Hitler and the Political

Hitler and the Political

Peter Schultz

 

                  Which best explains Hitler, his “unique instinct for power,” or the incompetence of his enemies? The question matters regarding the character of the political. The former implies that the political is potentially an arena conducive to greatness, both personal and political. The latter implies the political is an arena characterized by incompetence and blindness. The former leads to the affirmation of the political, while the latter leads to irony. What looks like greatness isn’t that at all. Rather, it’s a comedy of errors made to look heroic or noble, a comedy of incompetence made to look like competence, or savagery made to look like righteous war. Danger lies in affirming the political, whereas safety lies in treating it ironically. The danger is characterizing Hitler as “unique,” whereas safety lies in laughing at him.

 

                  Similarly, conspiracy theories about 9/11, for example, affirm the political because they assert the attacks were made possible by carefully laid plans to create “a new Pearl Harbor” so the United States could eventually dominate the world. Ironically, such “thinking” is reassuring. Thus, the attacks were seen as impressive feats, thereby implying that the political arena is characterized by such feats and the equally impressive Global War on Terror, undertaken in response to the attacks. Whereas if the attacks reflected and were made possible by incompetence and blindness, then the responses should be carefully calibrated, i.e., not monumentally grand like eradicating evil. Given the character of the political, the monumentally grand is monumentally delusional or mad.

 

                  Conventionally understood, Hitler had a “unique instinct for power,” by which he fooled and rolled over his enemies to become “the master” of the German Reich. Serving evil ends, he was nonetheless “a genius.” But what if Hitler was merely less incompetent that his enemies? And because he was less incompetent, he succeeded – but only for a little while. “Funny how falling feels like flying – for a little while.” Funny, too, how the road to political glory is actually a dead end.