Netflix: Final Account

[iamwhatiseem]

A documentary that began in 2008, much of the interviews of the old men who were actual members of the SS were filmed in the first year. For obvious reasons. In 2008 these men were in their late 80s-90s. Today they are all most certainly dead.
Anyway. It is a surreal documentary.
Of the 10 or so SS members they interviewed, two of them, one in particular, still believes in what they did.One in particular, a Lieutenant in the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler... the units who without question did whatever they were told, as they were basically Hitlers own personal army members. The Leibstandarte SS was a key unit in Hitlers "scorched earth" policy of burning every building of occupied areas before they would be overtaken by the Russians. Mercilessly killing every man/woman/child of the villages. Often corralling them into the largest building and setting fire to it.
This man said he was proud to serve, and had no regrets.
Surreal.

Another part of this documentary was they took a former SS officer and had him meet young Germans in the very building, very room where the "Final Solution" was discussed and planned. Of the 20 or so young Germans in the room - two of them was angry at the former SS man for saying he was ashamed for what he did. The other young people in the room did not speak up when they did that.
Surreal.

 

[1srelluc]

1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler - Wikipedia

 

[iamwhatiseem]

The most powerful part of the documentary is the last 10 minutes.
In which each person was asked "Are you a perpetrator in the deaths of millions"/

One man, a member of the SS.
Shit... the look in his eyes when he was asked that. The shame, the regret turned the room black.
He looks down... tearing up a bit... and said:
"That is such a broad question".. pausing... looking down again, breathing quickens... swallowing hard.
"I wouldn't have been a perpetrator if I had the courage to say no". Pauses
"So you could say that by not doing that, I am a perpetrator. That is the easy answer of course, I know. But I cannot be convicted as a perpetrator, because really I was an ideological perpetrator and not a ...." Pauses again, a look of certain anguish on his face... "but.. let us finish this now"
And done.

That moment should be a lesson for us all.
"I can't be convicted of being a perpetrator, because I was only an ideologically a perpetrator"
He knew the weakness of that argument the instant he said it.
And every person, all of us, who just "goes along" with what is wrong because we insulate ourselves from guilt because we are not actively doing whatever... but only "ideologically" agree. We are no less guilty.