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sidharthvardhan 's review for:
Mein Kampf
by Adolf Hitler
When we are to impartially review a book, we should review it for its contents rather than for purposes it was used or impact it had or reputation of its author. With Mein Kemp, which has so much of blood shed on it, that it could be written in that blood a thousand times over , doing so is never easy.
We must thus first remind ourselves that blood has similarly shed on name of religious texts – ad yet they are held in high esteem.
Taken completely on basis of its contents, Mein Kemp was simply dull. There is no beauty in it. It is boringly simplistic language. The criticisms of parliamentary system are common knowledge. The alternative suggested has been proven wrong by author's own example. ‘Mein Kemp’ for all the lives it took, is at its core an instrument of propaganda and the fact that it may impress you only shows your immaturity. The fact that it is an instrument of propaganda explains to some extent the use of such simple language.
*
Thus the only reason I can think of, that one would read Mein Kemp, or rather its first volume (he intended to write twelve volumes but managed only two.) is to get into mind of its author.
My own impression of him was that he held a combination of qualities which made him what he was :
Frustration: Hitler comes out as frustration personified. Frustration because of his father, due to his failure to b successful (in his earliest pursuits)
Conspiracy theorist: Adolf Hitler is grand-daddy of all conspiracy theorists. To him, all Jews – whether children or old are carrying out a master plan of destruction for centuries. He carries out his plans to fight these nemesis with a conviction that only a conspiracy theorist can have. If jews win something they are evil, if Aryans (Hitler’s version with blue eyes) do something that is survival of fittest.)
Pseudo Logic: Hitler criticizes Jews for these follies while himself executing them. The use of Darwin for political purposes is laughable.
and above all, Loud noise
The holocausts alone are reason enough to hate him.
Was Hitler, then, a respectable person at least if not adorable? Not truely. The only good thing about him was a loud noise – which made him a natural leader of mob. The one with loudest noise owns the crowd. The whole Germany was a mob back then - frustrated by starvation and unemployment.
Besides his loud noise and blind conviction, Hitler was as average a being as any, with many of his prejudices – regarding Jews and purity of races, falling below average intelligence range. He is world’s biggest conspiracy theorist believing that somehow a confederation world’s richest Jews is ruling the world. He refuses to see that Jews are only as rich as any other section of society. He went on to call pacifists cowards but this same Hitler who had also called for a war till last man standing goes on to shoot himself –when he himself became the last man.
His popularity is just another case of conviction being confused as wisdom. That such a person should become god to any people only shows how much we have yet to learn.
*
Now something on a much more important subject. When it comes to society, reason is not a pure ‘two and two equals five’ but is rather colored by sentiments. Hence, how you like the book depends on the sentiment which judges your reasoning.
If the sentiment is one of patriotism, then you are in for some adrenalin doses. You shall find yourself frequently agreeing with the author. Unlike other political ramblings, ‘Mein Kemp’ uses language which aims at guiding people into wrong path instead of simply confusing them into it. It creates an illusion of knowledge instead of making you aware of your supposed ignorance. The language used is one anybody can understand. Hitler talks like armchair warrior friend of yours who having played IGI and having surfed internet for conspiracy theories and ammunitions, all his life believes it is always the time for some action. The problem with a book like ‘Mein Kemp’ is that it may make him believe that Hitler was right. Such people do not see red when they talk about blood; they never saw a real war.
These armchair warriors may even like Hitler. Adolf Hitler is to such a person, perhaps most thought provoking person in the history. It you were armchair –warrior- type patriot, you may chose to ignore harsher truths and may chose to believe that he took Germany – an almost dead nation and which had recently faced humiliation, and build it up to be a superpower in less than two decades. You may actually believe he is a hero. It is this very notion that is developed in book – of how is he struggling (Mein Kemp means My Struggle) to do exactly that.
DO NOT BE AN ARM CHAIR WARRIOR.
It is however, in this particular regard, that Mein Kemp can be used to draw a vital conclusion (and we are idiots for not concluding it without them) – to show dangers of patriotism. Mein Kemp goes on to show how only on names of vague and non-existent concepts of nations, can lives of millions of humans can be called to offering for sacrifice. How millions died to draw, erase and redraw those lines that divide the globe! Except for the name of god, which is an equally vague concept, nothing has taken so many lives.
………… Which brings me to second sentiment that may color your reason. One that makes you put humanity above patriotism. If we were all to just forget that we ever belonged to a nation (and imagine how wonderful that would be), we would find Mein Kemp to be one of stupidest book ever written. Here is how Albert Einstein once explained his opinion of armies:
“That a man can take pleasure in marching in formation to the strains of a band is enough to make me despise him. He has only been given his big brain by mistake; a backbone was all he needed.”
