The Nazis. A Warning from History. Part 2

The DVD of the BBC television production with this title intensifies in part 2 as Nazi rule over Germany is described. The major surprise is that the Nazi system was -- in important respects -- run from the bottom up. That is, the German people for various reasons supported Hitler and the Nazis and made the whole system work through voluntary denunciations of fellow citizens to the Gestapo.

In interviews, vignettes, historical film footage, and state-of-the-art graphics this documentary film explores the social functioning of the Third Reich. While the influence of Hitler cannot be denied, it is clearer than ever before that the German people had in them a desire for arrogance and superiority which the Nazis brilliantly fed.

But while the outward forms of the regime were impressive, behind the scenes party and government functioning was chaotic with two people often being given nearly identical jobs. Overlap and jealousy was bound to develop.

Ambition trumped good sense in a system in which people scrambled to please the Fuhrer. Heinrich Himmler took action which resulted in the death of the brown shirt movement and the assassination of its leader because Himmler wanted greater personal power.

In an age of forgetfulness, this documentary provides a vital memory check. Indeed, we must never forget the atrocities of this brutal fascist Nazi regime in which anyone who didn't seem to fit in was in many cases jailed or even murdered. With grave peril do we dismiss or denigrate the meaning of the Nazi horror in twentieth century Germany.

The Nazis. A Warning from History

Tonight I have begun watching an important BBC series entitled "The Nazis. A Lesson from History."

Although I have only watched the first portion of part 1, it is already clear this is a beautifully produced documentary. My only criticism to this point is the earliest history of Hitler's involvement in the Nazi Party is very sketchy. Otherwise, the information appears correct, the production values are first-rate, and the point of view is correct.

I highly recommend this series, available on DVD.

Catching Up with Philip Berg

Here is the latest news regarding the efforts of Attorney Philip Berg to explore legitimate questions of Barack Obama's ability to Constitutionally serve as President.

This issue continues to simmer. What is heartening is that Philip Berg refuses to back down and give up in the face of a deafening indifference on the part of the media establishment in the U.S. He has a feel for history as well as current events, in this regard. He seems to sense that history will be on his side. In any event, there is nothing wrong with seeking the truth, a commodity seemingly in short supply these days.


http://www.alternet.org/blogs/video/134332/william_greider_and_bill_moyers_on_washington%27s_unholy_alliance_with_wall_street/

Congressional Panel Has a Better Plan!

As a follow-up to last night's post about Bill Black (see post below), this article tells of a new report by a Congressional panel which advocates firing bankers and getting control of the balance sheets of the banks, liquidating banks where appropriate. Account holders -- average citizens -- would still be protected by FDIC insurance as in the past.

This is the way to go! We must stop throwing money at the rich bankers who got us into this mess!



http://www.truthout.org/040809T

Bill Black Investigates the Crime Scene

On last Friday's Bill Moyers Journal, former special regulator dealing with the Savings and Loan debacle of the 1980s, Bill Black, talks about the recent criminal actions of bankers, financiers, and, yes, even the Bush and Obama administrations. Thus, there is plenty of blame to go around. The transcript is worth reading and the interview is worth watching. See below or click on the title above.


http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/04032009/profile.html

It's a Depression

This is still not the Great Depression of the 1930s, but it is a Depression.

-- Robert Reich

Former Clinton Administration Labor Secretary, Robert Reich, has the facts straight. And his heart is very much in the right place. We need to stop worrying about Wall Street and start worrying about Main Street -- and now!


http://www.truthout.org/040409C

The Plight of Children Under Capitalism

Earlier today I was reading about the exploitation of children in the England of the early nineteenth century. Coal was the fuel that fired the early Industrial Revolution in England, turning skies and skin black with soot. Making profits for the coal company ever so much easier were little children who could crawl into spaces too small for adults. Such work foisted upon needy families is almost unthinkable today. Yet it was the norm in the early 1800s, though largely obscured from the general public.

In our time, though children no longer are made to become miners, they nevertheless are exploited by a rapacious capitalist economy which sees children in aggregate as a multi-billion dollar profit center. The article linked below has much more to say about this subject with some valuable footnotes.


http://www.truthout.org/040309J