Hitler’s propaganda expert Joseph Goebbels argued that the if a lie is repeated often enough, it will be accepted as truth. These days, all anyone has to do to confirm that is watch MSNBC.
Goebbels also said the following:
“…the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”
At Albany high school in New York, students in various English classes were given assignments whereby they would make Hitler’s case for Nazis and against Jews. Depending on how seriously the students took the project, they may have fallen victim to the Goebbels technique.
Think like a Nazi, the assignment required students. Argue why Jews are evil.
Students in some Albany High School English classes were asked this week as part of a persuasive writing assignment to make an abhorrent argument: “You must argue that Jews are evil, and use solid rationale from government propaganda to convince me of your loyalty to the Third Reich!”
Students were asked to watch and read Nazi propaganda, then pretend their teacher was a Nazi government official who needed to be convinced of their loyalty. In five paragraphs, they were required to prove that Jews were the source of Germany’s problems.
The exercise was intended to challenge students to formulate a persuasive argument and was given to three classes, Albany Superintendent Marguerite Vanden Wyngaard said. She said the assignment should have been worded differently.
Should have been worded differently?!
Based on the fact that the school has been busted, Goebbels would likely agree with that sentiment because, well, “…the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie” and the truth is that this was a despicable assignment and those responsible should be fired.
h/t LP