What was it about Hitler and/or this setting that could work people up into such a frenzy, bordering on mass hysteria, that could make them forget about their own supposed moral values? What dynamics could produce such an effect?
-BB-
Implying of course, that it is the peoples lack of REAL moral values.
"Combine a bunch of anti-Semitism, populist appeal, inflation about 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 marks to the pre-war mark, continuing Versailles payments, unemployment, rioting the streets, and a bit of chrisma from an orator such as Hitler, the Nazis get a much better chance."
-Doc-
Your answer doc, empathizes cicumstances, which agreed, have much to do with ~when~ these events occur.
But only Koestler says that the real problem is an inate 'urge' to fanatical devotion.
People have an inborn desire, [a tribal instinct?] to 'belong', to seek a strong leader.
Pandering to this 'group think' motivation is the opposite of what we, as a free society, should be teaching.
We should be encouraging independant thinking, not devotion to a cause.
"The continuous disasters of man's history are mainly due to his excessive capacity and urge to become identified with a tribe, nation, church or cause, and to espouse its credo uncritically and enthusiastically, even if its tenets are contrary to reason, devoid of self-interest and detrimental to the claims of self-preservation. We are thus driven to the unfashionable conclusion that the trouble with our species is not an excess of aggression, but an excess capacity for fanatical devotion." -Arthur Koestler-
Forgive me, tpaine, but people who stand by and watch the murder of helpless innocents objectively lack REAL moral values.