Nazism

NIHILISM IN GERMANY

Nazism

“Triumph of the Will” is a German film made by Leni Riefenstahl in 1934. It is a propaganda film that portrays the way Adolf Hitler presents himself to the outside world. It shows how the Nazi party was attended by Nazi to support their politics. This film was commission by Hitler, he use the mass media in a way to influence people...  Like many politicians today, the Nazis want the public to have a good impression of them. They made promises to the people to bring them freedom and better livelihood. Made As a result, many German decides corporate and represent the Nazi leader.  The film depicts their devotion, faithfulness and loyalty to their leader.

On arriving to Germany, the people seem to love Hitler; they all heil Hitler, they welcome him on the street, from their homes.  People seem to be organized, always in order in which people are devotes and Hitler appears to be for the people. Stern depiction of neatly lined up party members and German soldiers are in union. Scenes inter cut with political speeches by political members and Hitler. The film is boring and seems unrealistic with the repeated marching of solders and speeches. The majority of the speeches are about enemy, threats, and how the people need to bond together and eliminate threats. One main point of Nazi doctrine is to recreate the former German prestige of the German people. Another point is the doctrine of anti-Semitism which the Nazi avoid to mention in their film. This indicates that the Nazis are covering or hiding their true self.

The documentary film entitled “Night and Fog” written by Jean Cayrol is a three part film that shows some very disturbing scene. The action of the Nazis is crime against humanity. This documentary reflects the horror of how the people were treated in camps. They were packed in trains locked from the outside and shipped off to concentration camps. It is disturbing to see those naked human beings standing as a skeleton and other scenes with dead bodies all packed on each other.

This is interesting, the strategy that Hitler uses to get in office many politicians have and are using that strategy today. There are several examples in which politicians’ promises to deliver solution to certain conditions in society. Some approach politics with false pretence or intent. Although the Nazi regime was seems stern and severe, some of its counter parts reflect or relates to today’s society As stated in the passage, we have people who manipulate through the mass media the way  the Nazi did. Nations are constantly at war; our government does keep the population under surveillance and detain individuals without trial. Just as the German use the Jews as scapegoat as a way to direct attention from other problems, there are people that does the same.

(1)  Some major reasons that led to the rise of the Nazi German involve political, economical and cultural factors. The Weimar Republic political system makes it easier for the Nazi to gain power. German had a voting system in which seats are allocated in parliament according to the percentage of vote capture and multiple political parties compete against each other. In addition the Great Depression contributes to the rise of the Nazi, it creates economic crisis such as inflation and unemployment that the Nazi capitalized on.

(2)  Nazi resolve conflicts between workers and owners by portraying themselves as a non-communist alternative for the working classes; they promise to resolve the struggles between business and labor. This was an attractive model for business because it gives a charismatic authority to support their interest.

(3)  The significance of the phrase “Arbeit Macht Frei” (work makes one free) is to influence the workers as they were in concentration camps to work endlessly with the intent to be free. It seems like a false promise that those workers, who worked tiresomely, would be released; they worked self-sacrificing.

(4)  State capitalism is when large industrial monopolies maintain control over production through the power of the state. This is where the power motive takes priority over the profit motive. The state exercise control by it ability to control financing, price of raw materials, the wage paid to workers and setting production goals. It relates to Nazi German in that the Nazi disregard ethical principles and purses their aim. German uses every resource to take over all factories and industrial component. They use slave labor to construct road and factories.

 A psychological cause of anti-Semitism in German society was the unconscious projection of human needs for boundaries, identity, leader and self. The German was threatened by the Jews, therefore this lead to murderous group violence and even genocide.

Politic as a Vaction

Max Webber “Politics as a Vation”

 “'Every state is founded on force,' said Trotsky at Brest-Litovsk. That is indeed right. If no social institutions existed which knew the use of violence, then the concept of 'state' would be eliminated, and a condition would emerge that could be designated as 'anarchy,' in the specific sense of this word. Of course, force is certainly not the normal or the only means of the state--nobody says that--but force is a means specific to the state. Today the relation between the state and violence is an especially intimate one. In the past, the most varied institutions--beginning with the sib--have known the use of physical force as quite normal. Today, however, we have to say that a state is a human community that (successfully) claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory. Note that 'territory' is one of the characteristics of the state. Specifically, at the present time, the right to use physical force is ascribed to other institutions or to individuals only to the extent to which the state permits it. The state is considered the sole source of the 'right' to use violence. Hence, 'politics' for us means striving to share power or striving to influence the distribution of power, either among states or among groups within a state.”

http://www.ne.jp/asahi/moriyuki/abukuma/weber/lecture/politics_vocation.html

Max Weber a German sociologist provides the speech “Politics as a Vacation” to students at the University of Munich in 1918. In his speech he raises questions that concerns importance of political action in the way of life. This speech relate to nihilism in regard to concept of the will to power. German uses power as a role to accomplish their self-interest, political, socially and economically.

The passage that is appealing is where he quotes “Every state is founded on force”. Here he describes a state as an authority having control to the legal means of organized violence with in a define territory. He indicates that the use of physical force is designating an important attribute of the state’s sovereignty. This means that the police and the military are the main mechanisms that support a claim on “monopoly of legitimate physical force in enforcement of its order.”  It shows that the state is important notion in politics; it demonstrates the link between the state and authority.  

This statement seems to be true in past and present society. Many nations have been taken by physical force.  Nation has use force as a means to an end; in which the state uses violence as legitimate to achieve its end. Violence, such as war and crime is used to accomplish their goal.

