Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Hitler a Vegetarian
Many people know that Hitler and his officers were responsible for the murder of about 50 million people during World War II. Many also know that Hitler was responsible for the deaths of millions of people in concentration camps. However, few people know that Hitler was supposedly a vegetarian. At first, it seems hard to imagine that this man, viewed by most of the world as a monster with no pity or respect for life, would feel pity while eating meat. Hitler was not only supposedly a vegetarian, but he, along with Göring, introduced several animal welfare laws, placing restrictions on mistreatment of animals, such as hunting, dissection, and even the boiling of crustaceans for food. In one example, Göring saw a man who was cutting up a live bait frog and sent him to prison for 6 months. The Nazis were also responsible for enacting environmental laws in Germany at the time, protecting forests and wildlife. It is hard to imagine that the same man who, supposedly, had to look away when he saw an animal suffering in a movie and was reponsible for legislation much more similar to that of today than of the time was also the main leader of a sophisticated, calculated plan to exterminate millions of human beings.
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I really just can't believe this. Are you sure? I am 100% gobsmacked. Bamboozled. Where did you get this information? I can't believe that a man who wouldn't boil a lobster to eat would be willing to condone the boiling of humans for their fat to make soap. How could he be all right with mass murder but not with eating beef? Don't take this personally but I won't believe that Hitler was a vegetarian until you check your source's legitimacy and reputation.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Jasmine. I find this very hard to believe. Although from Hitler's point of view, the Jews were not technically human so that's why he would use their fat for soap, but if Hitler was a vegetarian then wouldn't he think that using an animal's fat for soap was horrible as well? Considering Hitler completely took any human aspect from the Jews and treated them like "animals", then he would treat actual animals the same way, wouldn't he? I also think that you should double check the sources and maybe find more that back it up, because although it may be true I find it really hard to believe.
ReplyDeleteI thought he massacred some animals as well...Whatever the reality is, I am very appalled with this notion. I see veal and Hitler hand in hand. If the Jews weren't human, were they animals then? Should they have gotten certain rights? This topic brings up many questions.
ReplyDelete"Do you know that your Führer is a vegetarian, and that he does not eat meat because of his general attitude toward life and his love for the world of animals? Do you know that your Führer is an exemplary friend of animals, and even as a chancellor, he is not separated from the animals he has kept for years?...The Führer is an ardent opponent of any torture of animals, in particular vivisection, and has declared to terminate those conditions...thus fulfilling his role as the savior of animals, from continuous and nameless torments and pain."
ReplyDeleteI found this quote from a German magazine during the war. It seems unbelievable that someone so concerned with the life of animals would have such disregard for human life. Not only was Hitler the perpetrator of genocide, he started a war with 55 million casualties.
As Alex said, it is thought that Hitler thought of the Jews as animals, not people. But it seems here that he thought of Jews as LESS than animals. It seems odd that something could be seen as less than an "animal", but if you think about it, we all have orders like this in our lives. Most of us would think of animals as less than people, and plants as less than animals. We feel no remorse eating plants, boiling them, etc. I am not saying that this is bad; we have to draw the line SOMEWHERE otherwise we would have nothing to eat or use! But it seems that Hitler pu Jews and the other peoples that he exterminated on the same level that we put plants. Just think of weeds: they are a type of plant that we have come up with a MILLION ways to kill. We aren't ruthless monsters, we just put weeds lower on our priority lists than other living things. I AM NOT defending Hitler though, because it is TERRIBLE that he thought of human beings as no less than plants or weeds. This just may explain his thinking, not excuse it.
ReplyDeleteThe variety of comments sparked my interest here. The exclaims of shock from Jasmine and Rachael proves on point to me. We define people by their general actions easily. We all see Hitler a a cruel monster who was the murder of thousands of lives, hopes, dreams, and consistency. We cannot simply believe that a human such as Hitler is capable of such "benevolent" decisions. However we all must remember all people have their weird quirks and beliefs. Being a vegetarian was probably Hitler's. I like Rachael am not defending Hitler, in fact I think this idea of Hitler being a vegetarian was used a publicity stunt to show how incredible their leader was. He probably ate meat with his comrades. I'm saying this sort of floating rumors can be entirely true. People are people, no matter what you do, in the end you're still a person. And people are very very strange creatures.
ReplyDelete