Reply to I'm sorry about the holocaust, but enough is enough already. The guy is too old.

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Reply to "I'm sorry about the holocaust, but enough is enough already. The guy is too old."

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]While I am fine with this man being held responsible,[b] I do wonder about kids who were/are brought up within a family that is Nazi [/b]/ Taliban. [b]where what they have been taught from birth, what they have been told is right, what they have seen modeled, the values, beliefs, propaganda they have been told all have shaped who they are[/b]. Often a child deviating from the beliefs of their families would be seen as completely unacceptable and have major consequences. These kids weren't/aren't being taught to think for themselves, question authority, defy their parents.

And the age thing is interesting. we see post after post on here about how a 14 yr old isn't old enough to stay home alone, take public transit etc.. but we then say that 14 is old enough to defy family and cultural beliefs and strike out on his own? People on here refer to early twenties as still teens, not able to financially support themselves, brains still developing, partying to excess, risk and experimentation and making stupid decisions is all just part of being young but a guy the same age should stand against orders to join an army and make decisions based on a conscious that has not been developed to believe that what he is doing is wrong? To defy orders of his superiors would likely have meant his death. Would it have been noble for him to do so - sure. But would many of the 22 yr olds here would go against friends, family, leaders, country, and authorities for a cause they had been brought up to believe in was wrong, and die for it? It wasn't they they were raised to be free thinkers.

Many believe that our soldiers going to war and killing others, including innocent families and children is wrong. Right or wrong are relative to the position you hold and how you came to hold that position. [/quote]

If you read up on Nazi Germany, much of this indoctrination was from the government and through the schools.  Children were encouraged to turn in their parents if they knew the parents felt, thought or acted differently than good Aryan families should.  [/quote]

And when I say "good" I actually mean vile and inhumane.

I don't see how people can rationalize and excuse his behavior, no matter where he learned it.[/quote]

I am not rationalizing or excusing his behavior. As I said I have no issue with him being held responsible. I just don't think his actions existed in a vacuum. Even the bystander effect - people don't do the right thing even when they have full control and aren't indoctrinated and brainwashed and pressured to conform. Think of a sea of Nazi uniforms and of the courage and strength it would take for one person within that army to speak up and say, [i]"excuse me but I am questioning everything I have ever been taught and my conscious is saying I must shed this uniform and not participate"[/i]...knowing that would mean an immediate bullet to the head and likely dire consequences for that person's entire family.

People seem to think that they would have been that person, that they would have stood up to the wrong, and I don't know that in the situation they would. One is also assuming that most of the Nazi's actually believed that what they were doing was wrong. There is much death and killing of innocent people in the name of every war and protecting one's country that is deemed justifiable.

Understanding the power and fear of indoctrination and brainwashing and coercion and threat helps us understand people's actions. I think we build a better society and world by understanding the root of people's horrific actions, rather than simply calling for blood after they are committed. [/quote]

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