Stalin

[SuburbanFarmer]

Pretty sure Hitler was a classic psychopath. He probably had no personality of his own.

[GloryofGreece]

Pretty sure Hitler was a classic psychopath. He probably had no personality of his own.

I'm not trying to argue over semantics or psychological categories, but why are you saying that here? Did you watch the Kotkin interview?

Hitler didn't have shit on Stalin.

[heydaralon]

Pretty sure Hitler was a classic psychopath. He probably had no personality of his own.

I'm not trying to argue over semantics or psychological categories, but why are you saying that here? Did you watch the Kotkin interview?

Hitler didn't have shit on Stalin.

Hello GoG! Good to see you on here again.

Right now, I am reading Robert Conquest's short book on Lenin. Very interesting stuff. You could probably read it in 1 sitting. You might enjoy some of the background to Stalin. BTW: Lenin was a piece of shit too, and there have been many halfassed attempts by academic to whitewash his role in the mass death and suffering that Russia faced for over 70 years.

[heydaralon]

Pretty sure Hitler was a classic psychopath. He probably had no personality of his own.

He definitely didn't have a personality of his own, but I'm not sure he fits the DSM definition of a psychopath. There are some academic debates about this. Personally, I think its more reassuring to view people who do unbelievably evil shit as being insane of being psychos, but I think the reality is probably much worse.

[SuburbanFarmer]

Pretty sure Hitler was a classic psychopath. He probably had no personality of his own.

I'm not trying to argue over semantics or psychological categories, but why are you saying that here? Did you watch the Kotkin interview?

Hitler didn't have shit on Stalin.

As far as I know, Hitler never kept any journals (at least none that survived) and he had this kind of inner wall that guarded his psyche. Even those close to him seem to feel that despite his charisma, behind his eyes he was sort of empty. Like, he was passionate enough to start a continental war, but he had something severely lacking. Much of his supposed hypnotic connection with others was simply performative (he would rehearse speech and movements by himself for hours), and he was pretty much asexual.

I think Hitler was highly orderly, diligent, perfectionist, narcissistic, interested in ideas and aesthetics, assertive, and plagued by negative emotion. I think he was at least average in extroversion.

Those sound like descriptions of a psychopath to me. You could just as easily be talking about Patrick Bateman there.

I'm no shrink, and I'm sure Dr. Y could break it down more accurately. It's just the best word for that kind of human.

[TheReal_ND]

Hitler had some faults as far as being an uninspired artist and possibly harboring a form of amphetamine addiction, though this seems slightly overblown when you realize the level of potency the drugs he was allegedly addicted to pale in comparison to over the counter trucker pills. While I'm dog piling on him he was a poor military tactition in hindsight. He was utterly correct about the Soviet threat so perhaps his zealosuness can be forgiven. Of course most people have been programmed to beleive he gassed a gazillion jews so he is the ultimate evil incarnate according to Americans. Funny thing about that war though was that we believe it was a "good war." We all know about the American GI's that refused to talk about the war, they would clam up and wish to God it was never brought up. Everyone always presumes to think they don't want to remember the horrors of what they saw but I think it is far more likely they don't want to remember what they did when they were an 18 year kid hopped up on propaganda.

[SuburbanFarmer]

Hitler had some faults as far as being an uninspired artist and possibly harboring a form of amphetamine addiction, though this seems slightly overblown when you realize the level of potency the drugs he was allegedly addicted to pale in comparison to over the counter trucker pills. While I'm dog piling on him he was a poor military tactition in hindsight. He was utterly correct about the Soviet threat so perhaps his zealosuness can be forgiven. Of course most people have been programmed to beleive he gassed a gazillion jews so he is the ultimate evil incarnate according to Americans. Funny thing about that war though was that we believe it was a "good war." We all know about the American GI's that refused to talk about the war, they would clam up and wish to God it was never brought up. Everyone always presumes to think they don't want to remember the horrors of what they saw but I think it is far more likely they don't want to remember what they did when they were an 18 year kid hopped up on propaganda.

Explain the "Soviet Threat" that Hitler threw away his victory for... He had a NAP with Stalin, and a clear path to victory. Then turned around and split his army.

