlessly reenacting our cultural memories and fears. From Lord of the Rings to Star Wars to Harry Potter, even in distant fantasy we keep fighting echos of Hitler. Even as the world becomes easier and easier to see in true shades of gray, we remain blinded by echos of Hitler. And perhaps these stories and traditions aren't truly about Hitler, but references to a common archetype that he embodies. But because we remember Hitler, we can't seem to leave these crusades in fantasy. It's real. Remember Hitler.
We could be better people, if we could stop fighting evil long enough to remember to be good.
This is a deep and lasting scar in American politics. We are burdened with a perpetual idea that western powers must be vigilant against madmen and contain or destroy our enemies. But people like Hitler do not achieve power merely on their own virtue; behind every Nazi story there is a mountain of real injustice carried out by outside parties that gave a sick breeding ground for evil men to grow. This philosophy of making enemies of those we deem evil and frequently using violence when politically and militarily viable generates the hostility and legitimate suffering that permits evil to grow.
Iran seeks a nuclear weapon because they have been puppetted and bullied by greater powers throughout recent history, and they want a shield against such brutes as the United States, which propped up the very tyrant their last popular revolution opposed. Now the same United States seeks to deny them this independence, alongside by the most violent country in the middle east, Israel, whose burning defiance and militancy is a direct product of the Holocaust, which viscerally proved to many Jews that they could survive as a people only by relying on their own strength, not blind faith in others' mercy, compassion, or even humanity. Iran is not the hero of this story. But even its dysfunction is something we made, because of the scars we carry from Hitler.
Would the world be a more peaceful place today, if not for World War II? Not necessarily. The world is extremely peaceful in the modern era, there are just so many people that it seems violent. Since WWII, rich countries have shown remarkable restraint from war -- far more than "democracies" in general, despite the common misconception. The power at the disposal of modern world powers is too great, and the costs too high, for them to casually fight, and this is compounded by globalization and media. World War II left this scar as well. But even as the pace of war slows, we can't seem to shake off the impulse to crush little Hitlers.
History is as it was, and it can't be changed. But when I see, even today, fears of little dictators, and bold assertive deadly attitudes winning out over cowardly appeasement, I feel that we are endlessly reenacting our cultural memories and fears. From Lord of the Rings to Star Wars to Harry Potter, even in distant fantasy we keep fighting echos of Hitler. Even as the world becomes easier and easier to see in true shades of gray, we remain blinded by echos of Hitler. And perhaps these stories and traditions aren't truly about Hitler, but references to a common archetype that he embodies. But because we remember Hitler, we can't seem to leave these crusades in fantasy. It's real. Remember Hitler.
We could be better people, if we could stop fighting evil long enough to remember to be good.