Part of their vulnerability to tribal indoctrination likely was their susceptibility to “Ideological Intoxication”, as defined by Joachim Remak in his 1969 textbook; “The Nazi Years: A Documentary History”.
“Ideological Intoxication: a preference for parading over persuading, intolerance, thinking with one’s blood (or nose: “If it smells right it is right.”), impatience with the imperfections of democracy, the confusion of personal truths with schemes for universal salvation, or the veneration of action for it’s own sake; all these are both older and younger than Hitler. “I thank thee God, that I am not as other men.” said the Pharisee.”
Prof. Remak’s CV reveals a remarkably comprehensive qualification for his expertise on such matters:
“Joachim Remak (1920–2001) was an award-winning historian of Modern Europe, especially of Germany and World War I. Born in Berlin, Germany, he fled Nazi Germany in 1938 for the United States. He earned his B.A. and M.A. in History at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1942 and 1946. He worked for the State Department in Germany and the United Kingdom and then returned to the United States for doctoral study and earned his Ph.D. in History at Stanford University in 1955.
He taught at Stanford as an Instructor for 3 years and then took up a tenure-track position in the History Department at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, in 1958. He gained tenure there and served as Department Chair before being called to the growing History Department at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1965. The next year he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship.
A popular classroom lecturer as well as a prolific scholar, Joe Remak was promoted to Full Professor and served as Department Chair at the University of California, Santa Barbara, from 1977–1984.”
(Not exactly a purveyor of “Fake News”, to say the very least…)
