Will Smith?

Question

Will Smith has stunned the world by declaring that even Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler was essentially a "good" person.

The Men In Black star, 39, is determined to see the best in people, and is convinced the former German leader did not fully understand the extent of the pain and suffering his actions would cause during his time in power in the 1930s and '40s.

He says, "Even Hitler didn't wake up going, 'Let me do the most evil thing I can do today'.

"I think he woke up in the morning and using a twisted, backwards logic, he set out to do what he thought was 'good'. Stuff like that just needs reprogramming."

Hitler's totalitarian leadership as Fuhrer during 1934 until his eventual suicide in 1945 resulted in the persecution of an estimated six million Jews in the Holocaust, and his invasion of Poland in 1939 led to the start of the Second World War.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/wenn/20071223/ten-smith-hitler-was-a-good-person-c60bd6d_1.html

Read Oli's answer.
He is 13 years old.
This is the effect film stars have on our young.

Answer 1

I just read that a couple of minutes ago and was going to post a question on it, dag nabbit!

Anyway, I can understand his reasoning behind his statement, it is a good thing to be able to see the good in everybody. But it is a very insensitive and naive thing to say, considering he is considered such a good role model.
But I'm also sure they've taken snippets of his statement to make it sound worse so they have a story.

Answer 2

Hitler's hatred for the Jews didn't make him different from other Germans, most Europeans, or even many Americans, of his time, but just like almost everyone else in that country and large part of the western world.

It wasn't until bacteria and viruses were discovered and accepted by the masses that Germans stopped believing that the Jews were responsible for the great plague that, centruies earlier, wiped out half of their country.

The wide acceptance of this science, by the scientific community, was only just happening while he was growing up, but the thinking of the common people takes much longer to change.

His hatred against the Jews would have seemed completely justified and reasonable to him, as well as most of his compatriots, the way today's Americans feel about those who hate terrorists, as opposed to the way we would about some racist hatred of all Muslims or Arabs.

If the Nazis had not discovered Hitler, they would have kept looking until they found someone to do what he did for them, that is, tell the German people what they wanted to hear and, for the most part, already believed.

People do like to have a single person to blame the most evil and disgusting elements of our world on though. I think it gives us a kind of closure. I think its actually harmful to us.

Will Smith's attempt to see Hitler as a man, unable to clearly see the evil of his actions, because of the prevalence of evil and hatred all around him, is not an inaccurate statement, in my humble opinion.

Answer 3

Rather than lambaste Will Smith for daring to voice an opinion that is different from the indoctrinated view held by the majority, I will urge you to look not too far from you for parallel answers.

How many self-opinionated, big-headed leaders sitting on huge nuclear arsenals do you know, who have eliminated and are still attempting to kill as many people as possible that they do not like, for daring to have a different opinion from the one they hold?

These blood-thirsty individuals have committed more atrocities than Hitler ever did, yet they remain feted by those who are easily swayed and find it difficult to rationalise situations on their own.

The world today has a few renowned 'Hitlers' and yet the world continues to sleep undisturbed. Time the world woke up! Will Smith is probably raising a point for debate. Lets hear it.

Answer 4

Hitler thought that he and all the other Germans were just victims of those evil Jews who were trying to take over the world. Imagined victimhood has been used throughout history to justify evil acts. By making the actual victim appear to be the evil one, one can justify almost anything.

Answer 5

I agree with Will Smith. I think he was just stating not all people start out Evil. He was not saying he didn't do anything Evil just that he didn't start out to do Evil. Get a grip people. He is just using common sense. He didn't say he admired Hitler. Give him a break.

Answer 6

Will Smith seems to be looking for the good in people. There is nothing wrong with that. He did not say he supported Hitler's actions, he said Hitler was wrong but he didn't think he was wrong on purpose, that he believed what he was doing was right. More people should learn to judge actions more than people. Maybe the politics section would be a little friendlier then.

Answer 7

Its funny that becasue I was thinking if you hadf a chice of baby sitters Michael jackson Britany beers or adolf hitler
who would you pick

Answer 8

Will Smith was only stating the facts as he see them, that is not indicative of his believes, its just stating a story.. Hitler was a vile human being, but you cannot take away his successes that he accomplished for the German people.

Answer 9

Wow I guess he'll admit that he screwed up.Everyone is en-tiled to brain stutter every once a in while.

Answer 10

Perhaps he doesn't want to be an actor anymore, these declarations often lead to their downfall