Hitlers "Mein Kampf" surges in e-book sales

[pastanley]

Part of the recent resurgence may be that the ebook only costs .99 cents in the USA. I also tried to read it back in high school. It was very hard to read and understand. He just babbles on and on. If your used to watching him get excited during his speeches- this book is a very dull read.

[The Old Man]

Originally Posted by crich70

...For that matter Charles Lindbergh believed in eugenics and wrote about the German's "Jewish problem" as well. Some of that also traces back to Darwin and his "Origin of Species" I'm sure. After all (I imagine they thought) if by selective breeding of a given species of animal new or improved forms can be achieved why not with humans as well?...

Margaret Sanger had similar ideas.

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by crich70

That's basically what the Nazi's wanted to do. Create a 'super race' with themselves as the source of the 'superior genetic material.'

Yep. See Lebensborn...

[Rizla]

Originally Posted by pastanley

Part of the recent resurgence may be that the ebook only costs .99 cents in the USA. I also tried to read it back in high school. It was very hard to read and understand. He just babbles on and on. If your used to watching him get excited during his speeches- this book is a very dull read.

Yes, I think I attempted it and was struck by how dull it was. There was one section where he first encountered a Jew. That stayed with me. The man was a colossal racist.

[6charlong]

I find it interesting that it took eBooks to bring this piece of history back into the light and yes: 99 cents seems about right.

I first tried to read Mein Kampf in high school as part of a project to study World War II. That war baffled me: it seemed obvious it was going to be a rerun of The Great War, which all but destroyed every participating nation, except this time with bigger guns.

What disturbs me most about Mein Kampf is the realization that what Hitler is doing is militarized every national problem, from unemployment and lack of natural resources inside Germany, to crime and social change, Hitler thinks war is always the answer.

I agree that people should learn from the past if only because it’s less costly than stumbling into unnecessary errors, but I’ve lived to see my own country lurch from a war on poverty, to a war on crime, to a war on drugs, to a war on illiteracy, to a war on terrorism. Perhaps through reading we have a chance to do better than Hitler did, so maybe this renewed interest in his mistakes isn’t such a bad thing.

[Jane Oldaker]

Originally Posted by Difflugia

In general, it's a pretty good idea to know what your ideological opponents think so that you at least know what you're objecting to. If all you know about Hitler's philosophy is "hates Jews", then you're likely to miss similarities to fascism in the modern political sphere.

Hitler capitalized on a long tradition of anti-semitism to ascend to power. To say he was a madman and a megalomaniac is a trite truism. Is he unique? Yes and no. That is why I said that it behooves people to have a minimal understanding of Mein Kampf. It's a longggggg book and impenetrable by many standards - as illustrated in many of the comments in this thread.

[WillAdams]

It's important that people read and understand the historical context --- isn't the copyright owner working to publish a fully annotated / footnoted edition ahead of the copyright expiring so as to take the wind out of the sails of those hoping to take advantage of its expiration?

Alan Cranston was sued for having published an un-authorized translation here in the U.S.:

http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/peo...ston-con2.html

and I think that that story needs to be a part of any mentioning of this book.

William

(whose four uncles all served in WWII, two in Europe, two in the Pacific)

[QuantumIguana]

Originally Posted by Jane Oldaker

I'm intrigued by the speculation on why read it so I'm gonna stick my oar in too. I posit that it is essential for academics to have some understanding of it. In fact I would suggest that it behooves much of humanity to have a minimal, stress minimal understanding of it. And I'm going to have to speculate that most Neo-Nazis who possess it haven't read it or much of anything else for that matter.

Just as a dog whistle can't be heard by humans, a metaphorical dog whistle is a message that is only understood by its intended audience. Some books are vile, but we can't afford to be ignorant of them. The more we know, the harder it is for people who admire Hitler to put their message out without being noticed.

I've never read Mein Kampf, but I've read part of "On the Jews and their Lies" by Martin Luther, I read as much as I could stand to read.

[The Old Man]

Originally Posted by QuantumIguana

I've never read Mein Kampf, but I've read part of "On the Jews and their Lies" by Martin Luther, I read as much as I could stand to read.

Yes this book is a disgrace and an embarssment to Christians. Like Muhamand before him, the Jews didn't take to Luther's Refofmation so he turned on them.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by The Old Man

Yes this book is a disgrace and an embarssment to Christians. Like Muhamand before him, the Jews didn't take to Luther's Refofmation so he turned on them.

True. I am aghast that anyone would believe this tripe although I know many do. I don't know many Jewish people but I'm pretty sure they are just people who do what they think is right with the same success or lack of it as the rest of us.

Helen

[issybird]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

True. I am aghast that anyone would believe this tripe although I know many do. I don't know many Jewish people but I'm pretty sure they are just people who do what they think is right with the same success or lack of it as the rest of us.

Helen

Only pretty sure?!!!

I am, frankly, appalled at this comment.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by issybird

Only pretty sure?!!!

I am, frankly, appalled at this comment.

There was a story by Isaac Asimov that refers to "The Merchant of Venice" by William Shakespeare in which mention is made of the speech about has not a Jew hands, etc. which could be taken in similar context. Of course both Martin Luther and William Shakespeare were the product of the times in which they lived as well. Back in Luther's day for example there was still the inquisition that still held a good amount of power and there was a general mindset I imagine of the Jew being the infidel etc. Hopefully we've moved past that nonsense now days. Shakespeare of course had to toe the line in terms of who his patrons were or find himself in trouble. Beyond that though both men were human and given to all the things we all are given to.

[jgaiser]

Originally Posted by issybird

Only pretty sure?!!!

I am, frankly, appalled at this comment.

I'm pretty sure you're making too much of the comment.

[Difflugia]

Originally Posted by crich70

Of course both Martin Luther and William Shakespeare were the product of the times in which they lived as well. Back in Luther's day for example there was still the inquisition that still held a good amount of power and there was a general mindset I imagine of the Jew being the infidel etc.

Being a "product of the times" doesn't absolve one of guilt. Failing to recognize the evil of the Inquisition because one was its contemporary is no more excusable than civilian Germans furthering the Holocaust, American slave ownership, the racial segregation that followed, or ways that people continue to justify racism, misogyny and homophobia now.

[Lynx-lynx]

Originally Posted by pastanley

..... This book was first published almost 90 years ago.

I consider this book should continue to be able to be purchased, it is of significant public historical interest.