January 7th, 2010 by Hoopleton

As we move further from those gagged days of the Second World War and as the last of that generation which bore witness passes from the living world we see a significant rise in interest in Hitler’s Third Reich. The memorabilia of National Socialism is in higher demand than ever. The most popular play of war reenactors are the battles of the Waffen SS. Nazism has become fodder for a multi-billion dollar entertainment industry. Extreme Right-wing parties which romanticize Fascism are appearing across the globe. Just a few weeks ago the iconic sign which hung over the gates of Auschwitz, Arbeit Macht Frei (work will set you free) was stolen by a gang of thieves at the behest of an as yet unknown collector.

Our attitude toward Hitler’s Germany is increasingly complicated. On the one hand the Nazis remain the epitome of evil. A pack of racist mass murderers with illusions of world conquest. It’s impossible to think of the Third Reich without imagining newsreel footage of bulldozers pushing hundreds of naked corpses into mass graves. They are the quintessential boogie men. Used (to a nauseating degree) by politicians as shorthand for everything that is wrong between Heaven and Earth. On the other hand we exist in a world sixty-five years removed from the initial shock of such crimes. Our world is one that is both all too familiar with and also increasingly indifferent to the realities of genocide. In short we are desensitized. And so for many people living today the Nazis have become little more than caricatures. Fictional super villains. The bad guys of Quentin Tarantino movies and video games. Dressed in their Hugo Boss tailored uniforms, silver skulls shining from their caps, they have almost become cool.

Speaking of Hugo Boss, one needs only to look at the rise of “Nazi chic” in the world of high fashion. With military inspired styles dominating the marketplace (a sad statement on the values of our society in itself) we’re seeing a cornucopia of suspiciously Nazi-like apparel on the runway and the rack. Schott of New York for example, a clothing company that boasts outfitting American bomber crews during World War II offers a double-breasted “military-style” leather jacket for sale that looks like it slid right off Himmler’s back.

I’m not suggesting that Nazis have as yet crossed the line into the realm of acceptability. I couldn’t conceive of a time in the near future when someone strolling down the street with a swastika on their arm wouldn’t face a hostile reception (though stranger things have happened). As yet reenactors sporting War-era German uniforms go about their play discretely. Collectors of Nazi paraphernalia (legal and otherwise) are staying mainly in the shadows. However their numbers are growing. Prices are rising.

All of this comes at a time of increased extremism. Deeply nationalistic and fascist political parties are gaining power in governments across the globe. Even the European Parliament is today led by a coalition of far right parties, many espousing veiled bigotry if not blatant racism. Though perhaps such things are inevitable given enough time. Especially when a band of murderous thugs is made into caricature for the gain of political agendas and movie ticket sales.

At first we reject evil, but given enough time we commodify it, fetishize it. History defaults to whoever has the larger marketing budget. It’s not unthinkable or without precedent. Our history celebrates slavers and mass murderers. They appear on our currency. Our cities are named for them. Up is down. Black is white. The victims blame not their tormentors but each other. African Americans are said to “get handouts.” Native Americans become mascots. Jewish history is called a “propaganda tool.” Auschwitz is called a “Polish death camp.” Hitler’s willing executioners become the new cool. Absurdity becomes reality. Such is life in Naziland.