jasdooit

Hitler, a sergeant in the German army during World War I, went to a meeting of the German Workers’ Party (DAP) in 1919 as a spy assigned to infiltrate the group, which had been established that same year. However, he was drawn to its nationalist ideology. Following his membership in the DAP, he took charge using fiery speeches and changed the party’s name to the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP). The term “Nazi” originated from shortening the German pronunciation of “National,” meaning “nation.”

▶As he gained power, Hitler utilized paramilitary groups to kill political opponents, and after taking office, he used fear to suppress any form of resistance. Six years prior to the start of World War II, he started building concentration camps throughout the nation, where Romani individuals, homosexuals, and repeat offenders were imprisoned and killed under the excuse of eliminating societal “failures.” Political adversaries faced even more severe treatment. He created a technique to gradually suffocate victims, making sure they didn’t die immediately from broken necks. Locals were called to watch these executions. Jews were forced into gas chambers that were disguised as “clean restrooms,” where poisonous gas was released through ceiling openings.

▶In his book “Bloodlands,” American historian Timothy Snyder stated that Hitler and Stalin were responsible for the deaths of 14 million civilians, including Jews, between 1933 and the conclusion of World War II. Some academics believe that when considering the number of soldiers who perished in the Nazi-Soviet conflict after it started, the total death count could have reached up to 40 million. Although Hitler advocated for Aryan nationalism and Stalin supported a dictatorship under the banner of the working class, their beliefs were destined to come into conflict. Nevertheless, both exhibited a totalitarian disregard for human life.

▶ President Lee Jae-myung mentioned during a Cabinet meeting on the 2nd, “Individuals who try to stage coups against the country or abuse state power to violate personal human rights should be punished as harshly as Nazi war criminals.” Many people found the president’s mention of “Nazis” unsettling. The People Power Party has consistently accused him of being a “Hitler” or “Nazi.” Both parties have likened each other to Nazis, who carried out unprecedented atrocities in history. Even as political speech, these comparisons are excessive and historically incorrect.

▶International scholars criticize Koreans for employing excessively intense language. They are taken aback by how people casually use the word “kill” in front of others. In Europe and Japan, where past conflicts were resolved through force, saying “kill” once could endanger one’s life. During the samurai period in Japan, careless speech could result in death—a cultural sensitivity that still exists today. In contrast, during the Joseon era, which abandoned military force and embraced a tributary system, words were wielded like swords. Debates turned into verbal confrontations, and language became more extreme. Observing opponents labeling each other as “Nazis,” one questions whether they truly grasp the meaning of Nazism.