Careful what you say about the Nazis

Snickers Man

A German TV presenter has been sacked, allegedly because she said some aspects of Nazi family policy were a good idea and should not be discarded.

Now, one must be careful about saying that the reason she was sacked was for mentioning the Nazi regime in the same breath as a policy of which she approved. This could after all be just newspaper "spinning" and indeed the only quote from one of her principals seemed to suggest that it wasn't the actual ideas she held but the fact that she was promoting a particular agenda in the first place that made her "incompatible" with the TV station.

This could be something as simple as a broadcaster contravening an inhouse regulation that demands public impartiality.

However it is clear from the comments that some observers regard the very idea of the Nazis getting something right as too horrible to be countenanced.

Is this counter productive in debates, to take one ideology as the yardstick for all evil and to dismiss everything they might have done as being utterly beyond the pale?
Is vegetarianism evil because Hitler was evil?
Is the smoking ban immoral because the Nazis were the first to introduce one in Europe?

I feel I must assert that I think Hitler and the Nazis were the most depraved scum ever to rise to power in any country in Europe but if we are to be properly armed with arguments against the emergence of a similar crew should we not be so hyper sensitive about EVERYTHING they did?

I am not for one minute suggesting that six million murders is a fair price to pay for getting the trains to run on time but is railway punctuality a bad thing in itself?

Mick86

I suppose that given the reputation they have to live down the Germans can't be too careful.

TerrorFirmer

It seems a bit over the top but then again the reaction to anything remotely resembling praise for any aspects of the third reich always is, no matter how trivial. The Nazis did have some good policies that appealed immensely to the population in the day, it's ludicrious to attempt what basically is a denial of history by asserting they was not a single positive aspect in the regime....or firing someone that goes to lengths to state that Hitler was an evil man that led the country to ruin yet had some interesting social policies.

axer

People here in Germany make fun of the Nazis etc all the time but to praise them in any way is a frightening thing for Germans. I think this is really to do with how the world sees germans. They are still taunted by being called Nazi's all of the world (especially from americans). If people hear that there is agreement with hitlers policys (any policy) the outside world see - "The German people still love Hitler". Call it paranoia but I can see where they are coming from.

Talking to people over here they tell me Hitler did great things for the country before it all went wrong. You just cannot say that in public however.

the_syco

Who built the Autobann?

funktastic

German labourers. Plus the Autobahn project had been started before Hitler came into power.

Zebra3

Snickers Man wrote:

I am not for one minute suggesting that six million murders is a fair price to pay for getting the trains to run on time but is railway punctuality a bad thing in itself?

Six millions murders? Why do you mention that figure with regard to nazi murders?

FiSe

The thing about Germany of today is, that they are basicaly living in denial of their own recent history. And you can expect very histerical reaction on every and any slightest sign of Nazi regime. Graphical, verbal...

I am a modeller and if I am attending modelling show in Germany all swastikas on the models have to be covered.
Recently there was a "scandal", because Dragon brought their 1/16 model figure of SS soldier with all relevant insignia not only in the box, but on the box art as well...
Military history of familly members who served in Wehrmacht during WWII is something which is never spoken about....

So there's no surprise, that someone was sacked because said that some policies of Nazi regime were OK.

mike65

Six millions murders? Why do you mention that figure with regard to nazi murders?

Estimated holocaust dead I expect, though you could add many more of course thoughout 1933-1945.

Mike.

silverharp

I heard that the ECB was very close to the Nazi plan of how a European central bank would work. As an exercise in logic it would be wrong to have an opposite point of view just because the Nazis had a good policy in a particular area. However most policies have some corner stone to them and I wouldn't want National Socialism

axer

FiSe wrote:

The thing about Germany of today is, that they are basicaly living in denial of their own recent history.

I strongly disagree. They are not in denial about it at all. They are dealing with it. They feel a responsibility to ensure it doesn't happen again as they are obviously ashamed of it.

The german people have been through a hard time with first the Nazi's and then the Russians (i live in E Germany) and then they are called Nazi's by racists abroad. If you watch German TV you will see that they make fun of the Nazis and make films about what happened - they do not forget nor are they in denial.

Zebra3

mike65 wrote:

Estimated holocaust dead I expect, though you could add many more of course thoughout 1933-1945.

Estimated holocaust dead was approx 11,000,000.

angelicsaz

my granny, having survived concentration camps, died this june, i remember the last few days with her she talked alot about the war.....it was the first time, that the granchildren or her own children had never heard her metion the word war....
she had been branded, a swastika on her upper arm and many a time became a target for abuse as people thought she was supportive on the whole regime.
anyways i dont really know why i said all that i lost my train of thought..............
i think that while it seems germans have gone overboard, like about the swastika thing at the shows, i think that it still needs time to heal as a county.... i really dont remember my point at all.... im jus gonna leave this now i'll come back if i remember later