Eric Hoffer Quotes
We join a mass movement to escape individual responsibility, or, in the words of the ardent young Nazi, "to be free from freedom." It was not sheer hypocrisy when the rank-and-file Nazis declared themselves not guilty of all the enormities they had committed. They considered themselves cheated and maligned when made to shoulder responsibility for obeying orders. Had they not joined the Nazi movement in order to be free from responsibility?
Eric Hoffer, 1902-1983, Philosopher and Critic, The True Believer, 1951
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
The Professor was explaining the explanation of the so-called “Frankfurt School” of WWII policy advisors Franz Neumann, Herbert Marcuse, and Otto Kirchheimer.
Ironically Germany and almost all Germans have repudiated the Nazi era and atrocities against the Jews and others. However, the Arabs many of whom were Nazi WWII allies still hold and spew false and dangerous Nazi propaganda. See {584354} for some of the earlier Arab Nazi activity.
Although he was personally not involved with the worst of the atrocities, he not only financed most of the German aggression and he accepted and used the gold fillings for the German Bank that were taken from the murdered concentration camp victims. See {633537}.
Funk was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. He was released for ill health shortly before he died.
The allies—mostly under American Pressure—only tried the highest ranking Nazi war criminals. Many wanted to try the rest, but they did not prevail. Lord Russell, the English prosecutor at Nuremburg resigned in protest as he had case files on over 100,000 Nazi war criminals who were never prosecuted. The main object was to use those officials to establish a strong anti-Communist government in post war Germany.
He was a viscious anti-Semite who attracted to his party extreme right wingers, Nazi Sympathers and apologists for the Vichey Franch government. The party was rejected by the majority of French voters, but when his daughter took over the party, she was not an anti Semite but foudn it hard to shake the party's image which was alaysa associated with her name even when she actually kicked her father out of the party.
Although the Nazis railed against the Communists & Socialists, the potential opposition they feared the most was the middle class. See also {582967}.
Although the Nazis railed against the Communists & Socialists, the potential opposition they feared the most was the middle class. See also {582966}.
Eichmann had been responsible for the logistics of murdering most of the over 6 million civilians in WWII. With the aid of pro Nazis in South America he had been hiding there from the allies and justice. Israeli agents located him, kidnapped him, and transported him to Israel where he was tried and hung for crimes against humanity.
Frau Wagner was one of several agents of Nazi Germany sent to the United States to develop good will for Germany and funds for Hitler. Anti-German feeling was still high from the First World War but America had its share of right wingers like Ford. Hitler and Ford were mutual admirers. See {586988} for Hitler’s view of Ford.
This new form of patriotism, this encouragement of pregnancy—even outside of marriage—was just too controversial. Himmler withdrew the order. It illustrates that even in a brutal dictatorship, public opinion can influence government.
He had been part of a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. There were a small group of Anti Nazi Germans during WW II. Carnaris was one. Most were killed.
Eric Hoffer was an American moral and social philosopher. He was the author of ten books and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in February 1983. His first book, The True Believer (1951), was widely recognized as a classic, receiving critical acclaim from both scholars and laymen, although Hoffer believed that The Ordeal of Change was his finest work.
