In 1940, things were fine in Germany [View All]

I am reading a translation of the diaries of Josef Goebbels, and it strikes me how normal things were. His biggest concerns were paying his taxes, paying his bills, and his ongoing struggle to get the newspapers to print what he wanted them to print. And then there was the endless paperwork. There is no sense of a man with any sort of absolute power. Everything he wanted to do meant a struggle with others and there was very little that he could simply dictate, despite his high rank in the party and the government.

For most people in Germany things were more or less fine in Germany in 1940. Oh, some were concerned with the war, as there are here now, but for the most part and for most people it was out of sight out of mind, and casualties and sacrifices had been relatively low. And there were some reports about abuse of people in Poland, but nothing like the reports we have all heard here recently. Many were "against" those abuses, and so thought that there consciences were clear.

There were some economic problems, and there was a shortage of fuel and coal, but most people didn't fault the government for that. People were struggling harder to make a living than they had been in the past, but the deterioration of the status of labor had been gradual, and people were happy to have what they had and glad that they had a job. Much as it is here now.

Yes, some academics and radicals were complaining about the way the party was injecting pseudo-science into the schools, and the lack of funding. Much as it is here now.

Artists and writers had been hassled, but it was hard to know to what degree or how widespread this was. There were restrictions on artists and writers leaving or entering, but few were fully aware of that. Much as it is here.

While people knew that the press was not what it could be, and once was, it was still nominally independent, and if you didn't like it - you could simply not read it. You had free choice. Much as you do here with the media. Most continued to read it, though, saying that it didn't really affect them. As most do here today.

Many did not "agree" with the Nazi party, and thought "what can a person do?" Much as it is here now. You had to be a little careful about what you said, yes. Much as it is here now. People were aware of some abuses against Jewish people, much as we here are aware of abuses against Muslim people and Hispanics and others, and while this was regrettable, what could one do about it? Hopefully, many felt, it will get better soon. Much as people feel here today.

Some regretted the passing of the enabling acts which gave the government far too much power on paper at least, but it hadn't been so bad and people who were being alarmist about this seemed to have been proved wrong. There were reports of detained people being abused, but nothing like the reports that we have today here. Most people didn't come directly in contact with these abuses, and they were easy to forget about and life went on. Much as it is here.

Some were leaving the country and warning people about what was coming, but not so many. And few were aware of the fact that the government was making it harder and harder to leave. Much as it is here now.

Once in a while someone posts here at DU comparing Nazi Germany to the United States today, or the German leaders from that era to our current leaders. There are always posters who respond that the comparison is alarmist and inaccurate. But what these scoffers are saying should not be compared is current conditions in Germany from mid-1941 to early 1945 to the conditions here now.

It can easily be argued that there was less cause for alarm in Germany in 1940 then there is here today. By 1941 it was far, far too late in Germany to stop the coming horrors.