There aren’t many things that people worldwide will be in agreement with almost 100% but feelings of disgust towards Hitler is one of them. I’ve never met a person who was even ambivalent towards him and his actions, let alone supportive. Wanting to read his book to see if you can get inside his head learn “wtf was he thinking?” isn’t exactly abnormal. It’s called morbid curiosity and there is nothing wrong with that. The average person can’t comprehend how someone could be this way, they can’t wrap their heads around how one could not only commit these atrocities but recruit millions of average citizens to carry these atrocities out on their behalf. The same principle applies to consuming true crime. The average person can’t wrap their heads around serial killers like Ted Bundy, so they read and watch documentaries trying to understand. It doesn’t make you a bad person or a supporter of the cause by seeking this info out. Besides, he who ignores history is doomed to repeat it.
I’m not naive but I also didn’t take it account that remnants of that time are still alive and well, especially in Germany. On the other hand, neo nazis and white supremacists only account for a tiny percentage of the population. I imagine you see it more in Germany than I do in the States simply for the fact that there are millions of living people who had parents, grandparents, and other direct relatives who supported Hitler’s vision of the perfect world. They grew up in households that supported the Third Reich or were full on members of the nazi party. You have living people who were members of Hitler Youth or League of German Girls. It’s very difficult to shake off the ideals you were raised with, whether it be political propaganda, religion, or flat out bigotry in general.
I’m not sheltered, I’ve seen the effed up things this world has to offer. 9/11 happened during my first year in the Navy and I’ll never forget my first time pulling into port in U.A.E. for a few days. 2 goddamned middle eastern fucks saw me, a blonde haired, blue eyed American girl, out with several of my male buddies shopping in one of the gold souks. They then approached us and tried to fucking buy me from my fellow sailors to use as a sex slave. Yes, you read that right. They assumed American women are so lustful that they’d LOVE being bought for the low, low price of 3 of their finest goats just to be used for sex 24/7. And yes, they were serious. Until I opened my filthy Sailor’s mouth and told them to fuck off unless they wanted the entire U.S. Naval Fleet up their asses. We were in civvies, not uniforms, so they didn’t realize we were American military and in Dubai, it’s understood that they are to leave the military personnel alone when they’re in port. I hate to think what could have happened if we were just regular American tourists, especially during that time. But circling back to the Holocaust and that horrible time in history, for the very few who still support Hitler’s ideology on this side of the pond, life isn’t good for them and they are not accepted by society.