Hacker News Reader

Comment by tombrossman | Hacker News Reader

This is a good time to remind readers of this Upton Sinclair quote, too: "It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it".

View on HN

Well, I actually feel it concerns much more than simply money. The avant-garde - be it technological, artistic or intellectual - has always shown a tendency to join forces with the darkest of regimes during the early stages.

I wonder if it isn't because the darkest regimes, when they're just starting, show the most promise for progress and positive changes. Didn't Nazis offer the Germans their wealth and their honor back, in the times they were most desperately in need of both?

EDIT:

But then again, fascination with "the other guys" is also a thing. See: the intellectual world of the West being in love with Soviet Union well into the Cold War.

http://slatestarcodex.com/2015/08/11/book-review-chronicles-...

Populists will claim to give you anything you want as long as you vote for them.

True, but from what I remember from my history lessons, NSDAP was actually doing good on those promises. Which is something that rarely happens in politics.

That was more of a temporary thing right up until the point that the Nazi party abolished large chunks of the civil rights granted by the German Constitution in 1933.

They made lots of promises that they never delivered on (or even planned to deliver on).

One of the more interesting ones:

http://www.bytwerk.com/gpa/vw.htm

That was a really interesting story, thanks!

Also, the very positive tone of the historical article was refreshing. I know it's pure propaganda, but still, we could use some positive articles in the news every once in a while.

Salary is a lot more than simply money for most people; it's food on the table for their family.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com