by Mr. Monday Night 16 Replies latest jw friends
Was Adolf Hitler really a "genius" or was he in the right place, at the right time?
I think he was evil (obviously), but at the same time, he was a great speaker and was able to "trick" the minds of the German people pre-WWII and during the Second World War.
I would like to hear your thoughts...
Ciao,
MMN
I say he was like the various Streptococcus bacteria naturally found on and in the human body. They're harmless until you get down and then they kill you. He was a once in a century opportunist.
No genius necessary - he simply fit the profile of a charismatic leader and the timing was right; anytime there is widespread economic downturn and massive poverty (ie Germany 1920's - 30's), people will look for a scapegoat. Right time and place.
I'm with Independent Tre, Hitler was the right guy, at the right time. There's always the potential for another Hitler too. Germany was still bitter after WWI, and the sanctions placed upon them crippled their economy. Those seeds of discontent laid there, and other European countries took it for granted that Germany was controlled, when really there was no super power in Europe, it was up for grabs at the time. Germany initially played their hand better than the other countries. They got the drop on everybody else. A side of me respects them for it. As far as the "evil" aspect of it, was he really so "evil" when you consider there's a LOT of people who hate or are suspiscious of Jews today, as they were then? Then it was more open I believe. I don't think he was evil as much as he was a product of his enviroment. All throughout Europe people had and still have negative outlooks towards Jews and "others."
On the other hand, economics plays a role too, cuz when times are bad, people look for someone to blame, the Jews are all too easy. Even now, countries that were enemies of Germany during the WW years, have segments of their population embracing Nazism. Russia has the highest percentage of Neo Nazi Skinheads now, and the goverment just banned Mein Kampf. Even Poland has Nazi Skins now. Who would have thought 50 years after WW2, those countries would have a significant portion of their population taking a liking to Hitler's ideology? I wouldnt be surprised that with a Black president, and a mediocre economy, questionable immigration policiec, I wouldn't be surprised if out of one of the major political parties, emerges a Hitler-Lite.
He was certainly no genius, just a power hungry, despotic, opportunist. He was not creative even his art was pretty mediocre. He was good at assimilating other people's ideas and putting the mechanisms in place to execute them and he was very charismatic and in social circles charming.
There's a fine line between genius and insanity. They're both abnormalities.
Ofcourse he was a genius....he had a pact with the WT and then screwed them.
I thought that the doctors of the time, calculated his IQ of about 140..so if true, technically he was a genius. sammieswife.
I would say he was a genius, yes. As John Doe said, though, there's a fine line between genius and insanity. Not to say that somebody can't possess both.
He may or may not have been a genius, but his success as a leader, such as it was, was based much more on audacity and opportunism than some sort of genius master plan. Audacity is the key.
