Quote:
Originally Posted by Torplexed
Yes...it's amazing how centuries of history gets overshadowed by one dramatic decade. I don't know if I have good answer for you. I've often felt that if the Nazis had never existed we probably would have had to invent them. They have become the ultimate cultural shortcut for the bad guy. Our favorite dispersion to cast upon any figure we don't like from an overbearing boss to unfavored politician. Somehow substitutes like Caesar or Genghis Khan don't quite cut it.
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True, and I am pretty sure in a millenium the Nazis will have left the same mark on western civilisation as did the mongol invasions into Europe even hundrets of years later.
Nevertheless, the obsession with the Nazis from so many sides at the same time is going over the top. It's not healthy anymore. If there ever was a meaningful purpose for the word "evil", it most perfectly suits the Nazis.
And the worst part is, they are directly connected to what people all over the world obviously think of the Werhmacht and their equipment. Peeking into international boards and discussions of the second world war upon the less educated people, one could think Germany of that time period was some kind of european Sparta, tough, cruel but efficient. One wonders if there will be another "300" like movie if just enough time passes. And this is all contributed to the Nazis.
This is what is so worrysome about this development. As younger folks especially get fascinated with such a view on german history.
So, with other words, the germans of today have to deal with the blame and shame, less by now from western europe and the US, the more from eastern europe (it has to be stated, they had to suffer so much more then westernn europe, so it is understandable to a degree), while the Nazis themselves from that time get more and more credit, even if only through the achievements of the german army and science.
That this leads to pretty much warped preceptions of where to aim political ambitions, especially with the younger generations that feel less and less responsible for what happend, should be obvious.