Walter Benjamin "Theses on the Philosophy of History"

"The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte" (1852):

Men make their own history, but they do not make it just as they please; the do not make it under circumstances chosen by themselves, but under circumstances directly found, given and transmitted from the past. The tradition of all the dead generations weighs like a nightmare on the brain of the living (Marx p. 595).

The attempt of people trying to change the world and human life is the meaning of everything. The awareness of making freedom real but other circumstances not resist but threatens this freedom. History remains the captive necessity. I picked this passage becuase people make their own history and oppression has always been the predominant theme of history. What rules and oppresses one person is always another person therefore our ability to change the world and our inability to do so purely through reflexion.

Is pain the most important experience in life?

Pain is a very important ability we possess to help protect ourselves and warns us of dangerous situations. Pain can also motivates us to change.

How does obedience to the state protect the person from pain?

Obedience is a part of the foundation of societywithout it there would be chaos and anarchy. By being obedient protects a person from pain becuase if your disobedient than there may be consequences that can cause physical pain and many people do not want to experience that.

What does "post-liberal" mean?

Post-liberal means that liberalism has died out. There will no longer be liberty and equality. Liberals typically believe that government is necessary to protect individuals from being harmed by others but they also recognize that government itself can pose a threat to liberty.

　
Pain’s disregard for our system of values greatly increases its hold on life...Our children’s tales close with passages about heroes who, after having overcome many dangers, live out their lives in peace and happiness. We hear such assurances with pleasure, for it is comforting for us to learn about a place removed from pain. Yet, in truth, life is without any such satisfying end... (p. 4).
I think no matter how you try, most of us have the same goal of trying to distance ourselves from pain.Your mind can actually moderate how much pain you feel. Pain alters the quality of life and after overcoming situations people just want to live peacefully. People feel more comfortable to know that pain can no longer be apart of them but in reality we must face the fact that pain will never just disappear. I chose the passage because I feel pain is such an important obstacle to confront. Pain is inevitable and can effect a persons life.

Differences and Similarities
All three parties have different political views as well as different views of the economy. The Communist Party wanted to overthrow the Republic and all of its institiutions. They also wanted everything to be distributed equally such as land. The Nazi Party wanted to create a new program where Jews were excluded from and did not want them to be apart of the nation. The Nazi Party only wanted only Germans in their country they did not want non citizens which left the immigrants to face the rules of Germany and a possibilitiy of being expelled from the country.The Social Demoncratic Party wanted to maintain the Republic. They also wanted to help the citizens of Germany by providing unemployment benefits for 6 months, lowering taxes and gave them rights to speak and write about issues without inerference. All three parties wanted to do what they thought would benefit the people of Germany.

Hitler's Final Speech at his Trial for Treason, March 27, 1924
The army that we are building grows from day to day, from hour to hour. Right at this moment I have the proud hope that once the hour strikes these wild troops will merge into battalions, battalions into regiments, regiments into divisions. I have hopes that the old cockade will be lifted from the dirt, that the old colors will be unfurled to flutter again, that expiation will come before the tribunal of God. Then from our bones and from our graves will speak the voice of the only tribunal which has the right to sit in justice over us.

My interpretation: Hitler was trying to build a strong army so that when the time comes he is prepared and ready. He wanted to revive the colors again and wanted people to believe in him and his ideas.

Catholic Center Party
The largest number of supporters of the Catholic Center Party were catholic which made up 34% of the population. There were high numbers of women who choose this party and this was the most diverse party of all the rest. It had a left wing which consisted of liberal trade union and the right wing which consisted of conservative nationalist wing. This party was part of every Weimer government. In 1928 there was a change in leadership and the party drifted more towards the conservative wing then later evolved to Bavarian People’s Party.(BVP) and they often disagreed with the Weimer Republic.

Communist Party (KPD)
This party did not approve of the existence of the Weimer government.This party was established on December 1918 and were in favor of a Russian style dictatorship. This party had an intense dislike and were prejudice against Jewish people they still had Jews around their leaders. As years past they grew more and had a lot of supporters that were unemployed.

German Democratic Party (DDP)

This party supported the Weimer government and were against militarism and antisemitism which led to many Jews voting for this party. This party was mainly made up of Protestant members which were the middle class and apart of the liberal trade union . When the leaders Max Weber and Friedrich Naumann died there was a decline in the Democratic party. Although there was a decline they still played an important role during the Weimer years and became the State Party.

German Nationalist People’s Party (DNVP)
This party was mostly Protestant which included wealthy landowners and those who followed them which are servants and farmers. Industrialists with crafts people were also apart of the party and attracted the conservative. They were against republican government,Versailles treaty, and antisemitic.

German People’s Party (DVP)
This party consisted mainly of Protestant but also included catholics. They also represented small business owners and white collar workers. They supported the Weimer government and were conservatives. Their leader was Gustav Stresemann.

National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP-Nazi)
Adolf Hilter was the leader and main speaker for this party and was found in 1919. The party was against the Weimer Republic and the members tried to take the government by force but failed. they were antisemition and felt that the Jews were a threat and become the main focus point. Well into the 1920's the National Socialist support grew. Although they did not have many women supporters in the 1930's they becaming the fastest growing supporters. In 1932 they became the most popular party.

Social Democratic Party (SPD)
The Social Democratic Party had more Protestant then Catholic supporters. Women voted in large numbers.From 1919-1932 this party recieved the most votes in the national elections and were supporters of the Weimer society.

