[Peace-discuss] Goldhagen

[n.dahlheim at mchsi.com]

I read Goldhagen's Hitler's Willing Executioners some time earlier and while Goldhagen might embellish 
the point somewhat, I basically agree with him.  The German people bear the responsibility for WWII and 
the Holocaust.  Their indifference and unwillingness to actively accept that their society went insane 
exacerbated Nazi atrocities.  Goldhagen doesn't take this tack so much, but if he had focused on mass 
ignorance, the banality of evil (Arendt), and mass apathy I think he would have had firmer grounds to 
defend a proper thesis: the German people bear respomsibility for WWII and the Holocaust b/c enough 
believed and many more were silent about Hitler.  Considering the atrocities by the American government, 
particularly this regime, the American people have far worse karma.  How much more ignoran and yet 
more responsible are we for atrocities committed ostensibly in our name?
                     Nick Dahlheim