Mein Kampf to be republished?
Some of you may or may not know this, but Mein Kampf (”My Struggle”, a book of Hitler’s political ravings) is banned in Germany. The only people who are allowed access to it are teachers who are allotted a restricted time for review. When the second World War ended, the rights to the book were maintained by the state of Bavaria who expressed forbade any reprinting of the book in Germany. In 2015, the publishing rights to the book expire, making it eligible for reprinting.
The controversy lies in whether or not such a destructive and hateful book should be allowed back into Germany after the horror of the Holocaust. I don’t normally like to pull my personal faith into matters like this, but as a Jewish person I believe that Mein Kampf should be reprinted and distributed for all to read. Why? Firstly, banning a book does not stop people from finding it on Google, Youtube, or torrent networks. Because this book is a historical writing, it has value to more than just crazed Neo-Nazis. It has value to students, to everyday people so that they can personally read the book which led to the extermination of millions of people.
Secondly, banning the book from being published shows a lack of Germany’s ability to confront what happened during World War II. The German government has a responsibility to educate its own citizens about the consequences of racism and xenophobia. It wasn’t until university that I had an actual German history class which did not seek to water down and tip-toe around the issue.
This reprinting controversy somewhat ties into the banning of the public denial of the Holocaust. Meaning: I cannot go publicly deny that the Holocaust happened. I’m not for people saying denying something so evident and obvious as the Holocaust, but I believe in free speech. If someone wants to be stupid and say that, then they should have the right. Just like I have the right to say that the Holocaust-Hoax initiative is completely false.
It all comes down to the German government wanting to censor access to historical writings/films as well as free speech. It needs to come to a stop. How are we supposed to remember our country’s biggest mistake if we’re denied these things? They need to learn that the internet has opened the door to neo-Nazis. Rather than trying to prevent a problem that’s so easily circumvented, they should just release their stranglehold on our rights.
Tags: Miscellaneous |
August 22nd, 2007 at 11:16 pm
Don’t say that, you sound like an 1800th century British subject living in the American Colonies, or a 4th century Christian scholar arguing about the legitimacy of pagan sources of knowledge. Lol, more freedom is always better.
Two things rule all decisions in the world. Security and Freedom. You might not think it, but they are inherently opposites. When one is held higher the other one suffers. As time progresses people sacrifice more and more freedom for more and more security. This is due to a desire to hold on the the prosperity gained by a civilization that is growing and expanding, and also by the fact that a prosperous entity has the ability to protect itself.
So what does this have to do with Mein Kampf? Security is not only an external protection, but also an internal one as well. One of the greatest defense mechanisms available to an individual is denial. Basically a person avoids facing the responsibility faced a given decision. Necessarily the individual decides it is better to sacrifice the ability to discern truth in place for the insulation provided by not having to deal with a decision made. Hence the individual accepts a gap in an otherwise acceptable perspective. This gap means that whenever the issue is broached. The individual deflects it. Avoiding once again the acceptance of a mistake and the closure that comes with the acceptance of one’s own faults.
Well you can see what this in my opinion (and this is all my opinion so feel free to call BS…just make sure you have an equally as elaborate rebuttal) has to do with the German people of the post WWII era. Now you are saying, “but wait a second Christopher, this perpetuates though out culture.” In fact you are correct. It is an essential human quality to think above and beyond what one perceives…we call this exaggeration. Essentially this adds flavor to our tales of accomplishments and bravery. Basically we build our past up to be greater and better than it actually was. We want ourselves to essentially be above reproach. This is the same with WWII, slavery, the Revolution establishing America’s independence and extending far back into the closet of history to the beginning of time. Humans have exaggerated the past to make themselves seem better (Why did FDR sign 5 neutrality acts before the attacks on Pearl Harbor for example? or Why did Columbus really sale to the new world and what did he do once he got there?) to those in the future and to insulate themselves against having to face mistakes they may have made and the consequences that they and other faced, or may have to face for their actions.