Article 48If a state fails to carry out the duties imposed upon it by the national constitution or national laws, the President of the Reich may compel performance with the aid of armed force.

If public safety and order be seriously disturbed or threatened within the German Reich, the President of the Reich may take the necessary measures to restore public safety and order; if necessary, with the aid of armed force. For this purpose he may temporarily suspend in whole or in part the fundamental rights enumerated in Articles 114, 115, 117, 118, 123, 124 and 153.

The President of the Reich must immediately communicate to the Reichstag all measures taken by virtue of Paragraph 1 or Paragraph 2 of this Article. On demand of the Reichstag these measures must be abrogated.

If there be danger in delay, the state ministry may, for its own territory, take such temporary measures as are indicated in Paragraph 2. On demand by the President of the Reich or by the Reichstag such measures shall be abrogated.

Detailed regulations shall be prescribed by a national law.

　

Interpretation: This article allows the President to take emergency measures under certain circumstances without the prior consent of the Reichstag. It also gives the power to Reichstag to cancel the emergency by majority vote. It is required that the President immediately inform the Reichstag and the President could in effect counter retaliate under Article 25 and call for new elections.

　

Article 145. Compulsory education shall be universal. For this purpose the elementary school with at least eight school years, followed by the continuation school up to the completion of the eighteenth year, shall serve primarily. Instruction and school supplies shall be free in elementary and continuation schools.

Imterpretation: Its obligatory to attend school for up18 years. You must complete schooling and the supplies for students.

3 Articles that are different from Bill of Rights

Article 26. The Reichstag shall choose its own President, its Vice-Presidents, and its Secretaries. It shall determine its own rules of procedure.

Article 96. All railways, including those not serving as means of general communication, must comply with the requirements of the Reich for the use of the railways for purposes of national defense.

Article 142.Art, science, and instruction in them are free. The state guarantees their protection and participates in their promotion

    Films that involve child murders and pedophilles are not issues that people want to see on the big screen. Some films manage to be sucessful because they only mention what happened instead of showing it. Also they don't make the whole movie about the incident only. Plots in these films are also successful because it is based on reality.

   Who Saw Her Die? is a film in which there is a search for a person who murdered two young girls with red hair. A womans face stays hidden until the end and she seems to be a culprit. Another film that depicts another serial child murder is Don't Tourture a Duckling. They are trying to find out who committed the murders against young delinquent boys and are on a witch hunt to find the murderer.

   Both these films relate to M because they restrain from showing the graphic details of the child murders which make it a more capitulated film to watch. In the M all the murders occurred off screen. They focus on how they are going to catch the killer and with the help of society, which take it upon themselves to take matters into their own hands.

The Blue Angel

Paragraph 175

      Paragraph 175 was adopted in 1871 and was amended several times. It made homosexual acts between males a crime. It reverted to the old version of the law in 1950 and limited its scope to sex with youths under 18 in 1968, and abolished it entirely in 1988. Suspected offenders would be put in concentration camps where most would die. In the film The Blue Angel Lola and Rath relationship was not approved of and led to him losing his job because of it. Rath was punished because he did not live up societies standards.

"Chuck Out the Men" (Raus mit den Männern), by Friedrich Hollaender (1926)

German versionRaus mit den Männern!(für Claire Waldoff)
Es geht durch die ganze Historie
ein Ruf nach Emanzipation
vom Menschen bis zur Infusorie
überall will das Weib auf den Thron.
Vin Hawai-Neger bis zur Berliner Range
braust ein Ruf wie Donnerhall daher:
Was die Männer können, können wir schon lange
und vielleicht ’ne ganze Ecke mehr.

English interpretation
The battle for emancipation's been raging since history began
Yes, feminists of every nation want to chuck off the chains made by man
Hula girls and housemaids and wives in Maribou
hear all our voices thunder in protest
Anything that men do women can do too
and more that that we women do it best

My Interpretation: Women have been fighting for equal rights for a long time. Men are only living up to conditions that press upon them. Women are advocates and supporters of rights and equality and every nation wants to be released from these "chains". The reason I chose this song is because women had to channel their hopes and dreams into satisfying their husband and bringing up his children. At one point this changed even today women are being oppressed in certain jobs that they work in.

"No Time" (Keine Zeit), music by Rudolf Nelson, lyrics by Herbert Nelson

English version
No time, no time, no time.
Yes, we have no time.
Sorry, but we're always on the go,
with tongues hanging out as we run.
We have no spare time.
No time, no time, no time,
no hours nor even a second to spare.
We hardly sleep, we don’t rest.
No time, no time, no time.

German version
Keine Zeit, keine Zeit, keine Zeit. Ja, wir haben keine Zeit. Es tut uns leid.
Wir sind immer auf dem Sprung, haengt uns raus schon die Zung und doch wir rennen, ja wir kennen keine Zeit.
Keine Zeit, keine Zeit, keine Zeit, keine Stunde und Sekunde haben wir Zeit. Ja, wir schlafen heute kaum noch, denn wir ruhen uns nicht aus. Keine Zeit, keine Zeit, keine Zeit.

We live in a society where time is a resource that we can use well or poorly. People are sometimes tied up in thier schedules that they cannot participate or enjoy human interactions that are necessary to a fulling life. Time is money they say!