[GloryofGreece]

Pretty sure Hitler was a classic psychopath. He probably had no personality of his own.

I'm not trying to argue over semantics or psychological categories, but why are you saying that here? Did you watch the Kotkin interview?

Hitler didn't have shit on Stalin.

Hello GoG! Good to see you on here again.

Right now, I am reading Robert Conquest's short book on Lenin. Very interesting stuff. You could probably read it in 1 sitting. You might enjoy some of the background to Stalin. BTW: Lenin was a piece of shit too, and there have been many halfassed attempts by academic to whitewash his role in the mass death and suffering that Russia faced for over 70 years.

Yes Lenin sometimes even often times is thought of been less evil or murderous than other Dictators , but really he already did a lot of killing before he had a stroke. And he did not abject to Stalin being his successor. That is misinformation as well. What's fascinating about Lenin specifically, is that he was one of the few intellectuals that actually did something.

[TheReal_ND]

Hitler had some faults as far as being an uninspired artist and possibly harboring a form of amphetamine addiction, though this seems slightly overblown when you realize the level of potency the drugs he was allegedly addicted to pale in comparison to over the counter trucker pills. While I'm dog piling on him he was a poor military tactition in hindsight. He was utterly correct about the Soviet threat so perhaps his zealosuness can be forgiven. Of course most people have been programmed to beleive he gassed a gazillion jews so he is the ultimate evil incarnate according to Americans. Funny thing about that war though was that we believe it was a "good war." We all know about the American GI's that refused to talk about the war, they would clam up and wish to God it was never brought up. Everyone always presumes to think they don't want to remember the horrors of what they saw but I think it is far more likely they don't want to remember what they did when they were an 18 year kid hopped up on propaganda.

Explain the "Soviet Threat" that Hitler threw away his victory for... He had a NAP with Stalin, and a clear path to victory. Then turned around and split his army.

Yes. First of all if he did not regard communism as a threat like America has not done since we started backing first Lenin then Mao and eventually Stalin etc.then he likely would have not given two figs about the excessively generous claims given to, post war, communist, Russia that were threatening German peoples in eastern Europe.

The fact that he perceived the would be invaders as the threat they were to Germany should be self evident, even leaving aside the Jewish question of the entire first and second war.

Bear in mind Stalin had one and only one enemy: Hitler. Stalin fought the entire war with the entire world on his side. There was no threat from Japan.

[SuburbanFarmer]

Hitler had some faults as far as being an uninspired artist and possibly harboring a form of amphetamine addiction, though this seems slightly overblown when you realize the level of potency the drugs he was allegedly addicted to pale in comparison to over the counter trucker pills. While I'm dog piling on him he was a poor military tactition in hindsight. He was utterly correct about the Soviet threat so perhaps his zealosuness can be forgiven. Of course most people have been programmed to beleive he gassed a gazillion jews so he is the ultimate evil incarnate according to Americans. Funny thing about that war though was that we believe it was a "good war." We all know about the American GI's that refused to talk about the war, they would clam up and wish to God it was never brought up. Everyone always presumes to think they don't want to remember the horrors of what they saw but I think it is far more likely they don't want to remember what they did when they were an 18 year kid hopped up on propaganda.

Explain the "Soviet Threat" that Hitler threw away his victory for... He had a NAP with Stalin, and a clear path to victory. Then turned around and split his army.

Yes. First of all if he did not regard communism as a threat like America has not done since we started backing first Lenin then Mao and eventually Stalin etc.then he likely would have not given two figs about the excessively generous claims given to, post war, communist, Russia that were threatening German peoples in eastern Europe.

The fact that he perceived the would be invaders as the threat they were to Germany should be self evident, even leaving aside the Jewish question of the entire first and second war.

Bear in mind Stalin had one and only one enemy: Hitler. Stalin fought the entire war with the entire world on his side. There was no threat from Japan.

I have no doubt that Hitler “perceived a threat” from the Soviets, but what was the threat? He had a NAP that Stalin never would have broken.

I’m not complaining - it saved the world. But nobody seems able to explain this, other than incredible stupidity or pride.