Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/09/09
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Well, I say such a thing because it is true. Unless you believe that Germans were seized by a mass psychosis between 1933 and at least 1939 and probably beyond, you have to assume that they were a people much like any other and therefore that in the same circumstances other human beings would have acted very similarly. Neither you nor I can imagine how we would have felt had we lived through WWI and the treaty of Versailles and the russian revolution and the Weimar republic and all the rest of it. Statistically speaking, about half of us, had we grown up in Germany and been living in Germany in the thirties, would have supported Hitler. And who are you or I to say we would not have been one of them. I have been taken in by politicians -- haven't you? I have been thinking about this a lot recently because I am writing a movie about a 'good German' in that period who is struggling with the decision as to whether or not to betray his country in an attempt to bring down Hitler, and have been forced to think myself into the minds of ordinary people like his wife and his work colleagues as they go about their business. Dramatizing the process by which he comes to his decision has been very interesting. A little humility is always in order when judging the mistakes of the past. On Tuesday, September 9, 2003, at 02:07 PM, bdcolen wrote: > I seriously doubt that you would, Johnny, and I wonder why you would > even hypothetically say such a thing. > > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us > [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of Johnny > Deadman > Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 1:11 PM > To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us > Subject: Re: [Leica] Riefenstahl Dies > > > Were we to all be suddenly transported back to pre WWII Germany without > the benefit of hindsight it is a sobering thought that about half the > people on this list would be supporters of Hitler (I have no idea how > many Jewish members this list has but I exempt them from my > generalization). Maybe I would. Maybe you would. > > Maybe we too would have been there at Nuremberg with our Leicas. - -- John Brownlow http://www.pinkheadedbug.com http://www.unintended-consequences.com - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html