Re: [Marxism] Joining the "Hitlerjugend"

[Jim Farmelant <farmelantj@xxxxxxxx>]

On 24 Apr 2005 09:54:00 GMT l.willms@xxxxxxxxxxx (Lueko Willms) writes:
>
>
>    Watching the inaugural mass for the new pope, Benedict XVI, on
> TV,
> brings me back to the reproaches made to him for the fact that he
> joined the "Hitlerjugend" (Hitler Youth), when it was made
> compulsory.

Well, I don't necessarily condemn him for having joined.
It would have required a precocious degree of political
consciousness on his part to have the decision to not
join.  Lots of people who after WW II emerged as good
progressives, were members of the Hitler Youth under
the Third Reich.  On the other hand, this hardly makes
him any sort of hero.  After all, at the time, there were
young people, hardly older than him who were actively
opposing the Nazi regime, such as the youths in
the White Rose.

>
>    While I see as much more important the fact that the young
> Ratzinger deserted from the Wehrmacht in 1944, there is one more
> thought I want to add.

Well that shows he was not a fanatical, fight to the death, Nazi.
Otherwise, I am not sure what that says about his political
consciousness at the time, other than he didn't wish to
get killed for nothing.

>
>    Thinking about possibilities of doing underground communist work
> in
> the situation of such a ruthless dictatorship as the Nazi rule over
>
> Germany, I do not see any _principle_ which would preclude also to
> go
> into such a youth organization, when that is a useful venue to reach
>
> young workers.


Well, the KPD did, I think, attempt to do something similar
in regards to the workers organizations that the Nazis
created, after having smashed the trade unions.

>
>    If we would boycott the fascist organizations or use them from
> the
> inside would be a tactical decision.
>
>
> Yours,
> Lüko Willms
> /------------ L.WILLMS@xxxxxxxxxxx --
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> Betreff
>
>
>
> PS:
> Before anybody distorts my remark, no I do not think that Joseph
> Ratzinger did join the "Hitlerjugend" to make communist work.
>
>
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