Sebastian Haffner on how quickly things can change
I’ve written quite a few times before about Sebastian Haffner’s excellent book Defying Hitler. I suggest everyone read it. Haffner, a young man when Hitler came to power, describes Hitler’s rise in harrowing and insightful psychological detail.
Right now I’ve been thinking of the following passage, which I offer here. It describes an event that occurred in Germany shortly after the Nazi takeover. At that time, Haffner was a young lawyer doing research in the library at his place of employment, the Kammergericht (Berlin’s highest court):
…[T]he intruders had arrived at the library. The door was thrust open and a flood of brown uniforms surged in. In a booming voice, one of them, clearly the leader, shouted, “Non-Aryans must leave the premises immediately.” … Someone … answered, “They’ve already left.” … My heart beat heavily. What should I do, how keep my poise? Just ignore them, do not let them disturb me … I read a few sentences mechanically: “The defendant’s claim that … is true but irrelevant … ”
Meanwhile, a brown shirt approached me and took up position in front of my worktable. “Are you Aryan?” Before I had a chance to think, I said, “Yes.” He took a close look at my nose – and retired. The blood shot to my face. A moment too late I felt the shame, the defeat. I had said “Yes”! Well, in God’s name, I was indeed an “Aryan.” I had not lied; I had allowed something worse to happen. … What a disgrace to buy, with a reply, the right to stay with my document in peace! I had been caught unawares, even now. I had failed my very first test. I could have slapped myself.
As I left the Kammegericht it stood there, gray, cool, and calm as ever, set back from the street in its distinguished setting. There was nothing to show that, as an institution, it had just collapsed. There was also nothing about my appearance to show that I had just suffered a terrible reverse, a defeat that would be almost impossible to make good. A well-dressed man walking down Potsdamer Strasse.
That tells you how extraordinary a writer Haffner was (real name: Raimund Pretzel). He also happened to live through extraordinary times, but although his life was less dramatic that many lives during those turbulent times, he was a keen observer who spared no one, including himself. His “voice” reminds me somewhat of the writing of Primo Levi, another keen observer and fine writer who lived through those same times and whose path led to Auschwitz.
The reason I highlight this passage is that I believe that for Haffner it wasn’t just a moment of historical transition, but one of personal transition as well. The court he had once respected had collapsed, despite outwardly looking the same. And Haffner had suffered a simultaneous disruption. He didn’t collapse, but he knew he had been tried and found himself lacking the internal integrity he might have previously imagined he would have demonstrated under such circumstances. He judged himself harshly, but I don’t judge him harshly. I very much doubt I – or most people – would show any more courage, especially as a young person with so much of life ahead.
But that’s the problem, isn’t it? Or at least part of the problem.
We have been observing the collapse of once-respected institutions that had seemed stable – our legal system being one of them. The fact that it was respected doesn’t mean it was perfect; far from it. But it wasn’t hollowed out. Now it has come very close, and at least half of America seems to think that’s just fine if it’s done in the service of getting Trump.
This is the kind of comment that utterly baffles many outside the USA.
Is your argument that the justices are becoming fascists? Even the ones appointed by Trump?
Are you suggesting that Trump et al are behaving legitimately in ignoring court orders because the judiciary are too political?
Or are you accepting that under Trump the USA is sliding into some weird contemporary Fascism?
What was that Hemingway line ‘slowly then all at once’ take the victims of rotherdam and rochdale how long did it take for them to get a measure of justice
Over in this neck of the woods the cake baker in colorado another in minnesota was it even after they won their first
How about derek chauvin and that kangaroo tribunal he was put through, when will he get justice. After years of michael manns climate jihad some degree of accountability has been rendered for mark steyn but at the cost of most of his savings and his health
It seems the victory that daniel penny received is few and far between the sandmann civil verdict the same way
Let me see. England is imprisoning citizens for bad tweets while letting Muslim rapists go free. Australia built concentration camps for COVID patients. Germany wants to ban the AfD, because they disagree with immigration policy.
But sure, the USA is descending into fascism.
Two quotes come to mind:
“The dark night of fascism is always descending in the United States and yet lands only in Europe.”
And:
“The word Fascism has now no meaning except in so far as it signifies ‘something not desirable’.”
David Clayton:
You should know the answer, if you’ve read any of the many many posts I’ve written about the lawfare against Trump. In fact, I think you do know the answer, and you are just letting us know what YOU think.
