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Re: You bet, when Audiophilander does...

I think that there is some confusion between humanizing Hitler and educating people about Hitler. Hitler had a life outside of the public spectacle. I, for one, want to see what he was like when he was not giving the speeches, and not giving the orders to exterminate Jews, Homosexuals, Gypsies, etc. That is part of the education process. We ridicule as being closeminded and afraid of the truth those who do not want to see depictions of Christ in any way other than doing the greats things that he was supposed to do. I think that the same applies here.

Acknowledging that Hitler liked dogs, women, cleaniless, music, etc. provides us a window into how a madman can have two personalities, and that one does not necessarily influence the other. There is a good lesson here. A madman can be any shape. Looking for a madman, or someone with those tendencies, requires more than looking for someone who advertises as such. It can be the meek guy in the corner. Suggesting that there is something dangerous about "humanizing" Hitler is wrong.

I saw the documentary with Hitler's secretary, the name of which I do not recall. I found it to be very illustrating. I do not have access to German television, and so have not been able to watch the hours of tape over those airwaves. So, to us gringos, that material is fresh and largely unseen.

Have you seen "Max", with John Cusack, who plays an art dealer that befriends a young Hitler, who had aspirations of being an artist. That film also "humanized" Hitler. The filmmakers make the point that had Hitler's art been taken more seriously, maybe he would not have found his outlet in racial politics. Who knows? But it is certainly something to think about, and does not diminish what Hitler became. Very good film.

This dialog reminds me of Mel Brooks depictions of Hitler. I remember seeing an interview where he explained that members of his family had been exterminated by Hitler. He was in the United States military stationed in Europe at that time. He recalled his frustration at not being able to kill Hitler. After the war, he decided that the only way for him to get back at Hitler was to make the world laugh at him. So he decided that when he made movies, he would use Hitler as the butt of his jokes. You may or may not agree with Brooks. But he certainly did not reduce Hitler's reputation as being a madman. Rather, I think he may have contributed to the view that Hitler was rather pathetic.

Knowledge is a good thing. Even when it does not comport with our world views, and with our prejudices.


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