ThePICKERINGPost: Once upon a time, two crafty tailors convinced the Emperor that they could make him a set of magic clothes. They told all the people that these robes would be so magic that only smart people could see them. Everyone went along with the deception because no one wanted to admit that they were too stupid to see the wonderful clothes.
It all ended badly of course, when one small boy called out “look at that bloke, he’s completely starkers!” and everyone started laughing at the stupid Emperor.
This charming tale has been so popular through the years because it describes perfectly the kind of confidence trick which people fall for time and again. What is also instructive about this tale, is the speed with which the deception finally unravelled. Once people cottoned on, the whole thing fell apart in an instant.
In the 1930s, adolf hitler and his henchmen convinced the German people that a combination of radical Nationalistic aggression, extreme socialist economics and expulsion of the Jewish people would solve all of their problems.
There were a number of reasons the German people believed in hitler. World War I, hyperinflation and a depression left people vulnerable to promises of glory. The deciding factor however was that anyone who didn’t go along with it was likely to be thrown in the gas ovens along with the unfortunate Jews.
Given this choice, people naturally acquiesced. Since everyone else was onside too, it became necessary to believe it passionately. Doubts were soon cast aside. After all, “there’s a war on don’t you know.” The cult of adolf hitler became embedded in every aspect of German existence.
After the War, the Allies made a very smart decision. They put the Nazi leaders on trial in the most public way possible. They held the German people’s feet to the fire and made them look at the reality of what they had done. To this day, the idea of Nazism has never had any popular support in Germany.
Can’t wait for this guy to perfect cold fusion.