And most of those are citizens of some note many average citizens never get accountability of any kind
When the media and the legal apparat combine against you youre in a world of hurt
That remark was gunther grass (in a rare bit of self awareness) speaking to jacques revel as related to tom wolfe
“Lawfare” is a classic of newspeak. Every time Trump turns out to be a crook you blame the prosecutor.
Maybe you would be better off not supporting a crook, sex offender and now man who ignores the constitution
In no way do I see the President ignoring the Constitution, far from it. So I’m inclined to label you a liar there, Mr Clayton. Yes. That’s it, you are a liar.
I purposefully gave five non trump related incidents we can go back decades to what conrad black and lewis libby endured what david radler was largely spared and richard armitage was never touched at all
There does seem to be a tag team of fitzgerald comey and mueller one handled the black and libby cases then moved to protect michigan state from their involvement with larry nasser the comey and martha stewart public enemy no 1
Forbes said Robert’s wife Jane made $10 mil in six years as a head hunter for top law firms. I don’t believe it is remotely ethical for ANY first degree relation of ANY fed judge to be doing this let alone the wife of the Chief Justice. The Forbes story suggested that $10 mil was pretty top of the scale compensation as well.
Rotten from the top.
In the Georgia case, the effing prosecutor is a straight up criminal and the judge unethically presided over a case in which he used to work with said prosecutor and donated money to her campaign.
The bullshit defamation case for Trump denying he raped the idiot loon is absurd beyond words. The damage these crap cases do is immense.
RE: Predictions of the coming civil wars
Linked below is an article exploring the ideas of and warnings by Professor of War in the Modern World, David Betz of King’s College London that–based on his research, and in his estimation–some European nations have now passed the “tipping point” which will very likely lead to civil wars, which may have high casualty counts.
Given that, in his view, these civil wars cannot now be stopped from happening, Professor Betz is recommending anticipatory steps which governments can take to minimize the inevitable damage, for instance, things like removing symbolic cultural treasures–prime targets in these civil wars–to safe places, where they will be protected from being destroyed, as was done in WWII.*
* See https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2025/06/14/already-past-the-tipping-point-academic-sounds-civil-war-warning/
The Haffner book is indeed very valuable. I reviewed & excerpted it at some length:
https://chicagoboyz.net/archives/42473.html
His description of the agony his father went through when he was required to swear to beliefs he did not hold..on pain of losing his pension, the only source of support for himself and his wife…is all too painful in the light of the human destruction perpetrated in the US over recent years by the ‘Woke’.
It is said thats what the baathists did before the war but their most valuable museum pieces in a bank vault
Walz and Dems are in a real bind. Turns out the shooter in Minn was appointed by Walz to a position in the admin. So, can’t blame Trump, MAGA, regular Rep or White Supremist.
I am not supporting this guy, but a lot of Dem words can lead to violence.
To me, this shooting sounds very personal.
“Maybe you would be better off not supporting a crook, sex offender and now man who ignores the constitution” – David Clayton
Oh my. Have you looked closely at Biden’s history? He’s all of the above and was in government for 48 years. In addition, he set this country up for financial ruin, an invasion by illegal aliens, had a spineless foreign policy, turned the military into a social justice experiment, favored men competing in women’s sports, and much, much more. A pathetic man with a pathetic record.
Neo wrote:
“… at least half of America seems to think that’s just fine if it’s done in the service of getting Trump.”
This is arguable, since Trump won the popular vote.
Sod off. Nobody is the US cares what baffles you Europeans. The EU and UK are on the fast track to the end of Western Civilization via self-inflicted wounds. Enjoy your conversion.
Since when does someone from the UK call themselves European? David Clayton is not, I’m afraid, what he pretends.
David Foster on Haffner:
You beat me to it.
Eric in reply to David Clayton from the UK:
Also beat me to it.
Judging by idjits like Mr. Clayton concurrent with unequal application of the law and suppression of dissidents in the UK, I am grateful that my ancestors fled the place. Ancestors who, when they fled the UK, were usually called Dissidents.
Europe: Beta Males begging for sex with Karen’s who are being raped by Muslims with the entire establishment doing absolutely nothing about the rapes, except calling the raped women, some as young as 10, prostitutes.
Rather they ignore or approve of their women being raped by relentlessly importing more Muslim rapists and imprisoning those brave citizens who report about or object: Tommy Robinson.
