Dying and Killing for the Nation

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The desire to "vanquish evil" is the fundamental source of political
killing, even when we as judge what occurred to be heinous or horrific.
Killing is undertaken when societies believe it is "necessary."

In the Twentieth Century, political killing often is undertaken in the
name of "the people." The most extreme case of nationalistic murder was the
Final Solution, undertaken by the Nazis. This was conceived of as a moral
project.

Addressing Nazi officers in a famous speech, Himmler declared that the
extermination of the Jewish people was an essential task, and that the
Germans had "carried out this most difficult task for the love of our
people."

The ideology that generated the Final solution was articulated by the
Nazis as follows: the "enemy" (the Jew) is destroying our beloved object (the
nation or German people). This enemy is evil by virtue of characteristics
inherent in his existence. This people works toward the destruction of our
nation. Hitler stated that the Jew "destroys and must destroy." Hitler
undertook to kill the Jews in the name of "saving the people."

The logic or cognitive process that generated the Holocaust is ordinary.
An identical logic lies at the root of most cases of political violence. We
do not wish to acknowledge that the Holocaust grew out of ordinary political
thinking. Hitler was a radical conformist who embraced conventional political
ideas and carried them to their logical conclusion.

Hitler was trying to convey something to the human race. He brought into
being a collective symptom. He made the normal (killing and dying for
nations) seem extraordinary. The Holocaust was Hitler's form of communicating
with the human race. The fact that he continues to be written about means we
are extremely interested in what he did. However, we have not yet articulated
what his message was-what he was attempting to tell us.

Freud observed that normality and abnormality exist on a continuum.
Neurosis and psychosis are quantitative matters. Mental aberration
represents an intensification of psychic conflicts that are present within
each of us.

We can apply a similar logic to Hitler and the Nazis. Just as Freud
studied abnormality in order to discover the basic principles of psychic
functioning, so we can study the extreme case of Hitler in order to uncover
the fundamental structures of political thought.

Instead, we strive to banish Hitler from the human race as of by doing it
would be possible to exterminate the disease.

The fantasy that generates political violence is the idea of the nation.
This entity is imagined to be threatened by other national enemies, or by
classes of persons (designated as "enemies"). The enemy is believed to be
acting to bring about the destruction of one's nation. To assure that the
nation does not die, it is necessary to destroy the enemy.

For each and every nation during each and every historical instantiation,
it seems as if the threat to which a response is required is real. It seems
imperative, absolutely necessary to destroy the enemy.

Enemies are psychic manifestations that come into being in order to
perpetuate the fantasy of nations. In a world with no borders where nations,
cultures and religions begin to diffuse or melt into one another, idea of the
nation as a distinct, bounded entity begins to fade. The emergence of the
enemy constitutes the vehicle for RECONSTITUING THE IDEA OF THE NATION.

The enemy too is disturbed by disintegration. He too is terrified by the
existence of a world BEREFT OF OMNIPOTENT OBJECTS, and thus he brings himself
into being. The enemy comes into being in order that we can kill him in order
to reconstitute the idea of the nation.

Hitler referred to the Jew as a "force of disintegration" whose existence
would lead to the dissolution of Germany. Hitler was an early post-modernist,
sensing that "grand narratives" (the foundations of civilization) might be
illusions. In Vienna he was a bohemian, almost a beatnik, or hippie. "How
does it feel to be on your own, a complete unknown--like a rolling stone?"
Not bad.

However, it was too early then. Some politicians believed that Germany's
days were numbered, that the recovery of the nation was an impossibility.
Hitler rejoined that he was not one who would allow himself to say, "It is
impossible. That no one can-no one must-say to me. It must be possible. For
Germany must live."

Hitler's career was rage against the death of Germany. The Jew was the
voice telling Hitler that his dream was in vain. Even bodies politic die.
However, he refused to abandon his beloved.

The fantasy of the nation is the dream of immortality. The enemy
symbolizes the negation of this fantasy. Negation represents doubt, projected
onto the other.

Human beings and die and kill to affirm the sincerity of their conviction:
That for which we die must be real. That for which we kill must be real.

A terrorist explodes himself as a testimony to the reality and power of
the ideal for which he blows himself up. The shattering of his body testifies
to the depth of devotion. The death of the other is collateral damage.

Human beings kill in order to prove that the fantasy is real. The logic of
war, genocide and terrorism is: that which can produce death must be real.
The proof of the pudding is the dying and killing. The sound and fury
persuades us that something significant is occurring ("War is the Force that
Give us Meaning").

Nations constitute our belief in superhuman entities. When it comes to
words like France, American, Great Britain, Germany, Russia, Israel,
scholarly teachings about "reification" are abandoned. We know that nations
are real. They are living beings who fight with one another. Sometimes they
are healthy, sometimes they are sick. Some nations are strong, others are
weak.

We imagine that nations are real bodies politic in order to pretend that
our own bodies are bigger, more powerful and longer lasting than they
actually are.

With regards,

Richard Koenigsberg, Ph. D.
Director, Library of Social Science

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<HTML>   The desire to "vanquish evil" is the fund=
amental source of political killing, even when we as judge what occurred to=20=
be heinous or horrific. Killing is undertaken when societies believe it is "=
necessary." 
 
   In the Twentieth Century, political killing often is undertaken=
in the name of "the people." The most extreme case of nationalistic murder=20=
was the Final Solution, undertaken by the Nazis. This was conceived of as a=20=
moral project. 
 
