“Nice people made the best Nazis. My mom grew up next to them. They got along, refused to make waves, looked the other way when things got ugly and focused on happier things than “politics.” They were lovely people who turned their heads as their neighbors were dragged away. You know who weren’t nice people? Resisters.”
– Naomi Shulman
@aral It may not be that easy to define, nice, good or bad people. Is it relative to intention, to impact on society ? If nice people were the one not acting, who were the one dragging away ? Is their some study on who were the peopke resisting before they do ? But I agree that people with a bad impact on society in one context could have a good impact in another context. No good or bad, just people lucky to be more adapted to the society they live in.
@bellitre @aral The underlying point here is that "the ones dragging away" (who were only a small group, relatively speaking) couldn't possibly have achieved what they did if it weren't for all the "nice" people looking away and cooperating and working with them - they were the ones giving the nazis power.
The rest of your post sounds like some bullshit philosophizing to justify collaboration, frankly.
@joepie91 @aral Sorry I'm not able to retrieve the post I respond too (it was more than one year ago). I think we all agree that people not doing to crime and bad things they are aware of are also responsable. That was not what it was about, sorry if my bad English and the absence of context mislead you. The question was in deed more philosophical on how to classify a "good" or a "bad" person. I am certainly a bad because I don't do anything again war crime in gaza, but I hope I may some other
@joepie91 @aral actions that make it more difficult to classify me as good or bad. I guess in some context I do good things, in some other bad thing. When I'm inconfortable in the society I live in, I'm more prone to do things against this society. Could be good if the society is seen as bad, could be bad if the society is seen as good.
@bellitre @aral Sort of, but not exactly. It's about how "nice" people (that specific term) are usually the ones looking away and doing nothing.
They're the people that are sometimes considered "good", by people with an oversimplified view of "good" and "bad" (which is mostly just about "are they nice to me" and not about "are they doing good to others").