What this all boils down to is that if society accepts the choice to secure or insulate itself against it’s own mistakes and not face them with a spirit to correct those mistakes and move on (I’m not a fan of retribution, mind you, on a large scale, because it only serves to retrieve negative emotions felt, i.e. black reparations in the U.S.A and by the time it is applied those who actually suffered have passed on).
Currently I think this problem is rampant though out society. We have built societies that accept the sacrifice just about any freedom for the comfort of a nice car, a constant salary, and a nice house or apartment to rent. People now are willing to insulate themselves against truth to not face the negative effects and the rain it brings on their perfect little world. It isn’t just Germany’s problem either. I think the most recent examples of this come from my own country where as long as we get our social security, two weeks in Vegas every year, and a nice pension we are satisfied. So what if the U.S.A has a 9 trillion dollar debt, a crumbling education system, a shortage on skilled workers, a trade deficit, a huge immigration problem, a 5 percent yearly increase in oil consumption (caused by a car for everyone and their dog, over the age of 16, and mind you not a 30+ mile to the gallon vehicle, we are talking about 300+ hp and 10 mpg), oh and lest not forget the ever lowering and expanding willingness of every creditor to extend boat loads of debt to every single citizen with in the U.S.A’s borders. And yet as long as they make it to 70 with all the toys afforded from such a corrupt system…everyone is happy, it isn’t their problem after all to fix the system(a guy once said that to me…I noted to him, an 18 year old, that the U.S.A might just not exist by the time he got to 70…he thought that was more of a problem that might need to be dealt with).
The thing that is lost from all this is the struggle for truth and the struggle for prosperity. Everything not being handed on a silver platter is what gives the drive for wanting one’s share. This also causes people to struggle for a fair system one that rewards hard work and rewards those who embrace innovation (true innovation, and production). I think to this end all knowledge should be free. Truth is not something arrived at by being told or by just a stroke of inspiration. Truth is arrived at by cross examining many sources and never being happy with ‘truth’ even under overwhelming evidence (because overwhelming truth has been ‘wrong’ before). The idea is to spend all of one’s life searching for the ultimate purpose, struggling for truth, and when one dies, at any age, they can be satisfied knowing that that have sought after that which is good with all their limited human mind and with all the limited human abilities they have.
August 22nd, 2007 at 11:17 pm
Wow, I out wrote you…Christopher ftw!
August 23rd, 2007 at 3:00 am
I didn’t know Main Kampf was banned in Germany. That’s quite interesting.
I’m somewhat of a libertarian, though, and to me, banning a book, banning denial of the holocaust - these things are completely against the principles I stand for. (For the record, I don’t deny the holocaust.) Nothing or no-one should be censored, whether it impedes security or not, whether their view is completely wrong or not.
“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
August 23rd, 2007 at 3:54 am
They restrict a lot of stuff related to there…bad past, or at least i was under the impression they did.
And i didn’t agree with it either, they shouldn’t pretend it never happened, it should be taught and used so the younger generations don’t make the same mistakes.
August 23rd, 2007 at 9:37 am
Well, Christopher, if we’re talking about security versus freedom in terms of this book being republished, then it’s almost certain to say that any security that Germany had in not republishing it has done little to keep neo-Nazis from being neo-Nazis and scholars from being scholars. There are people who don’t want their freedom of speech or their freedom to read a simple book to be sacrificed for the sake of just keeping people happy.
August 23rd, 2007 at 12:56 pm
I personally think this is outrageous. As Mushroom Queen has said, this won’t stop people from being neo-Nazis when that’s what they’ve decided on. It’s just another pathetic attempt to cover this all up.
And everyone gets so mad at the Muslims for denying that the Holocaust really existed. -.-
August 23rd, 2007 at 11:06 pm
I agree 100%, Mushroom Queen.
August 25th, 2007 at 3:19 am
MQ, can you rephrase that rebuttal, I”m not sure where you are trying to say there…sorry maybe that it is 3:00 A.M. in the morning, but I’ve read that three times and no not how to comprehend it. :/
August 25th, 2007 at 9:24 pm
From what I sort of gathered for your reply (essay? :P), you stressed the importance of security in societies by suppressing certain freedoms. With that said, if you reread my post I think things will get a little more clearer.