Werthmann on How Totalinarianism Came to Austria
 

Full read
http://newzeal.blogspot.com/2010/01/...nism-came.html

Uh.......:-?

I'm not trying to rip on your post or anything, Kiwi, but I'm a little baffled. I thought the nature of the Austrian Anschluss was common knowledge for those who care to know. Pretty much every person I have ever spoken with who knew Austria was a country seemed to know that Austria willingly joined the Reich amongst difficult circumstances, and these are Americans I'm talking about. Granted, not many of them could place Austria on a map of Austria, but those that could be bothered with such things always seemed to be in the know.


In any case, Ms. Werthmann has a powerful message that retains its potency even in today's increasingly sophisticated sociopolitical climate. So many are dismissive of the lessons that the past has taught us. They are on guard for brutal dictators and vengeful demagouges, but they rarely stop to consider the brilliant statesman who will help us out of our suffering if only we would grant him a little more power. Good government always dies amidst thunderous applause. :nope:

How is it that so comparitively few people see how thin the line is between aid and totalitarianism? Even in the US there are few who realize that during our greatest domestic crisis, the great depression, there was a man in office who tried to pack the Supreme Court and establish a congressional hegemony. A man who is to this day hailed as a hero and a great leader, despite the terrible consequences of all his actions. Well, the winners do write the history books. More a consequence of vehement propaganda than anything else.

What's more is that so many do not seem to understand the consequences of falling off of that precipice. Once freedom is lost it is lost for good unless copious amounts of blood are sacrificed to return it. No government in the history of the world, ever, has ever willingly returned power it has been granted. It takes a lot of force, usually violent force, to get a government to surrender power. The only other real way for a government to surrender power is by its own natural collapse, brought about by its abuse of the source of its power; the people, and more importantly, their money. States will willingly give vast amounts of both currency and life to sustain themselves, even if it ultimately leads to their demise. Of course, this is all to the detriment of the people, even if a a regime change is eventually effected.

I wonder how many times we will have to learn this before we finally decide to avoid it, assuming we ever do.

Just the sort of wierdo you would expect from eagle forums.

Hitler did just roll in and took Austria over.
Later after getting rid of political opposition and removing whole sections of Austrian societies right to vote they then held a vote which was conducted by the military occupiers not the austrians. Saddam used to get 99% of the vote, it doesn't mean Iraqis elected him anymore than Austrians elected Hitler

I like that the gun ownership myth is thrown in for good measure. It wouldn't be a proper wingnut piece without it

In Germany, last year there was repeated discussion and one or two TV docus showing newly discovered old film material that proves that the ammount to which Austrians already were "Nazified" and supported Hitler's movement long before he grabed the ultimate power in Germany so far has been underestimated. Of course, Austria is not too happy to learn this, since so far the more popular position was that although Hitler was a native Austrian, neverthless Austria was somewhat a victim of the Third Reich's policies. But that cannot be claimed anymore. Support for the Nazis was very very substantial and solid in the high, middle and low classes and throught the bourgeoise long before the Anschluß and before the years of 1939, 1937, even 1933.

The material showing this includes rare coloured film footage that just has been found in historian archives in the past 2 or 3 years.

The question of to what degree austrians or Germans are guilty of having created Hitler, is a sensitive one between both people, leading to sometimes very emotional, passionate discussions. It has become a very strong push into a new direction thta ebfore officially was almost ignored by officials. That now the official criticism of this new interpreation of history nevertheless is remarkably defensive and cautious shows that even in Austria an awareness is growing that just comfortably leave all the responsibility to the Germans and claiming the status of an victim for oneself no longer is supportable.

Thanks!. One reason why i put it here as i wanted to see if i was wrong in thinking the same as what you practically wrote. I answered on that blog that this is all old news. Those that has read anything about the history of ww2 already knows what happen in Austria.

Just making sure i wasn't in one of my parallel worlds when i first read that blog. :DL

The sorry thing about all this is many will answer that blog with OMG i never knew that. Like the time when my son was explaining COD game to his female friends and they turned and said... Who's Adolf Hitler?...Never even heard of him, why, cause they don't teach that type of history over here. :nope:

Thats why we have ww2 pc games...