No wonder my ancestors left Europe. They could smell the rot coming. Thank you , thank you.
OFFS! Clearly the Federal judiciary is corrupt to the core, and the Dems have enough on enough of them to compel the issuance of one Trump-thwarting lawfare TRO after another!
It’s a win-win-win… they either win outright, force Trump to appeal under relentlessly negative media coverage, or force him to ultimately defy and fulfill their Hitlerian fantasies!
Nothing could be more obvious.
“David Clayton is not … what he pretends”
It’s an open question whether “David Clayton” even exists, he could very well be an AI exercise.
DisGuester observes: “The EU and UK are on the fast track to the end of Western Civilization via self-inflicted wounds.”
The President of Hillsdale College in Michigan has toiled as a scholar in biography and the history of political thought. Larry Arnn has just been interviewed at length on Eric Metaxis’ Socrates on The Table (?) Program now viewable at YouTube.
And Arnn out our currant predicament in illuminating historical and American terms. He states thar we are in a crisis — paralleled only by the American Revolution and the Civil War — long in the making yet just as profound an opportunity or disaster.
Arnn authored a book relevant to this crisis in 2011 (or 2012?), because our predicment has been in the making for about a century. Namely, our ruling class progressives have sought to exercise powercthrough will alone, and without either Truth Seeking or ultimate Transcendant Authority.
In order to achieve total prog power, they’ve persistently sought the destruction of any present day link between the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence — and the vitality of this linkage is both the subject of this program as well as Arnn’s book.
The Prog Left seeks total power without any limitations or checks and balances. Hence the Rise of American Jacobins since the Obama election have driven our crisis tines.
Yet these New Jacobins are not French Revolutionaries in self-conception. They nonetheless aim to overturn the Constitution while retaining the Declaration’s idealized Rights, against insistence of the wisdom of Abe Lincoln of their deep and substantial connections. And thus the Progs are being again like Southern Slave interests like Calhoun.
In essence, Arnn argues, the Declaration undermines the Prog’s hubris because it mentoins “God” no less than four times, while also framing the aim of proper government in Aristotelian terms.
Arnn sees today’s crisis over American identity and government observable by the exciting political news generated — despite the denials of prog media.
I think Larry Arnn is very correct.
Thanks for great comment.
Being forced to lie is terrible.
Live Not By Lies — a great personal motto, but even St. Peter was willing to lie (3x!) to avoid becoming a target of the mob.
I’m sure I’d be less upset, I have sinned and lied enough before, but now my goal is to live, comfortably, in the truth.
David Clayton? Not so much, but his views seem to well represent the folks who hate Trump. The folks who are indoctrinated into the Democrat Demonization Strategy, which now targets Trump, and Jews, and many leading Republicans.
Lying about the target, making out that the target is evil, then justifying illegal & evil actions to stop the target. Fighting evil fire with evil fire.
The Dem Demonization Strategy is a more true label than Trump, or Bush, Derangement Syndrome. And it’s a copy of Hitler’s Demonization Strategy against the Jews, and all who opposed the Demonization.
LINK to Larry Arnn and Eric Metaxis on YouTube, freshly online at the “Socrates in The City” channel. The book by Arnn is “The Founder’s Key.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGGsIb2qsno
Heard a person on Maria’s Sunday show (Ted Cruz or Daryl Issa) say that Iran could flip as fast as Syria. The Iranian people are fed up with these tyrants. Protests. No flights. No gasoline.
TJ: Thank you for the link and information. I am going to get The Founder’s Key. Perhaps more people should have paid attention, or rather the subject should have been attended to back in 2012. Look where we are now. I feel like I should get some type of summary of the fall of the Roman Empire. God help us.
@David Clayton
I wonder how long it is until Neo gets tired of your trolling. I certainly have done so a long time ago.
I’m not surprised, but you say this as if it were some kind of indictment of Neo rather than of people like you. “Many outside the USA” still believe Trump told people to drink bleach and would be aghast at the claim that Israel isn’t committing genocide. You in particular have shown yourself to be a particularly blinkered, unscrupulous smear merchant whose immorality is matched largely by your lack of awareness.
Becoming? Several of them already are, or at least are nasty, unscrupulous totalitarian curs who use the law (or facsimiles thereof) as a weapon to bludgeon their political opponents.
