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late night thoughts or whatever...

on the "banality of evil"... i understand the concept of "evil people" being banal as in H*tler was in no way shape or form a genius, he was a racist piece of shit with literally no real talent. he wasn't even an specially good orator because there was no subtlety or real *art* in his speech, so him and people who attached/still attach themselves to his ideology i think of as banal. people are banal. most people even when well intentioned can be banal at times.
I do strongly disagree with the idea that *evil* itself can be viewed as banal because what banal, ill intentioned people, *evil* people can do, when they have power over any part of society, it has concequences and i do not believe said consequences can be seen as "banal" because it doesn't matter how stupid and "simple" the doer is, the victims of their "evil" will always be affected more deeply than anyone can imagine, and their suffering is not banal.
so evil in itself, in my opinion, cannot be categorized as banal.
tyrants, dictators, politicians, any figure exercising power over others in evil ways, are banal.
but what they do, however evil, will always have particular, concequences in other individuals that no matter the amount of times they tell their stories during/after the same evil will never be banal because personal experience as a consequence of the evil of others is never a banality.
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Hitler was actually a fine orator.

1) He understood what the masses wanted: bread and pride. He essentially promised to "make Germany great, like it once was", to modify a campaign slogan of RWR.

2) His speeches were constructed to bring people along with mood, language and tempo.

He would begin with longer, more complicated expressions, and deliver the words more quietly [this latter might have been more a pre-Putsch delivery; Speer refers to it in his Erinnerungen.].

As he talked, the phrases got shorter / less complicated, the tempo increased, and his own demeanor kept pace with the tempo.

He ended up bring people from where they were to where he wanted them to be.

The results of his speeches are written in unspeakable cruelties and horrors, hatreds, confiscations, and the blood of persons of all ages killed in many ways, both near to far from München and Berlin. His speeches helped to destroy Germany, redraw maps, create a Communist empire of occupiers who blighted a vast region of Europe for 44 years, create an American empire, and reshape the world.

So I'd say his speeches were effective.
MoveAlong · 70-79, M
@SomeMichGuy I wish SW had a clapping hands button. Since they don't I'll add my own emoji. 👏

You are exactly right.
@MoveAlong Thank you.

It's sad to be right about such a thing.
Northwest · M
An evil person can be a good orator
Not all evil people are good orator

A person can be banal
A banal person can be a good person

A person can be racist
That same person can be a good orator

Hitler was a "good orator", because his audience was extremely receptive, and this allowed him to take control and cause evil.
idontcareok · 70-79, M
seems you have an obsession with the word banal, a word coined by Hannah Arendt at Adolf Eichmann's trail, try not to get carried away
DeWayfarer · 61-69, M
Improper word.

Be thankful that such types of people are not trite or common place.
Diotrephes · 70-79, M
@Alfonsina

FDR & Churchill were each 10X more racist than Hitler was.

 
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