The old saying is "Power Corrupts and Total Power Corrupts Totally" and Hitlers case this couldn't be more true

He was a genius that turned into totally insanity

Originally Posted by PrincessRed

First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.

While the translation sucks (and big time, they skipped the catholics and changed the order, appending the original), the condensed meaning is my take exactly (as he was *not* an "Anti Nazi Activist" and repented later for this in front of US Congress):

Stop it *when it is starting*. It probably is your only and last chance.

Freedom is lost in tiny pieces.

Rattler

P.S.: And probably because (as German) this hard AAR LL we here were so hysterically about Bush as he started stuff in similar manners... NOTE the similarity to this forums Brit Big Brother CCTV thread: Now it only is about ppl running their car w/o insurance, but "this does not concern me as *I* have my car insured", "...nothing to hide...", etc... want to bet on the end status? R.

-------------- APPENDIX Martin Niemöller Citation Original ---------------------

Register of Congress, OCT 14, 1968, page 31636, Martin Niemöller speaking:

"When Hitler attacked the Jews I was not a Jew, therefore I was not concerned. And when Hitler attacked the Catholics, I was not a Catholic, and therefore, I was not concerned. And when Hitler attacked the unions and industrialists, I was not a member of the unions and I was not concerned. Then, Hitler attacked me and the Protestant church -- and there was nobody left to be concerned."

The German public has it like this (streamlined but more impressive, closer to what Red Princess stated as translation):

Zuerst holten sie die Kommunisten,
und ich sagte nichts, weil ich kein Kommunist war.

Dann holten sie die Juden,
und ich sagte nichts, weil ich kein Jude war.

Dann holten sie die Gewerkschaftler,
und ich sagte nichts, weil ich kein Gewerkschaftler war.

Dann holten sie die Katholiken,
und ich sagte nichts, weil ich ein Protestant war.

Dann kamen sie auch um mich zu holen -
und dann war niemand mehr da, um für mich zu sprechen.

Insane Idiot/Brilliant Madman -
You could argue that one till the angels sing hosannas and the nether region freezes over, and no two people or experts, will ever agree.

The one thing that most people WILL agree on, is the fact that Hitler was evil personified. He didn't seem to have that little quirk that people call a conscience. He was all in favor of the holocaust, and all of the "pogroms" against those minority groups he considered enemies.

While his sanity COULD be questioned after the attempt on his life, Hitler suffered various mental deficiencies throughout his life (heavy depression, paranoia etc). Part of the problem when trying to judge Hitler's sanity etc, is the very real fact that the records were very selective as to inclusion of Hitler's day-to-day mental states ... those that were around Hitler, didn't want anything on paper that could have been used by Hitler and his closest associates against the record keepers.

I don't know that Hitler was certifiably mad.

He was certainly neurotic with many odd personality traits, many of which were noted as a child. I think all of those things that later made people say that he was mad were no more than a progression of his neuroses as he gained power and like so many in power started to believe in his own infallibility.

This however would not qualify him as "mad"

He was a loner.
He always saw himself as a "leader"
He loved pomp and splendour even as a small child.
Was not keen on children.
Generally contemptuous of women.

These are just the start, but none of them on their own are much more than a little "unusual", hardly the thing that would mark a raving "madman"

How many "odd" personality traits can we find.

Yeah a lot of folks we think are crazy are actually not.
Most serial killers are actually surprisingly rational, but they develop a strange addiction to killing people in strange ways.

Originally Posted by the_13th_redneck

Yeah a lot of folks we think are crazy are actually not.
Most serial killers -snip- develop a strange addiction to killing people in strange ways.

ROFL!!!

Rattler

No actually I did a report on serial killers and I was surprised to find that the guys who deal with them readily agree that these people are actually not crazy.

i have to say that despite the fact he killed alot of my family and my poeple...he was a genoius for being able to do so....its horrfing how a man can be smart and dumb on the same time

Originally Posted by the_13th_redneck

No actually I did a report on serial killers and I was surprised to find that the guys who deal with them readily agree that these people are actually not crazy.

this makes you wonder, how many of us "normal" people are able to do such horrible stuff. i mean is there such a monster in everybody?