A few thoughts on Mein Kampf

Due to my trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, I'm reading HItler's Mein Kampf. "Mein kampf" means "my struggle." Hitler wrote it while imprisoned for nine months in 1924. His sentence, for treason, was for five years, but he was released early for good behavior.

I've only read into the second chapter. So far I am struck by a few things that I want to get out of my head and onto paper.

• He writes as an advocate for the worker and for humanity. He sounds like one who would stand up for the individual. He expresses concern for rights of the individual, for women, for the everyday worker. 

• Some of his words inspire the soul to feel a duty to take a stand for a great cause.

• Hitler takes note of the "sheep" that follow the doctrine of the powers that be. 

• He refers quite a few times to people being unintelligent. He offers that some of the unintelligent are intelligent but have been tired by the putting down of the powers that be, and thus have given in. He writes as to convince people that they can think for themselves; after all, Hitler thinks for himself.

• He states that the only way to fight poison is with poison, and the only way to fight terror is with terror. 

These few things strike me as 'red flags' in regard to how controlling relationships, mass movements, cults operate.

They spawn an us/them mindset, but that mindset is tempered by words laced within the essay, words of concern for the individual ..so that even some of the 'them' are worthy as humanity. Others of the 'them' are evil and greedy and need to be stopped by whatever means necessary.

Hitler's words appeal to a greater cause. How good am I if I refuse to take up my own sword to fight against the evil that rules? If I do not take a stand, I am one of the unintelligent...one of the sheep. There is no place or room for any fence-sitting.

Hitler calls out "liars," again appealing to that part of us to want to do right. Yet, in hindsight, we know Hitler's legacy.

His words remind me of others, alive and dead, whom I have 'followed'...at those times rationalizing any contradictions I would observe in their actions and behavior. After all, those whom I 'followed' were/are 'only human.'

As I read Hitler's words, I think of Martin Luther, "the great reformer." Yet, Luther had a very dark side that isn't as well known among Christian circles. People don't have the 'good' quotes of Hitler decoupaged in art; yet we have the good words of Luther, or of other leaders or activists all the while dismissing their evil deeds and/or hypocrisy.

Or are we dismissing it? Are we rather trying to preserve the good of their humanity? Is it good to not speak of the evil? I think not. Evil is not good, but to not remember the evil...can lead to evil again and again.

And as I read Hitler's words that he wrote alone while imprisoned...well....I also think of my ex-therapist John Knapp. Knapp's lies, lies, lies. And how Knapp wrote (and still writes at times) so righteously, calling out liars and hypocrites, standing up for the abused...and how Knapp wrote (and maybe still writes) with such a great cause of helping others. Yet, I know the harms Knapp has exacted....not only to myself but to others. No, not anywhere on the scale of a Hitler...yet the writing similarities are uncanny to me.

Hitler had aspired to be an architect.