🚀 go-pugleaf

gary@isis.cgd.ucar.edu  writes:

>sm> Stephen McIntyre
 
>sm> Citizens become more susceptable to propaganda precisely because they lack
>sm> a good education.

>gs--> Gary Strand
 
>gs]   Actually, intellectuals are no less susceptible to propaganda than
>gs]   the "un-washed masses". Hitler enjoyed considerable support among the
>gs]   German intellectual elite, and when one reads what American
>gs]   intellectuals wrote about Stalin during the 1930s, it's pretty obvious
>gs]   that merely being "educated" is no safeguard against totalitarians
>gs]   and their lies.

Much of what you are saying depends on your definition of the "German
     intellectual elite", because of course many Germans who did not
     agree with the propaganda put forth by Hitler, including a
     large number of the "intellectual elite", left the country.  And
     of course, "merely being educated" isn't a safeguard against
     propaganda; I never said that it was (read the above.)


>rc--> Robin Collins (or is it Frank?)

>rc] How do you explain the fact that one of the most educated and sophisticated
>rc] populations in the world at the time, was victim to propaganda despite
>rc] its education (Germany, 1930s).
>rc] In this context, how would you suggest that such a decline into barbarism
>rc] might be prevented?

*****

>rc] Well Gary, it looks like you thought the same thought as I did (although
>rc] earlier).
>rc] I am very interested in what happened in Germany and in particular,
>rc] what happened to  educated intellectuals who were duped by
>rc] nazi propaganda.

>rc] I have a feeling it had a lot to do with POWER, with feelings of
>rc] alienation in addition to the propaganda (and more so than propaganda.)
>rc] Look at some of the intellectuals who fell for fascism: GB Shaw to some
>rc] extent, Ezra Pound, James Joyce and many others.

>rc] This worship of power, including today's talk of "empowerment",  
>rc] may be the problem in terms of suspension of critical thinking. 
>rc] Fundamentalism is a good example, perhaps, and is not all that dissimilar
>rc] to totalitarianism. Some extremely intelligent people have been
>rc] fundamentalists, or dogmatists. Such is fuel for fascism. 
>rc] I think some of the libertarians are right in this area of thought (and 
>rc] which is why people like Chomsky call themselves libertarian socialists,
>rc] I suspect.)

>rc] Any thoughts?

Gary had adressed this issue in another post for "World Government," as 
     does Robin now.  I'm running out of time to post, so I'll make this
     short.  Perhaps the biggest reason for the attraction of Germans
     (including the "intellectual elite") to Hitler was because of the
     misery caused by the depression of that era.  People's spirits,
     as well as their homes, were broken-- they were a tired nation.
     Any hope offered to them was considered good, even if the man
     offering the hope was a tyrant. 
     
I'd keep going, but I must leave.  I'll return tomorrow or Thursday to
     address this issue further.  Until then, ta-ta. 

Stephen @Trajan