Joseph Goebbels was the one in charge of propaganda in Nazi Germany, officially the Reich Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, from 1933 - 1945. An orator known for his incendiary speeches and many events culminating in the pogrom known as the Kristallnacht.
He was the man who, when Germany appeared to be losing to the Red Army on the Eastern Front, rallied the masses to contribute to the war in any way possible (providing warm clothing and necessary items) and that the Reich will be victorious against the Allied forces and the Soviets. The Sportpalast or total war speech was perhaps the most famous of his speeches.
Fast forward, we have propaganda tools today and it's not any less powerful in instilling fear leading to hatred among the masses. Carefully scripted, it'd throw the whole nation into chaos, pitting one against the other based on race and creed. Like the carefully selected audience of Goebbels, the seeds of hatred and disdain could be sown through maliciously crafted news, commentaries, adverts and short stories.
There's a distinction between being creative yet entertaining and being creative in a stupid manner. It's true that up until today, there exist a group of people who sees themself as communal heroes and garner support by raising issues pertaining to race and religion and nothing else.
Guido Knopp in his book, Hitler's Henchmen, used the word demagogue to describe Hitler and Goebbels. Big word, but history showed us how easily such people endear themselves to the public with their oratory skills, often with ulterior motives.
In the words of Goebbels: "If I had recommended that they go and jump from the roof of a tower-block, they would have done it" (Knopp, 1996)
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