Originally Posted by BleedingPinky

That is a very VERY complicated question to answer imho. From what I have read in the past, (everything concerning the 20th century history, especially the first half, has always been very interesting to me), anti-semitism in Europe did not start with Hitler and germans. It goes back to the 14th century or so. Long, long story, dealing not only with religious issues, but with economical ones as well. How could the whole country (Germany) succumb with blind faith to Hitler´s ideas?
He gave the mass hope. Right after wwI, Germany was byting the dust in every sense. The twenties were really bad for them both for economy and as a nation. Versalles treaty left them (imo deserved, but I´m trying not to give my personal thoughts of the subject here) naked.

Political context in Europe was (is) much more complex than it is at the US. Sure the 1929 black friday had it´s consequences, but no ww1 battles were held in American territory nor political systems were (are) as well defined and stable as in the US. Move 100 miles in whatever direction within Europe and you have to learn another language, so to speak.

Whenever whatever country hits the ground, and I mean really hits the ground, war days are close. Make them civil wars or against your neighbours. This individual (Hitler) and his gang used the anti-semitism and the armament industry for rebuilding the german economy. People kept their ears and eyes shut as long as they saw they suddenly could improve their daily lives. There´s some term in sociology (sorry, I can´t remember the name of it) that deals with how people react in such a different way individually as opossed as when packed in like a stadium for a sport event. Now you just have to build that sense of community everywhere (Stalin´s aproach was no different, even regarding racism too, but that´s another story), and then you suddenly turn the mass into stupid sheep. Ouch, too much typing, and I´m sure my English here is rusty as hell, but I hope to have transmitted the idea of how I see it. Oh, and MANY non germans liked the Nazis. No doubt. Vichy republic, Dutchlanders, Swedish, Dannish, etc. But I think not as a whole, just a considerable amount of population. Remember Lindberg? There were a bunch like him in the States too, who favoured Hitlers ideas.

Originally Posted by chrisbb

Henry Ford, Prescott Bush, the Rockefellers among others

Originally Posted by michelemichele

Anti-Semitism was rampant in Europe, with periods where 'persucution' (mass murder) flared up, and others where it had quietened down. France expelled Jews at around 1000, 1100, 1200's (come here, go away, come here, go away), Edward I expelled Jews from England around 1290. Throughout Europe, Jews were forced to wear clothing/badges identifying themselves as such, were barred from most skilled labour (leaving them to financial areas -- one more strike against them), and you'd be horrified if you'd read accounts of whole Jewish districts -- precursors of 20th Century ghettos -- burned during the Black Plague: they were blamed for it. Then there was the Inquisition. Later on, around the French Revolution, they fled to Russia. We know how much fun Russia turned out being.

Leading up to this: Nazi Germany was the face of an extremist attitude that had prevailed in Europe for centuries. After reading things on bulletin boards, said attitude hasn't gone away.

Part of my family emigrated from post-WW2 Germany, so this is quite the subject among us. My mother swears she didn't see anything, that her family shook their heads when they heard reports of riots from 'the city' as riff-raff, and they believed the one camp she lived near later ('near' being a hundred miles away) during the war, she (& others) thought as some kind of 're-education' camp. Since she worked for the Kreisleitung (a kind of district office), she knew of a few people who were released, though there were rumours of 'something else' going on.

And that's just it: rumours. Those rumours turned out to be the tip of the ice burg, only they couldn't believe it until they saw the news reels and photographs themselves. Looking back, you'd think it was obvious, given Hitler's speeches, but to them it was rhetoric. Attacking Jewish people was no more acceptable there than it would be acceptable lynching blacks in the US... when it happened openly, it was in particular areas... much like the American South, or Chicago back in the twenties. Look at the amount of denial each country has with whatever minority group is at the bottom of the cultural barrel, and take a good look in the mirror.

I was weary of this idea of charactured Nazis goose-stepping their way through history as if they're some sort of anomaly last year, when a couple of flaming neo-Nazis slimed their way through post after post. Oh, but those were such nice people, how could some of us slam them for what they were?

There you go: the banality of evil, its ubiquitousness, and our blindness to it today. I didn't quite accept what she said until I started posting on bulletin boards, and reading the books I've been reading for the past year and a half. It's been quite an education.

/end speech

Originally Posted by Chungar

1. yes
2. yes
3. yes
4. maybe - just think of the ways that death row inmates are killed - as quickly and humane as possible

These are valid questions but you forgot a couple of things about it...

Is mass murder of particular race, creed, or color wrong?
Definitely Yes

Is that any worse than mass murder of an indiscriminate group?
Definitely Yes, if your a member of the particular race that's being killed

Originally Posted by Dr. Zaius

But a good speech.

Originally Posted by BillCosby

Good points all...........

As I said I was not going to elaborate. Mostly for reasons of time...

You are welcome ot your opinions.........

IMO murder is wrong.......... How you murder or the stupid reason you do it make it still murder...........

Ppl have been slaughtering each other since time Emortal. WHenever the hell that was.......

What I find most troubling in all this is just how easily it is done......

How seemly normal ppl can turn a blind eye to or engage in such behavior........

I am very afraid this behavior or @ least the susceptibility to it is w/in most of us & given the right circumstances & or motivations many of us are capable of horrendous acts..........

Originally Posted by michelemichele

Well, this is one of the reasons I bought 'The Lucifer Effect', a book title I posted in the Arts section. I understand how things happen... yet I don't understand.

Basically, the author covers some hair-raising results of experiments where people caved into perceived pressure, and he discusses prison abuses, Abu Ghraib (& so on -- I haven't read it yet). His point has to do with group mentality (not unknown to us), especially when we think intellectuals (professors, scientists) endorse what would otherwise be unacceptable behaviour.

(Amazon reviews would describe it better)

Originally Posted by disfigured

When things are bad, point at a group of people and blame them. If things get better then in the minds of some or many people, it must be true. If that group of people already had a stigma surrounding them it's even easier.

It's a psychological fact that if the responsibility for abusing others is taken from the top down, any number of atrocities can be committed by what would have been normal humans. Obviously the Holocaust is an extreme example. But even Cheney's "taking off the gloves" statement was the absolute wrong thing to do and say.

My friend is a prison guard in N.H and he says if he ever heard that type of statement from the top, by the time it trickles down, people are getting abused, not just "leaned on" harder.

The very top of the echelon has to keep the highest morality, even then subordinates bend and break rules. If the top end isn't caring, no one else will be exponentially down the line.