When Hitler published Mein Kampf in 1924; he held up a foreign law as a model for his program of racial purification: The U.S. Immigration Restriction Act of 1924; which prohibited the immigration of those with hereditary illnesses and entire ethnic groups. When the Nazis took power in 1933; they installed a program of eugenics--the attempted "improvement" of the population through forced sterilization and marriage controls--that consciously drew on the U.S. example. By then; many American states had long had compulsory sterilization laws for "defectives;" upheld by the Supreme Court in 1927. Small wonder that the Nazi laws led one eugenics activist in Virginia to complain; "The Germans are beating us at our own game." In The Nazi Connection; Stefan Kühl uncovers the ties between the American eugenics movement and the Nazi program of racial hygiene; showing that many American scientists actively supported Hitler's policies. After introducing us to the recently resurgent problem of scientific racism; Kühl carefully recounts the history of the eugenics movement; both in the United States and internationally; demonstrating how widely the idea of sterilization as a genetic control had become accepted by the early twentieth century. From the first; the American eugenicists led the way with radical ideas. Their influence led to sterilization laws in dozens of states--laws which were studied; and praised; by the German racial hygienists. With the rise of Hitler; the Germans enacted compulsory sterilization laws partly based on the U.S. experience; and American eugenists took pride in their influence on Nazi policies. Kühl recreates astonishing scenes of American eugenicists travelling to Germany to study the new laws; publishing scholarly articles lionizing the Nazi eugenics program; and proudly comparing personal notes from Hitler thanking them for their books. Even after the outbreak of war; he writes; the American eugenicists frowned upon Hitler's totalitarian government; but not his sterilization laws. So deep was the failure to recognize the connection between eugenics and Hitler's genocidal policies; that a prominent liberal Jewish eugenicist who had been forced to flee Germany found it fit to grumble that the Nazis "took over our entire plan of eugenic measures." By 1945; when the murderous nature of the Nazi government was made perfectly clear; the American eugenicists sought to downplay the close connections between themselves and the German program. Some of them; in fact; had sought to distance themselves from Hitler even before the war. But Stefan Kühl's deeply documented book provides a devastating indictment of the influence--and aid--provided by American scientists for the most comprehensive attempt to enforce racial purity in world history.
#1213440 in Books Joseph Dan 2003-10-30Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 6.10 x .80 x 9.20l; 1.05 #File Name: 0195139798336 pagesThe Heart and the Fountain An Anthology of Jewish Mystical Experiences
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. 1 of 3 in the a class on Western Mysticism this one is my fav.By Joel BlairA great sampling of brilliance. Dan does his own translations in much of this and makes his comments and introductions informative and readable. Scholars sometimes forget that real people are reading the writing. This one does not. Dan inspires a more complete look into every mystic. He inspired me to fall in love with Bailik20 of 21 people found the following review helpful. IlluminatingBy Kerry WaltersToo frequently in this day and age; when the word "mysticism" is used; what comes to mind is either New Age razzamatazz or Christian unitive experiences such as those described by John of the Cross or Theresa of Avila. The first trivializes mysticism; the second reduces it to but one kind of experience. In either case; a long; hallowed; and cross-cultural relationship with God is distorted.Joseph Dan's new anthology on Jewish mysticism is a gem. In its 50-page Introduction--which by itself is worth the price of the book--he carefully points out that there's more to mysticism than merely unitive experiences; carefully distinguishes the mystical from the religious (without implying that one is "better" than the other); and explores the relationship between mysticism and language.More specifically; in regards to the Jewish mystical tradition; Dan points out that it's as foolish to identity Kabbalah with Jewish mysticism (a near-ubiquitous confusion) as it is to identify Sufism with Islamic mystical experience. Different historical periods and different temperaments have given rise to a variety of Jewish mystical approaches. The virtue of this excellent anthology is to allow these different voices to speak. Dan offers selections in chronological order; ranging from the earliest Temple writings through the medieval Zohar to modern Hasidism to contemporary Israeli poetry-mysticism. A beautiful; revelatory book; both for those who know nothing about the Jewish mystical tradition and for those looking for a convenient compendium. Enthusiastically recommended.
