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I think they were both bad, for different reasons, so it's hard to say who was worse or if they were equally bad. Some historians estimate that Stalin may have been responsible for more deaths than Hitler.
I don't know the answer, though it's interesting to think about.
I agree with the OP. Hitler was certainly an evil bastard, but not uniquely so. I believe he strikes more horror in Westerners than other mass killers for two reasons: 1. The ruthless, scientific efficiency of his killing machine which nobody else had ever achieved and 2. His main targets, Jews and Communists, were better represented among the media and opinion leaders and trend-setters in the West and were better able to get there side of the story out than say, white Russian emigres or central African slaves or even Indians under British colonial rule.
I think they were both bad, for different reasons, so it's hard to say who was worse or if they were equally bad. Some historians estimate that Stalin may have been responsible for more deaths than Hitler.
I don't know the answer, though it's interesting to think about.
The interesting thing to think about, is why Stalin never got any acclaim for evil in this country, even DURING the cold war.
In the 50s, I was public school-propagandized with the evils of Marx and Lenin, but I never heard of Stalin.
WTF gives here?
FDR called him Uncle Joey.
Now - "That Joe Joe's always on my my my my my my my my my mind."
Flew in from Miami Beach BOAC
Didn't get to bed last night
All the way the paper bag was on my knee
Man, I had a dreadful flight
I'm back in the USSR
You don't know how lucky you are, boy
Back in the USSR, yeah
Been away so long I early knew the place
Gee, it's goo to be back home
Leave it till tomorrow to unpack my case
Honey disconnect the phone
I'm back in the USSR
You don't know how lucky you are, boy
Back in the US
Back in the US
Back in the USSR
Well the Ukraine girls really knock me out
They leave the west behind
And Moscow girls make me sing and shout
That Joe Joe's always on my my my my my my my my my mind
Oh, come on
(Hu Hey Hu, hey, ah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
I'm back in the USSR
You don't know how lucky you are, boys
Back in the USSR
Well the Ukraine girls really knock me out
They leave the west behind
And Moscow girls make me sing and shout
That Georgia's always on my my my my my my my my my mind
Oh, show me round your snow peaked
mountain way down south
Take me to your daddy's farm
Let me hear your balalaika's ringing out
Come and keep your comrade warm
I'm back in the USSR
Hey, You don't know how lucky you are, boy
Back in the USSR
Oh, let me tell you honey
I'm reminded of a scene in the book To Kill A Mockingbird, where the kid wonders why the teacher vociferously condemns Nazi Germany's measures against the Jews and says nothing of the treatments of Blacks in the South.
Hitler was just the epiphany. The turning point. The atrocity after which mankind finally realised how messed up it was. In reality, his beliefs weren't too out of the mainstream for the rest of the Western world at the time and his actions on those beliefs wouldn't be considered inhumane in the 18th or 17th century.
Well, that depends on exactly how you choose to define bad. If Hitler thought Jews were going to destroy Germany, it would be fair for him to want to deport them. I really don't know his thinking. I've never sat down and had a conversation with Hitler, nor has anyone here. You can't really define a person by their actions either, it's really what's in their heart that makes them good or bad.
He didn't DEPORT the Jews, he murdered them. WTF? You can't define a person by their actions but only what's in their heart? Sure, six million + people murdered does not make the man...
Hilter could have taken over more had he not killed millions of Jews. He was brought down because the killing became the most important thing and he took his eye of the ball with the war. Had he allowed ALL of German citizens to be involved he probably would have gotten away with a lot of what he did war wise.
In all fairness to Hitler, he did tell the Jews to get out. If I had been a Jew in Germany around 1938 and saw some of the stuff going on in the streets, I would've gotten me and my family outta there asap.
Hitler really crossed the line when he started killing the disabled, the mentally ill, the gypsies, etc. and started using people for cruel medical experiments. That just ain't right.
He "really crossed the line when he started killing" everybody, Jews included.
I have a strong feeling that the OP is either German or Swiss.
I once taught ESL to a class of Swiss and Italian college students. During the history segment, the topic of WWII came up. All of the Swiss students--and I mean ALL--were taught that Switzerland was "neutral" during the war (which, technically, is true) and that even if Germany had won, the Swiss would still have retained their autonomy as a nation because they had "an agreement" with Hitler. And they absolutely believed this. I kid you not. I thought the Italian students would die laughing on the spot.
In all fairness to Hitler, he did tell the Jews to get out. If I had been a Jew in Germany around 1938 and saw some of the stuff going on in the streets, I would've gotten me and my family outta there asap.
Hitler really crossed the line when he started killing the disabled, the mentally ill, the gypsies, etc. and started using people for cruel medical experiments. That just ain't right.
Stupid Jews, it's their fault because they were told to get out (I mean gosh, it's not like they were german citizens or anything - oh wait, they were). And yeah, it was ok when they were shooting and gassing healthy Jews. It's only when they went after the disabled, mentally ill and gypsies that they crossed the line.
Unbelievable.
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