Thread by @grudkev

Went to the Holocaust Museum and learned something new:

1. The Nazis passed hundreds of anti-Semitic laws in their first year in power, but most were relatively minor and allowed for exemptions of popular groups (e.g., Jewish WWI veterans); some were even rolled back.

2. The non-Nazis in Hitler's cabinet ("moderate conservatives") convinced him to reverse several policies (like a permanent boycott on Jewish stores) by making pragmatic arguments about the implications for Germany's economy.

You can probably figure out the modern day implications for #1: movements of hate don't show all their cards right away, instead choosing to normalize hatred one small step at a time. They're happy to compromise initially because that makes the next hateful law easier to justify.

The second point relates to the first: the "moderate" allies of hateful groups are kidding themselves when they claim they support the hateful group as a way to rein in their excesses. All they do in the end is become complicit in the violence, making it easier to implement.

From the "moderate conservatives" to the Christian groups that allowed Nazi control of their churches to the Judenrat, the collaborators - many of whom believed they were doing the best they could in a bad situation - enabled a violent, but small minority to massacre millions.

Collaboration not only failed to prevent the "excesses" the collaborators believed they were preventing, but enabled them. Groups like the Nazis would never come to power and carry out their evil projects without the support of groups who ostensibly opposed those projects.

That also applies internationally: without isolationists demanding democracies stay out of German affairs and a certain type of realist who prefers to focus on the imaginary enemy while the real one is punching them in the face, the Nazis would be driven out of power before 1941.

It's interesting (and sad) how many different languages this is being quoted in. This is, unfortunately, a global problem; one that far too many are ignoring because of ignorance or because it's politically inconvenient to admit their allies are pursuing hate-filled policies.