Some Random Thoughts from
Mein Kampf
Volume-1 (A Retrospect)
I have few books in my wish list, which I will read in
course of my life journey. The habit of reading book is thriving in me, in the
recent past. I started hitting my wish list. Here I am writing this to share
some thoughts from EVIL GENIUS Adolf Hitler’s MEIN KAMPF. Really, it is an
awesome book. All above being an
autobiography, it speaks on various subjects. More often Hitler speaks in-depth
of political struggle.
From Chapter-1: In the home of my parent
While talking about his father, He explained the stubborn
attitude of his father even in an arduous struggle. The lines as following
“With the tenacity of one whom misery
& trouble had already made old when only half-way through his youth the
young man of seventeen obstinately set out on his new project and struck to it
until he won through”
“Thus he was able to fulfill the
promise he had made as a poor boy not to return to his native village until he
was somebody”
Following this he talks on his Random Interests. He had interest on painting, Architecture,
History, Politics…etc. In the following lines, he explains the methodology to
study history.
“To study history means to search for
and discover the forces that are the causes of those results which appears
before our eyes as historical events”
He defines the term politics
as Contemporary historical event.
“I will not ‘learn’ politics but let
politics teach me”
From Chapter-2: Years of study & Suffering in Vienna
After his mother’s death, his fate was made him to stay at
Vienna. A month before his mother’s illness, he took an entrance exam for the
Academy of fine Arts. Although they refused him to be a student of School of
Painting, his aptitude towards architecture was been recognized. Hitler quote
here be describing Vienna as a living memory of the saddest past.
“Obstacles are placed across our path
in life, not to be boggled at but to be surmounted”
The Hungry stomach
teaches many lessons. In that way Hitler had learned many things at Vienna
while searching some unskilled labor to earn his daily bread.
“Honest work never disgraced anybody,
no matter what kind it may be”
The fundamental
deficiencies in our economic & cultural life are reasons for the
degradation of the Individuals. Hitler stressed upon this to be eliminated.
“When the individual is no longer
burdened with his own consciousness of blame in this regard the and only then
will he have that inner tranquility & outer force to cut off drastically
& ruthlessly all the parasite growth & root out this weed.”
Nationalizing the
people & education: Hitler had a broad idea on almost every topic. It is very
apt to call him an ‘Evil Genius’. In this chapter he stress upon the roll of
education in nationalizing the people. He put forward an idea of nationalizing
a people is first & foremost one of establishing healthy social condition.
He insist the education must inculcate in the individual a knowledge of
cultural, economic, and all above political greatness of his country. This will
make citizen to feel proud of his country. The following lines explain the
reason
“I can fight only for something that I
love. I can love only what I respect. And in order to respect a thing I must at
least have some knowledge of it”
Hitler had many
question regarding social & political issues. In order to get answer for
them, he started reading as many books that dealt with those topics, as an
obligation the interest on politics started blooming in him. He points two
chief purpose of reading books
1.
In responds to
higher human aspiration.
2.
To get general
knowledge of the world.
Hitler express in his lines
“Each
little piece of knowledge thus gained must be treated as if it were a little
stone to be inserted in to a mosaic, so that it finds it proper place among all
the other piece and particle that help to form a general world picture in the
brain of the reader.”
In the remaining part of this chapter Hitler started
looking depth in to the political milieu. He brings in different views on Trade
union, Jews part in political controversies, Social democrats. Hitherto he used
to pass through the mighty cities astonishing at the architectural work but now
he started scrutinizing the human being. The milieu kept him aloof of Jews. He
look at the playing a leadership role in social democracy which was a reason
for numerous political controversies. He saw many Jews played a part in the social
phenomenon of prostitution & White slave traffic. He looked at them as
filth carries.
I don’t want to scrutinize in to the nature &
character of one particular community. This chapter some insight value from
Hitler, I am not sure will this serve to judge the Jews but it will be serving
us in many ways through our journey. He describes the purpose of trade union is
to defend the social right of employee but it had been used as a political
instrument by the party in class struggle. The following lines explain the true
human nature.
“I found it difficult to understand
how men who always had reasonable ideas when they spoke as individuals with one
another suddenly lost this reasonableness the moment they acted in the mass.”
From Chapter-3: Political Reflections Arising Out of My
Sojourn in Vienna
In this chapter, Hitler gives different attributes of
political parties and reason for their failure. It can be said this chapter is
in particular for the political aspirants. He provides huge insight values for
them. He stress upon some criteria to be
attained by one before entering politics. He says one must acquire general
ideas & fit them together so as to form an organic structure of personal
thought or outlook of life – a
weltanschauung.
Hitler says unequipped political life results in
wrong stand on essential question which in turn affect himself to abandon his
position or else make him to stick to it against his wisdom. Following this he
says about the breakdown of Habsburg Empire, the influence of western Democracy
and nobleness of the self-government by the people. He has written about the
conditions of the parliament house, the following lines express his view on
this institution.
“Up to that time I had believed that
the disastrous deficiencies of the Austrian parliament were due to the lack of
a German majority, but now I recognized that the Institution itself was wrong
in its very essence & form.”
He says the institution is primarily responsible for the
crowd inrush of mediocre people into the field of politics.
“Man who is endowed with real
qualities of leadership will be tempted to refrain from taking part in
political life; because under these circumstance the situation does not call
for a man who has capacity for constructive statesmanship but rather for a man
who is capable for constructive favor of the majority. Thus the situation will
appeal to small minds & will attract them accordingly”
In his point, another
drawback of parliament house is “Majority”. Whenever important decision is to
be made our politicians hide themselves comfortably behind the backs of so
called “Majority”. The intellectual skill plays least role in this process.
This will be the main reason why politics seems abhorrent to men of character,
courage & diligent. He express in this line.
“The most important economic measures
are submitted to a tribunal in which not more than one-tenth of the members
have studied the elements of economics”
He further says
“Nobody will have the courage to say:
Gentleman, I am afraid we know nothing about what we are talking about. I for
one have no competency in the matter at all”
…….
“In certain circles honesty is taken
as an Index of Stupidity”
In the remaining part of this chapter, He express few
points attribute to the wreck of pan German party in Austria and followed by
the marvelous progress & failure of Christian socialist party. The reason
for the failure of both pan German & Christian socialist party is quite
opposite. The leaders of Pan German lack in the social perspective & they
didn’t grasp the significance of truth whereas the Christian Social party had
an “international” sense in their feeling but they paid too little heed to the
social problem.
At the end of this chapter, Hitler provides us a metaphor,
explaining how one should act to reach his goal.
“An alpine climber who never loses
sight of the peak he wants to reach, who has set out with the great
determination & energy, but pays no attention to the road beneath his feet.
With his eye always fixed firmly on the goal, he does not think over or notice
the nature of the ascent & finally
he fails.”
TO BE UPDATE
TO BE UPDATE
