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Are we all Nazis?
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 10, 2012
What to say about this book...even though it was published in 1978, it's message is still very much applicable to our time. And what is that message? The message is that when people do not think for themselves, and allow religion, government, and other authorities to shape our actions, we become just as guilty and accountable as any Nazi SS officer who was just "following orders". Any American soldier who abuses civilians in other countries at the prompting of their superiors. Any one who wages war on other countries or peoples in the name of God and religion. We cannot, as a society, continue to justify our individual wrong doings by claiming we've committed them in the name of any authority. We cannot continue to commit crimes and absolve ourselves of any responsibility because a higher power told us to do it.
One of my favorite passages:
"It is almost always obvious, or so it seems to me, what one ought to do in a given situation provided that one is willing to think independently of one's Holy Cows: one does not inflict pain, physical or mental; one does not exploit or put down; one avoids hypocrisy; one helps. And the point is not to love one's neighbor, but to be fair to him. Thus, I am convinced that the old issue of good and evil is, for practical purposes at any rate, much simpler than most philosophers and others would have it."
Don't let the title put you off: this isn't just another book about the atrocities committed by Hitler and his mindless Nazi army. It's much deeper than that. It forces you to look at yourself, to dig deep and reflect on how you yourself would react in a given situation similar to that of the men who followed Hitler, Stalin, and other like minded leaders.
Will you help change the course of history, one human at a time? Or will you help perpetuate the mindless crime and hatred that is working to destroy humanity? I can't recommend this book enough. It might be difficult to find a copy, but it would be well worth the read.
One of my favorite passages:
"It is almost always obvious, or so it seems to me, what one ought to do in a given situation provided that one is willing to think independently of one's Holy Cows: one does not inflict pain, physical or mental; one does not exploit or put down; one avoids hypocrisy; one helps. And the point is not to love one's neighbor, but to be fair to him. Thus, I am convinced that the old issue of good and evil is, for practical purposes at any rate, much simpler than most philosophers and others would have it."
Don't let the title put you off: this isn't just another book about the atrocities committed by Hitler and his mindless Nazi army. It's much deeper than that. It forces you to look at yourself, to dig deep and reflect on how you yourself would react in a given situation similar to that of the men who followed Hitler, Stalin, and other like minded leaders.
Will you help change the course of history, one human at a time? Or will you help perpetuate the mindless crime and hatred that is working to destroy humanity? I can't recommend this book enough. It might be difficult to find a copy, but it would be well worth the read.
June 6, 2022
An important book. Relevant and terrifying.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews