If Hitler Had Spoke English

[Jackinthebox]

If Adolf Hitler had made some of his notorious speeches in English, do you think that may have gone some way towards softening his present image and legacy?

Assuming that most of us aren't fluent in German, most of us can be forgiven for automatically assuming that once the gesticulating and powerful voice is delivered, Hitler's ordering or fantasising over something despicable. However, a lot of it wasn't, but over the last sixty-odd years the majority of people who were raised in the West have been conditioned to be reviled by everything Hitler and the Third Reich stood for. Do you think that conditioning would've been harder to accomplish had Hitler spoke English?

Interesting question.

I see a LOT of parallels today in the US to Nazi Germany, but it seems like most people are totally oblivious to it.

 

[Mindful]

It doesn't matter if he spoke english or not. The guy was insane. Doesn't matter what language he spoke.

What is Zeig Heil in English?

The guy would probably have been made fun of in England. The British take nothing seriously.

For example:

 

[g5000]

Yeah. I think if, "Gas the Jews and homos and retards and off-whites and toss them into ovens" had been spoken in English, Hitler would be perceived as a much kinder and gentler fella than he is now. He'd probably have his own hour program on Fox.

 

[g5000]

I've read some of his speeches, and i don't get the attraction. They're pretty average.

Maybe there was something about being German at that time that made them get all sweaty.

Or myabe lot's lost in translation?

A currency crisis and a national depression have a funny way of making batshit crazy loons sound sensible. Everybody wants someone else to blame for their troubles besides themselves. They need a scapegoat.

"Hey, it wasn't us going to war that caused these problems. It was the fucking JEWS!!!"

Hitler also took some training in stagecraft. Dramatic flourishes and poses.

 

[Pogo]

If Adolf Hitler had made some of his notorious speeches in English, do you think that may have gone some way towards softening his present image and legacy?

Assuming that most of us aren't fluent in German, most of us can be forgiven for automatically assuming that once the gesticulating and powerful voice is delivered, Hitler's ordering or fantasising over something despicable. However, a lot of it wasn't, but over the last sixty-odd years the majority of people who were raised in the West have been conditioned to be reviled by everything Hitler and the Third Reich stood for. Do you think that conditioning would've been harder to accomplish had Hitler spoke English?

Interesting question.

I see a LOT of parallels today in the US to Nazi Germany, but it seems like most people are totally oblivious to it.

That's a fake quote. The actual source (in Mein Kampf) reads:

“In this they [the Jews] proceeded on the sound principle that the magnitude of a lie always contains a certain factor of credibility, since the great masses of the people in the very bottom of their hearts tend to be corrupted rather than consciously and purposely evil, and that, therefore, in view of the primitive simplicity of their minds, they more easily fall victim to a big lie than to a little one, since they themselves lie in little things, but would be ashamed of lies that were too big. Such a falsehood will never enter their heads, and they will not be able to believe in the possibility of such monstrous effrontery and infamous misrepresentation in others.…” (p. 231 of the Manheim translation)
​

-- and it's pinning the lying on "the Jews", not outlining a philosophy.

(See G's point, preceding post)

 

[g5000]

 

[Mindful]

Yeah. I think if, "Gas the Jews and homos and retards and off-whites and toss them into ovens" had been spoken in English, Hitler would be perceived as a much kinder and gentler fella than he is now. He'd probably have his own hour program on Fox.

He didn't say any of that. Even in German.

 

[g5000]

Yeah. I think if, "Gas the Jews and homos and retards and off-whites and toss them into ovens" had been spoken in English, Hitler would be perceived as a much kinder and gentler fella than he is now. He'd probably have his own hour program on Fox.

He didn't say any of that. Even in German.

Yeah yeah yeah. "Show me the order go gas Jews." Okay. Whatever.

You missed the point. It isn't what he said that matters as much as what he did. It wasn't a language problem that made Hitler so unlikable.

 

[g5000]

Tonight on Fox, Der Führer goes to the Mexican border and shows us how the black Kenyan Barack HUSSEIN Soetereroreo is trying to get us all killed by Ebola, carried into our country by illegal Honduran kids.

Tonight's guest: Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Watch Der Führer tonight at 6.

 

[Mindful]

Yeah. I think if, "Gas the Jews and homos and retards and off-whites and toss them into ovens" had been spoken in English, Hitler would be perceived as a much kinder and gentler fella than he is now. He'd probably have his own hour program on Fox.

He didn't say any of that. Even in German.

Yeah yeah yeah. "Show me the order go gas Jews." Okay. Whatever.

You missed the point. It isn't what he said that matters as much as what he did. It wasn't a language problem that made Hitler so unlikable.

Unlikeable? The Germans loved him. And there are a few still living today who feel that way about him.

 

[g5000]

Tonight on Fox, Der Führer asks, "Vat is r-r-rong vit a little vasserboardink? I say nuttink."

Tonight's guest: Dick Cheney.

Watch Der Führer tonight at 6.

 

[g5000]

Tonight on Fox, Der Führer asks, "Vat should vee do about zose peoples who don't vear zee flag pin and don't join zee Party?"

Tonight's guest: Ann Coulter.

Watch Der Führer tonight at 6.

 

[Pogo]

Tonight on Fox, Der Führer asks, "Vat should vee do about zose peoples who don't vear zee flag pin and don't join zee Party?"

Tonight's guest: Ann Coulter.

Watch Der Führer tonight at 6.

Leni Ann vill render her weakly "Hitler Highlights" vere she reads Der Führer's speeches viss ze vord "Jews" replaced with "Liberals".

Don't miss it. Ve haf vays.

 

[emilynghiem]

If Adolf Hitler had made some of his notorious speeches in English, do you think that may have gone some way towards softening his present image and legacy?

Assuming that most of us aren't fluent in German, most of us can be forgiven for automatically assuming that once the gesticulating and powerful voice is delivered, Hitler's ordering or fantasising over something despicable. However, a lot of it wasn't, but over the last sixty-odd years the majority of people who were raised in the West have been conditioned to be reviled by everything Hitler and the Third Reich stood for. Do you think that conditioning would've been harder to accomplish had Hitler spoke English?

Maybe if he spoke English, people might have figured what he was about sooner than they did. Too many underestimated it.
I think it goes both ways. There are plusses and minusses on both sides, some things might be worse, some things better.
=====================================
One thing that might be different:
People wouldn't say if it weren't for the US getting involved in the War,
we'd all be speaking "German" right now.

(Regardless, if we don't get our act together, solve our debts and economic issues and move sustainable production back to America/Mexico as part of immigration reform, we'll all be speaking Chinese anyway.)

 

[Dogmaphobe]

If Hitler were to speak English and post various themes of his in either the middle east or Israel sections of this place, it certainly wouldn't be the conservatives embracing him.

Can't say the same thing for the hard leftists.

 

[Pogo]

If Hitler were to speak English and post various themes of his in either the middle east or Israel sections of this place, it certainly wouldn't be the conservatives embracing him.

Can't say the same thing for the hard leftists.

Uh ... yeah. Hypernationalism, military and gun fetish, appeal to religion, appeal to tradition, appeal to glorious past... what would conservatives possibly find common ground on there....

 

[Dogmaphobe]

Uh ... yeah. Hypernationalism, military and gun fetish, appeal to religion, appeal to tradition, appeal to glorious past... what would conservatives possibly find common ground on there....

you forgot hatred of Jews.

If you haven't visited the sections in question, perhaps you should.


You are just like most everybody else in this forum in the way you play the politics as identity game. You are of the left, so nothing bad can be associated with the left and only bad things are associated with the right. In that, you are no different than all the righties who play the same game.

I am neither right nor left, and see no need to defend my turf. As such, I can see what is right there in plain sight, and the truth of the matter is that antisemitism is MUCH more prevalent on the left than it is the right these days.

A person would have to be an idiot to fail to notice.

 

[Pogo]

Uh ... yeah. Hypernationalism, military and gun fetish, appeal to religion, appeal to tradition, appeal to glorious past... what would conservatives possibly find common ground on there....

you forgot hatred of Jews.

If you haven't visited the sections in question, perhaps you should.


You are just like most everybody else in this forum in the way you play the politics as identity game. You are of the left, so nothing bad can be associated with the left and only bad things are associated with the right. In that, you are no different than all the righties who play the same game.

I am neither right nor left, and see no need to defend my turf. As such, I can see what is right there in plain sight, and the truth of the matter is that antisemitism is MUCH more prevalent on the left than it is the right these days.

A person would have to be an idiot to fail to notice.

Pfft. Poster please. You just got here; you don't know where I live. The post wasn't about the left; it's about the right. As was yours.

But yes, anti-Semitism's a good point. Stratified class society and a meritocracy. I forgot to add that.

 

[Dogmaphobe]

Pfft. Poster please. You just got here; you don't know where I live. The post wasn't about the left; it's about the right. As was yours.

But yes, anti-Semitism's a good point. Stratified class society and a meritocracy. I forgot to add that.

Why would your location have any bearing on reality?

 

[Pogo]

"location"?

Somebody needs more coffee.