In a very similar way you could rubbish all ‘Mein Kemp’. If for once you let go of your nationalist instincts, you shall find how foolish it is to take lives or risk one’s own lives on names of such absurd things as nations. The case of Hitler shows why the cloth of Patriotism is something which child named humanity must grow out of.
*
We must thus first remind ourselves that blood has similarly shed on name of religious texts – ad yet they are held in high esteem.
Taken completely on basis of its contents, Mein Kemp was simply dull. There is no beauty in it. It is boringly simplistic language. The criticisms of parliamentary system are common knowledge. The alternative suggested has been proven wrong by author's own example. ‘Mein Kemp’ for all the lives it took, is at its core an instrument of propaganda and the fact that it may impress you only shows your immaturity. The fact that it is an instrument of propaganda explains to some extent the use of such simple language.
*
Thus the only reason I can think of, that one would read Mein Kemp, or rather its first volume (he intended to write twelve volumes but managed only two.) is to get into mind of its author.
My own impression of him was that he held a combination of qualities which made him what he was :
Frustration: Hitler comes out as frustration personified. Frustration because of his father, due to his failure to b successful (in his earliest pursuits)
Conspiracy theorist: Adolf Hitler is grand-daddy of all conspiracy theorists. To him, all Jews – whether children or old are carrying out a master plan of destruction for centuries. He carries out his plans to fight these nemesis with a conviction that only a conspiracy theorist can have. If jews win something they are evil, if Aryans (Hitler’s version with blue eyes) do something that is survival of fittest.)
Pseudo Logic: Hitler criticizes Jews for these follies while himself executing them. The use of Darwin for political purposes is laughable.
and above all, Loud noise
The holocausts alone are reason enough to hate him.
Was Hitler, then, a respectable person at least if not adorable? Not truely. The only good thing about him was a loud noise – which made him a natural leader of mob. The one with loudest noise owns the crowd. The whole Germany was a mob back then - frustrated by starvation and unemployment.
Besides his loud noise and blind conviction, Hitler was as average a being as any, with many of his prejudices – regarding Jews and purity of races, falling below average intelligence range. He is world’s biggest conspiracy theorist believing that somehow a confederation world’s richest Jews is ruling the world. He refuses to see that Jews are only as rich as any other section of society. He went on to call pacifists cowards but this same Hitler who had also called for a war till last man standing goes on to shoot himself –when he himself became the last man.
His popularity is just another case of conviction being confused as wisdom. That such a person should become god to any people only shows how much we have yet to learn.
*
Now something on a much more important subject. When it comes to society, reason is not a pure ‘two and two equals five’ but is rather colored by sentiments. Hence, how you like the book depends on the sentiment which judges your reasoning.
If the sentiment is one of patriotism, then you are in for some adrenalin doses. You shall find yourself frequently agreeing with the author. Unlike other political ramblings, ‘Mein Kemp’ uses language which aims at guiding people into wrong path instead of simply confusing them into it. It creates an illusion of knowledge instead of making you aware of your supposed ignorance. The language used is one anybody can understand. Hitler talks like armchair warrior friend of yours who having played IGI and having surfed internet for conspiracy theories and ammunitions, all his life believes it is always the time for some action. The problem with a book like ‘Mein Kemp’ is that it may make him believe that Hitler was right. Such people do not see red when they talk about blood; they never saw a real war.
These armchair warriors may even like Hitler. Adolf Hitler is to such a person, perhaps most thought provoking person in the history. It you were armchair –warrior- type patriot, you may chose to ignore harsher truths and may chose to believe that he took Germany – an almost dead nation and which had recently faced humiliation, and build it up to be a superpower in less than two decades. You may actually believe he is a hero. It is this very notion that is developed in book – of how is he struggling (Mein Kemp means My Struggle) to do exactly that.
DO NOT BE AN ARM CHAIR WARRIOR.
It is however, in this particular regard, that Mein Kemp can be used to draw a vital conclusion (and we are idiots for not concluding it without them) – to show dangers of patriotism. Mein Kemp goes on to show how only on names of vague and non-existent concepts of nations, can lives of millions of humans can be called to offering for sacrifice. How millions died to draw, erase and redraw those lines that divide the globe! Except for the name of god, which is an equally vague concept, nothing has taken so many lives.
………… Which brings me to second sentiment that may color your reason. One that makes you put humanity above patriotism. If we were all to just forget that we ever belonged to a nation (and imagine how wonderful that would be), we would find Mein Kemp to be one of stupidest book ever written. Here is how Albert Einstein once explained his opinion of armies:
“That a man can take pleasure in marching in formation to the strains of a band is enough to make me despise him. He has only been given his big brain by mistake; a backbone was all he needed.”
In a very similar way you could rubbish all ‘Mein Kemp’. If for once you let go of your nationalist instincts, you shall find how foolish it is to take lives or risk one’s own lives on names of such absurd things as nations. The case of Hitler shows why the cloth of Patriotism is something which child named humanity must grow out of.
*