by Hayley Michelle Trachtenberg
Sitting inside the library, staring at a computer—I could not be more bored in my entire life. Not to say that my class is a bore, but rather that the assignment of creating an essay off an article is no news to me. This is an assignment that can commonly be found in a classroom; but this is not a classroom. This is a library, filled to the brim with books---and here I am reading off a screen. As I scroll down the website, reading typical topic after typical topic--- thoughts come to mind. Thoughts come to mind on how banal this moment is and how I could change it--- how what I could do could change things---- then I came upon it. I stumbled onto the link, and my eyes widened as I smiled guilty grin.
“Could Anyone have Been Hitler?”
My initial reaction was: “Of course not, not everyone could wear that mustache and side part. It’s a hard look to rock.” However, this is a serious question. Could anyone have been Adolf Hitler? When one thinks of Hitler, images of unimaginable death, unfathomable evil, and silly little Charlie Chaplin lip warmers come to mind. However Hitler is more than just a caricature of evil, he is (was) a master of manipulation, and a focused Fuhrer. Many people forget, Hitler was not always Hitler---- he started off as many other world dictators; Hitler was an artist. A broke artist, and on top of that, not a very good artist. The art field was dominated by a very specific group of people---people who need people--- who are noted to be, the luckiest people in the world--- and you guessed it: people of the Jewish religion. Of course, this was a coincidence that the art field (as well as many high positioned fields of work) was dominated by people of that belief. That is why when Hitler saw Germany in such economic distress, he scapegoated those of the Jewish faith by claiming that they were withholding money and jobs. He was able to worm his way into the public’s thoughts, by claiming that what he was doing for the greater good of the country, even though his actions were far from that.
But I fear I am getting too heady--- let’s get back to the bone: could anyone be Hitler. And honestly? Yes. It’s not something to strive for, but theoretically anyone could become a world dictator that is responsible for mass genocide. When one strips away the layers of the late Hitler--- he comes down to this: a man with a plan who didn’t give a damn. He was distant from humanity, and that is what made him so horrible. Although he related to people, he did so through others. He was a man with a mouth that whispered lies, and hands that grabbed onto the public and refused to let go. Anyone can do anything once they put their minds to it. Now-a-days, one can start an entire revolution through a single “tweet”. In fact, I would dare to even say that it would be easier for someone to become Hitler in today’s day and age. With the use of technology and an easily riled generation--- evil has the potential to rise and conquer.
However, I do not believe the second coming of Hitler will happen, nor do I hope it will happen. Although we are a very naïve generation, we are not a forgetful generation. History may repeat, but we know what notes to listen for in the score. We can hear the melody far before it starts to play. Anyone can be Hitler, but the real question is---who would want to be Hitler?
The answer is: no one in their right mind! So here, as I finish this essay, I leave you on this note: Hitler was a merely a man, and History has built him up as a god, while we as a global generation condemn him to be a devil. What do you want to be when History looks back at you?
EDITOR'S NOTE: Holocaust Remembrance Day is April 28, 2014.
Sitting inside the library, staring at a computer—I could not be more bored in my entire life. Not to say that my class is a bore, but rather that the assignment of creating an essay off an article is no news to me. This is an assignment that can commonly be found in a classroom; but this is not a classroom. This is a library, filled to the brim with books---and here I am reading off a screen. As I scroll down the website, reading typical topic after typical topic--- thoughts come to mind. Thoughts come to mind on how banal this moment is and how I could change it--- how what I could do could change things---- then I came upon it. I stumbled onto the link, and my eyes widened as I smiled guilty grin.
“Could Anyone have Been Hitler?”
My initial reaction was: “Of course not, not everyone could wear that mustache and side part. It’s a hard look to rock.” However, this is a serious question. Could anyone have been Adolf Hitler? When one thinks of Hitler, images of unimaginable death, unfathomable evil, and silly little Charlie Chaplin lip warmers come to mind. However Hitler is more than just a caricature of evil, he is (was) a master of manipulation, and a focused Fuhrer. Many people forget, Hitler was not always Hitler---- he started off as many other world dictators; Hitler was an artist. A broke artist, and on top of that, not a very good artist. The art field was dominated by a very specific group of people---people who need people--- who are noted to be, the luckiest people in the world--- and you guessed it: people of the Jewish religion. Of course, this was a coincidence that the art field (as well as many high positioned fields of work) was dominated by people of that belief. That is why when Hitler saw Germany in such economic distress, he scapegoated those of the Jewish faith by claiming that they were withholding money and jobs. He was able to worm his way into the public’s thoughts, by claiming that what he was doing for the greater good of the country, even though his actions were far from that.
But I fear I am getting too heady--- let’s get back to the bone: could anyone be Hitler. And honestly? Yes. It’s not something to strive for, but theoretically anyone could become a world dictator that is responsible for mass genocide. When one strips away the layers of the late Hitler--- he comes down to this: a man with a plan who didn’t give a damn. He was distant from humanity, and that is what made him so horrible. Although he related to people, he did so through others. He was a man with a mouth that whispered lies, and hands that grabbed onto the public and refused to let go. Anyone can do anything once they put their minds to it. Now-a-days, one can start an entire revolution through a single “tweet”. In fact, I would dare to even say that it would be easier for someone to become Hitler in today’s day and age. With the use of technology and an easily riled generation--- evil has the potential to rise and conquer.
However, I do not believe the second coming of Hitler will happen, nor do I hope it will happen. Although we are a very naïve generation, we are not a forgetful generation. History may repeat, but we know what notes to listen for in the score. We can hear the melody far before it starts to play. Anyone can be Hitler, but the real question is---who would want to be Hitler?
The answer is: no one in their right mind! So here, as I finish this essay, I leave you on this note: Hitler was a merely a man, and History has built him up as a god, while we as a global generation condemn him to be a devil. What do you want to be when History looks back at you?
EDITOR'S NOTE: Holocaust Remembrance Day is April 28, 2014.