It is interesting, this subject relate to today’s situations in many countries, especially in country like Iraq. Where nation are dominated and government expresses desire to reign with military group. This can be seen in the case of the “Anbar Awakening” found in the New York  Times under the heading “In a Force for Iraqi Calm, Seeds of Conflict” written by Alissa J. Rubin and Damien Cave  December 23,2007. It states that “In Ramadi, Iraq, improved security provided by local tribes has allowed greater movement, but questions remain about their loyalty and sustainability.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/23/world/middleeast/23awakening.html?ei=5090&en=93b15c431c7f9bbe&ex=1356066000&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all

In Addition, private individuals and organization have use force to protect themselves and their property.  Organizations continue to use power with an administrative staff to carry out the needs and demands of the organization in order to maintain its objectives.

The Weimar Republic

The Weimar Republic:

The passage shows that Weimer Republic was a modern democratic form of government in Germany during 1933-1930. The word republic refers to things that matter to the people. Under Weimar Republic, Germany has advance from the totalitarian dictatorship and military past; German share a more humane aspect of their culture. In Weimar constitution, the structure of government is combined of nation and responsibilities. The constitution sets rules and responsibilities that govern the Legislative, the Executive and the Judicial branch of government; the relationship state and federal government.

First Chapter: the Reich and the States

Article 1The German Reich is a republic.
State authority derives from the people.

This means that the German territory is a nation in which the state authority comes from the people. This means that political authority must be exercise in accordance with the constitution solely to serve and protect the people’s interest. This statement relate to human rights and dignity. Human dignity should not be violated. It is the state duty to respect and protect. German citizen acknowledge firm an absolute human rights as a basis of every community of peace and justice in the world. Everyone who exercises state power on the trust for the people of Germany must exercise that power within the bounds of lawful authority and in accordance with his or her responsibilities to the people. Similarly, the United States government derives from the people. In democracy the idea that people are the ultimate source of political authority and agent of political power is essential. Germany and USA share similar federal republic; in which authority of central government is limited by the constitution and the power is shared with the nation, province or colonies. The source of power is the people who elect the representative government. This federal constitution protects the people from oppression by preventing any division from unnecessary influence on policy.

Second Chapter: The Reichstag
Article 32To establish a decision in Reichstag, a simple majority of votes suffices, unless the constitution prescribes a different relation of votes. During Reichstag. The rules of procedure establish quorum.

To select and appoint member, government make decision base on the majority of the vote. This rule of simple majority is enough is use to regulate and guide the range of operation in the government. This will avoid prejudice and bias in constitution. When making decisions, for instant to select a president there is a vote in which the mass of the vote makes the decision. The candidate with most of the votes will be the president. The populist urged for the direct election by the people. In cases where there is no majority, the constitution suggests a different kind of vote. During German legislative period, a quorum is used; a small percentage of the members are permitted to assembly to act for the organization (as a majority). Government under the Reichstag is accountable to the voter through an election process whether it is through majority of Quorum. This is comparable to the Bill of Rights Amendment # 12. Presidential elections voted by ballot the person having the greatest number of vote will be the President. If there is no mass, three people with the highest number will be on a list for those voted for President and the house of Representative will choose by vote. This quorum with members of two third of the state and the majority of all states is necessary to a choice.

These two sections relates to each other. They both communicate a message with human right and dignity; which is relevant to our society. The German experience to democracy in which they gain opportunity to elect their government instead of the past military and despotism. It was humane Germany to allow its citizen the opportunity to select government. Citizen makes political decision in which the citizen elects representative to make political decisions as part of a legislative body. They were able to vote and their right was protected by the second section of the constitution which oversees the day to day operation of government.

Questions:

(1)       Some advantages of proportional representation are that it reduces wasted vote and it increases the tendency of minority group to have a voice in politics. To reduce wasted vote, seats are given in legislature base on the total percentage of vote won by the party. It is also fair; many opinions could be heard as each political party won a seat.

On the contrary, some disadvantages of proportional representation show representatives less responsive and less dependent on local voters; it allow Nazis to come in power despite they never gain more than 30% of the vote.

(2)       Some leading causes of the decline of the Weimar Republic result from the aftermath of world war. These include economic problems, cultural, political and institutional problems. One main cause of the collapse of the Weimar Republic is economic problems which result in inflation. The period of the Great Depression cause a hyperinflation. There was massive unemployment, a large decline in standard of living and the value of paper money in 1923 worth roughly 1 trillion for every gold mark.

(3)       Hyperinflation is when there is an extreme price increase because of the value of money decline as oppose to a foreign currency. During 1922-192, Germany experience hyperinflation as a result of economic instability; they experience rapid price increase, food shortage and huge unemployment. Inflation was very high or out of control. Depreciation of the marks in terms of foreign or gold value was uncontrollable. The exchange rate of the dollar and the German Marks was trillion to one dollar. The more price increase they increase in money supply.

(4)       The Weimar Constitution as compared to the American Constitution can be judge as similar, controversial, and distinctive in some areas. The passage shows that both are similar in basic structure in different order they outline the power and responsibilities of legislative, executive and judicial branches of government. The second section is similar to the bill of rights On the contrary, with regard to education Weimar constitution provides a right to education with specific detail what this right entails. While the U.S. constitution does not provide for a right to education. In addition, Weimar constitution is distinctive in that it creates economic right for the citizens. Finally, one controversial issue is Article 48 which gives the president the control to postpone civil freedom in times of crisis.