   Addressing Nazi officers in a famous speech, Himmler declared t=
hat the extermination of the Jewish people was an essential task, and that t=
he Germans had "carried out this most difficult task for the love of our peo=
ple." 
 
   The ideology that generated the Final solution was articulated=20=
by the Nazis as follows: the "enemy" (the Jew) is destroying our beloved obj=
ect (the nation or German people). This enemy is evil by virtue of character=
istics inherent in his existence. This people works toward the destruction o=
f our nation. Hitler stated that the Jew "destroys and must destroy." Hitler=
undertook to kill the Jews in the name of "saving the people." 
 
   The logic or cognitive process that generated the Holocaust is=20=
ordinary. An identical logic lies at the root of most cases of political vio=
lence. We do not wish to acknowledge that the Holocaust grew out of ordinary=
political thinking. Hitler was a radical conformist who embraced convention=
al political ideas and carried them to their logical conclusion. 
 
   Hitler was trying to convey something to the human race. He bro=
ught into being a collective symptom. He made the normal (killing and dying=20=
for nations) seem extraordinary. The Holocaust was Hitler's form of communic=
ating with the human race. The fact that he continues to be written about me=
ans we are extremely interested in what he did. However, we have not yet art=
iculated what his message was-what he was attempting to tell us. 
 
   Freud observed that normality and abnormality exist on a contin=
uum. Neurosis and psychosis are quantitative matters. Mental aberration&nbsp=
; represents an intensification of  psychic conflicts that are present=20=
within each of us. 
 
   We can apply a similar logic to Hitler and the Nazis. Just as F=
reud studied abnormality in order to discover the basic principles of psychi=
c functioning, so we can study the extreme case of Hitler in order to uncove=
r the fundamental structures of political thought. 
 
   Instead, we strive to banish Hitler from the human race as of b=
y doing it would be possible to exterminate the disease. 
 
   The fantasy that generates political violence is the idea of th=
e nation. This entity is imagined to be threatened by other national enemies=
, or by classes of persons (designated as "enemies"). The enemy is believed=20=
to be acting to bring about the destruction of one's nation. To assure that=20=
the nation does not die, it is necessary to destroy the enemy. 
 
   For each and every nation during each and every historical inst=
antiation, it seems as if the threat to which a response is required is real=
. It seems imperative, absolutely necessary to destroy the enemy. 
 
   Enemies are psychic manifestations that come into being in orde=
r to perpetuate the fantasy of nations. In a world with no borders where nat=
ions, cultures and religions begin to diffuse or melt into one another, idea=
of the nation as a distinct, bounded entity begins to fade. The emergence o=
f the enemy constitutes the vehicle for RECONSTITUING THE IDEA OF THE NATION=
. 
 
   The enemy too is disturbed by disintegration. He too is terrifi=
ed by the existence of a world BEREFT OF OMNIPOTENT OBJECTS, and thus he bri=
ngs himself into being. The enemy comes into being in order that we can kill=
him in order to reconstitute the idea of the nation. 
 
   Hitler referred to the Jew as a "force of disintegration" whose=
existence would lead to the dissolution of Germany. Hitler was an early pos=
t-modernist, sensing that "grand narratives" (the foundations of civilizatio=
n) might be illusions. In Vienna he was a bohemian, almost a beatnik, or hip=
pie. "How does it feel to be on your own, a complete unknown--like a rolling=
stone?"  Not bad. 
 
   However, it was too early then. Some politicians believed that=20=
Germany's days were numbered, that the recovery of the nation was an impossi=
bility. Hitler rejoined that he was not one who would allow himself to say,=20=
"It is impossible. That no one can-no one must-say to me. It must be possibl=
e. For Germany must live." 
 
   Hitler's career was rage against the death of Germany. The Jew=20=
was the voice telling Hitler that his dream was in vain. Even bodies politic=
die. However, he refused to abandon his beloved. 
 
   The fantasy of the nation is the dream of immortality. The enem=
y symbolizes the negation of this fantasy. Negation represents doubt, projec=
ted onto the other. 
 
   Human beings and die and kill to affirm the sincerity of their=20=
conviction: That for which we die must be real. That for which we kill must=20=
be real. 
 
   A terrorist explodes himself as a testimony to the reality and=20=
power of the ideal for which he blows himself up. The shattering of his body=
testifies to the depth of devotion. The death of the other is collateral da=
mage. 
 
   Human beings kill in order to prove that the fantasy is real. T=
he logic of war, genocide and terrorism is: that which can produce death mus=
t be real. The proof of the pudding is the dying and killing. The sound and=20=
fury persuades us that something significant is occurring ("War is the Force=
that Give us Meaning"). 
 
   Nations constitute our belief in superhuman entities. When it c=
omes to words like France, American, Great Britain, Germany, Russia, Israel,=
scholarly teachings about "reification" are abandoned. We know that nations=
are real. They are living beings who fight with one another. Sometimes they=
are healthy, sometimes they are sick. Some nations are strong, others are w=
eak. 
 
   We imagine that nations are real bodies politic in order to pre=
tend that our own bodies are bigger, more powerful and longer lasting than t=
hey actually are. 
 
 
With regards, 
 
Richard Koenigsberg, Ph. D. 
Director, Library of Social Science 
 
</HTML>
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