I really like John's point on Hitler's rise to power:
" ... the inability of the majority of the polity and especially the union
movement to compromise their dearly held principles and unify in the face
of Hitler was the specific weakness that lead to the appointment of Hitler
as Chancellor."
As Hal Draper points out in that 1967 ISR article Nate referred us to, a
key culprit may have been "the Communist Party, which was then pursuing the
criminal policy of "After Hitler we come" and "Social-fascists are the main
enemy.""
This was the so-called ultraleft sectarian "Red Period" the Stalinized
Communist International was carrying out, where it had the policy of
refusing to work in united fronts with social democrats and other
forces. The resultant inability of the working classes and democratic
forces in general to stand up to the fascist threat in the Reichstag and,
even more importantly, in the streets - where the Blackshirts were breaking
up meetings and printing presses and conducting their violent, vile racist
campaigns of intimidation and reaction - is one of the great tragedies of
modern history.
Auschwitz is an ultimate, unspeakable horror to remind us of these hard-won
lessons. David, Mike, Ana, Iraj, Nate, John, Vera, Eugene, everyone, thank
you for driving these lessons home, and how hard they are to even think of.
And Vera, thank you especially for asking those deep questions and
reminding us that CHAT and social science today can - or at least should -
play a role in understanding and applying what we have learned - if we keep
asking the right questions, and don't give up looking for answers. As that
famous saying goes, those who do not learn from history are doomed to
repeat it (who originally said that?). My hope is that CHAT is a way to
help us learn from history, to understand human psychology and human
culture in a new way, and in doing so, help construct a better future.
- Steve
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