In particular I point you to the atrocity that was the January 6th “Trials” in DC, and also this. It’s ironic how the Dems were able to find a paid, scumbag politician in black robes to opine “Sagely” about the use of the military while “conveniently” ignoring the fact that Washington’s last field command was commanding an army to crush the Whisky Revolt, and that suppression of unlawful riots and insurrection is not merely something accorded to POTUS under the US Constitution, but DEMANDED of him as one of his duties.
Useful idiots like using this as a gotcha because they think that’s what it is, and in some cases it might half-qualify in pointing out a question mark on Trump’s judgement (and that of several others). But upon thinking about it for five seconds you realize it really doesn’t add up. George Wallace was the choice of the NAACP and most of the other civil rights movements for the Governorship of Alabama before he turned on them, and he was hardly the only one. Why people should assume “Their Guys” will be immune to the pressures and temptations of power or the dynamics of the particular system they are in is beyond me, and it’s definitely not like Britain is immune to it (see: Farage, Johnson, among others).
But that says less about Trump in particular and more about the abuses of power in the judiciary, and their proclivity towards overreach, and often politicized.
They haven’t been ignoring court orders, but they have been contesting them, which is probably a smart move.
In several cases they would absolutely be legitimate in ignoring “court orders” because the court orders such as the demand that the Fed return power over the California National Guard to the state are utterly illegitimate on their face under the Constitution. But that would provide grist for yet another possible impeachment, and definitely for gutless provocateurs and useful idiots (I’ll leave you to decide which category you fit into) to abuse.
PS: Did you write anything about the much more clearcut and illegal cases of Biden etc. al. ignoring court orders up to and including from the Supremes on things like Student Loan Forgiveness and the Second Amendment?
Or is your ire just about Trump?
I think we know the answer to that, you troll.
No I do not, and this is manifestly fucking retarded as well as a smear.
For the record chowderhead: Fascism is a creature of totalitarian, centralized socialism.
Trump’s programme- for all of its MANY Flaws – is the opposite, focused on limiting the power and scope of the central state and devolving power.
Aww… lookit the little fuckwad using terminology from Orwell! It’s like it is trying so painstakingly to pretend “Look, I’m one of you conservatives, truly! I haven’t said fuckall about the provable abuses of the left including in my own supposed country of Great Britain, where Starmer illegally censored the truth about Southport and where political prisoners are being tortured, but I am one of you! How do you do, fellow Right Wingers?”
I’d be doing a lot more without your blight on this blog, Clayton.
Ok shitheel. And which times has he “turned out to be a crook”? No please. Give examples.
I’m waiting.
Let me guess: You’re going to rely on the New York Courts and their rulings, tainted as they obviously are. Precisely because there is essentially nothing else there.
What you are happy to ignore is the fact that selective prosecution is a tool of political oppression. Yes, even if the target were a real “crook” (which I do not believe Trump is). And outright creating new novel interpretations of the law to prosecute Trump and only Trump like we saw over the “felonies” in New York City speaks to even worse than that.
Since you wish to discuss Fascism, it’s at this point I note that Mussolini did not fire Stefani for the latter’s corruption (which was never proven), and Hitler did not kidnap Herr Junkers for his undoubtable corruption and role in sponsoring terrorism (mostly against the Weimar Republic). They did so because they were inconveniences to the Party, much as Trump has proven to be.
And the atrocities in the DC Courts and against other private citizens – as well as the evidence of the FBI harassing conservative Christians and School Board Protestors – show this problem goes far beyond Trump.
Hence the famous meme. “They’re not after me. They’re after you. I’m just in the way.”
Which is why I’ve had to repeatedly mock the likes of Bauxite for pretending the issue is Trump when we see similar abuses against others, and in places other than the US.
This is the true face of lawfare. The decades long harassment of people like a bakery owner over demanding he “Bake the Cake.” But acknowledging that FACT would destroy the idea it is just about Trump and show the truly tyrannical, arbitrary way that courts can act.
And you can’t acknowledge that. Largely because you are a willing sop to leftist tyranny.
Unfortunately for you, Trump is none of those things.
In sharp contrast to some of the Judges involved.
Frankly I look forward to the day Neo bans your asshole from this blog, because it is very obvious you have no interest in contrary information, no interest in honest engagement, and a love for gaslighting and psychological abuse. Now maybe focus more on what has happened in your own supposed country and its far closer approximation to Fascism and the horrors of “English Socialism” as per 1984 under Labour.
Or just bugger off.