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Why do you think many German and Soviet policemen followed orders? Why do you think some police refused? The title of this chapter is, “Be reflective if you must be armed?” What do you think the author is advocating?
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I think the primary reason they followed orders was because, as Snyder mentions, they were afraid of standing out. Also, I’m sure their training and the hierarchical structure of police departments played a part. Officers are trained to follow the law but also to follow those in authority. Logically, if your commander or chief is giving you orders, you follow them as it’s your duty. It fits in with what we discussed about Milgram’s experiment in Chapter One. It also fits in with Chapter 2. If the institutions of law and order are undermined and are under the control of the regime, then the laws that police follow have been warped. And that was what happened. The Nazis “Nazified” the police by removing anti-Nazi police leaders, reorganizing their police forces, and changing the police culture — they changed the training and underlying values of the police forces.
I also think dehumanizing “the enemy” or “the other” makes it easier for people to harm and kill. Acquiescence, obedience, and conformity all likely informed policing rationale during WWII and the Great Terror. I think some police refused because they knew they were murdering people and that the laws the Nazis were implementing were unlawful and morally corrupt. As for what Snyder’s caution to “be reflective” means, I think he is advocating for those with weapons to question who they are serving and for what purpose? To think for themselves and look into their hearts and question what they are being asked to do.
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In Aug. 2020, Pulitzer-prize winning historian Anne Applebaum wrote an article in The Atlantic titled, “History Will Judge the Complicit“. She asked a former East German dissident, who later ran the Stasi Archive, about the people who conformed to the regime. The answer was that complicity is the norm. If people didn’t conform, they would be expelled. Once the system had been set up, if people wanted a home, a place to work and enough money to eat, feed their families and pay for medicine and healthcare, they did what the regime wanted them to do.
Applebaum goes further to try to understand and explain conformity amongst individuals where consequences are not as severe, for example elected politicians and especially senators, where the worst case scenario is that they aren’t reelected. In many cases, politicians can go on to teach at universities – not a terrible outcome at all. However, even in these cases, we see that conformity is the norm and that principled dissent is extremely difficult. We assume that one’s natural impulse is to stand for what one believes in, but history has shown the opposite.
I think Snyder is attempting to highlight his first lesson of “Do not obey in advance”, and because of the finality of decisions made when one is armed, the lesson warrants some emphasis. Similar to our discussion of Lesson 1, Snyder is hoping that if people read his book and understand his warnings, his lessons might inoculate readers from blindly objectifying other groups of people and following orders that conflict with their morals.
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Well said, Tara and Jane (not this Jane!).
I think being reflective is the only antidote to conformity. Unless one has the capacity to consider the effects of one’s actions, conformity with those in power or those with power is the default.
The ABQ police department ended up under a DOJ oversight for nine years, a justified intervention after a pattern of excessive use of force, egregious examples of excessive and unjustified force. To be clear, these were rogue cops but they had a weapon and power. Even though they did not represent the majority of decent and respectful officers, the review board failed to stop or discipline them. The taxpayers of ABQ paid millions in wrongful death lawsuits and for the costs of the DOJ monitor.
We absolutely need officers of the law and of the armed forces now who are willing to be reflective and respect their oath to serve.
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Very good analyses, folks. Certain institutions/professions demand conformity and the ability to obey commands; free thought and open debate is not recommended, especially when quick action is required. People in these professions are taught to trust and obey their commanders. I’m not sure if they’re ever taught what to do if they think something is wrong in these situations, as I’ve never been in those professions, but I do know that disobeying orders is generally a high offense in the military, and I imagine it is in a police force as well. And I don’t imagine there was much sympathy for anyone who disagreed with the Nazi regime; some people were summarily executed on the spot for not following orders, serving as an example to others who might be tempted to follow along. I would be interested in knowing more about the people who actually got away with their lives when they refused, and how those situations played out. Perhaps it’s most likely to succeed in the incipient stages of a takeover, before the tyrants get fully in control. Once the norm is established and objectors are repeatedly silenced, I imagine there’s little choice but to conform, escape, or die. So, the time to reflect is well before the unthinkable happens. The vigilance and resistance need to come early, and continually, and the reflection of pros and cons, objectives and solutions, should ideally be a constant in daily governance, well before things take an unimaginable turn. That’s why it’s so important to be aware of who we put into positions of power, and what checks and balances we have in place to prevent overreaches. I think complacency leads to conformity, and conformity without conscience and reflection can lead to crimes against humanity.
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Well said, Susan. I think you may be right with respect to resisting before the unthinkable happens and before norms are established. As time passes, tyrannical administrations become more difficult to stop. And, as Jane mentions, being reflective is key to be able to resist conforming. Having time to recognize what events may likely unfold so that one can be more reflective when the time comes, are both necessary. Democracy requires daily, consistent vigilance and effort. Tyranny requires complacency and conformity.
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I’m so impressed by everyone’s answers I’m needing to read and re-read them to absorb all the details and ideas. I’ll simply add this quote from Benjamin Franklin: “It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority.” And I’ll add especially those holding weapons.
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