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.On the other hand, the daily Pressinculcated this new doctrine of human redemption in the most brutal fashion.No means were too base,provided they could be exploited in the campaign of slander.These journalists were real virtuosos in the artof twisting facts and presenting them in a deceptive form.The theoretical literature was intended for thesimpletons of the soi-disant intellectuals belonging to the middle and, naturally, the upper classes.Thenewspaper propaganda was intended for the masses.This probing into books and newspapers and studying the teachings of Social Democracy reawakened mylove for my own people.And thus what at first seemed an impassable chasm became the occasion of a closeraffection.Having once understood the working of the colossal system for poisoning the popular mind, only a fool couldblame the victims of it.During the years that followed I became more independent and, as I did so, I becamebetter able to understand the inner cause of the success achieved by this Social Democratic gospel.I nowrealized the meaning and purpose of those brutal orders which prohibited the reading of all books andnewspapers that were not red and at the same time demanded that only the red meetings should beattended.In the clear light of brutal reality I was able to see what must have been the inevitable consequencesof that intolerant teaching.The psyche of the broad masses is accessible only to what is strong and uncompromising.Like a womanwhose inner sensibilities are not so much under the sway of abstract reasoning but are always subject to theinfluence of a vague emotional longing for the strength that completes her being, and who would rather bowto the strong man than dominate the weakling in like manner the masses of the people prefer the ruler to thesuppliant and are filled with a stronger sense of mental security by a teaching that brooks no rival than by ateaching which offers them a liberal choice.They have very little idea of how to make such a choice and thusthey are prone to feel that they have been abandoned.They feel very little shame at being terrorizedintellectually and they are scarcely conscious of the fact that their freedom as human beings is impudently27 Mein Kampfabused; and thus they have not the slightest suspicion of the intrinsic fallacy of the whole doctrine.They seeonly the ruthless force and brutality of its determined utterances, to which they always submit.If Social Democracy should be opposed by a more truthful teaching, then even, though the struggle be of thebitterest kind, this truthful teaching will finally prevail provided it be enforced with equal ruthlessness.Within less than two years I had gained a clear understanding of Social Democracy, in its teaching and thetechnique of its operations.I recognized the infamy of that technique whereby the movement carried on a campaign of mental terrorismagainst the bourgeoisie, who are neither morally nor spiritually equipped to withstand such attacks.Thetactics of Social Democracy consisted in opening, at a given signal, a veritable drum-fire of lies andcalumnies against the man whom they believed to be the most redoubtable of their adversaries, until thenerves of the latter gave way and they sacrificed the man who was attacked, simply in the hope of beingallowed to live in peace.But the hope proved always to be a foolish one, for they were never left in peace.The same tactics are repeated again and again, until fear of these mad dogs exercises, through suggestion, aparalysing effect on their Victims.Through its own experience Social Democracy learned the value of strength, and for that reason it attacksmostly those in whom it scents stuff of the more stalwart kind, which is indeed a very rare possession.On theother hand it praises every weakling among its adversaries, more or less cautiously, according to the measureof his mental qualities known or presumed.They have less fear of a man of genius who lacks will-powerthan of a vigorous character with mediocre intelligence and at the same time they highly commend those whoare devoid of intelligence and will-power.The Social Democrats know how to create the impression that they alone are the protectors of peace.In thisway, acting very circumspectly but never losing sight of their ultimate goal, they conquer one position afteranother, at one time by methods of quiet intimidation and at another time by sheer daylight robbery,employing these latter tactics at those moments when public attention is turned towards other matters fromwhich it does not wish to be diverted, or when the public considers an incident too trivial to create a scandalabout it and thus provoke the anger of a malignant opponent.These tactics are based on an accurate estimation of human frailties and must lead to success, with almostmathematical certainty, unless the other side also learns how to fight poison gas with poison gas.The weakernatures must be told that here it is a case of to be or not to be.I also came to understand that physical intimidation has its significance for the mass as well as for theindividual.Here again the Socialists had calculated accurately on the psychological effect.Intimidation in workshops and in factories, in assembly halls and at mass demonstrations, will always meetwith success as long as it does not have to encounter the same kind of terror in a stronger form.Then of course the Party will raise a horrified outcry, yelling blue murder and appealing to the authority ofthe State, which they have just repudiated.In doing this their aim generally is to add to the general confusion,so that they may have a better opportunity of reaching their own goal unobserved.Their idea is to find amongthe higher government officials some bovine creature who, in the stupid hope that he may win the goodgraces of these awe-inspiring opponents so that they may remember him in case of future eventualities, willhelp them now to break all those who may oppose this world pest.The impression which such successful tactics make on the minds of the broad masses, whether they beadherents or opponents, can be estimated only by one who knows the popular mind, not from books but frompractical life.For the successes which are thus obtained are taken by the adherents of Social Democracy as atriumphant symbol of the righteousness of their own cause; on the other hand the beaten opponent very often28 Mein Kampfloses faith in the effectiveness of any further resistance.The more I understood the methods of physical intimidation that were employed, the more sympathy I hadfor the multitude that had succumbed to it.I am thankful now for the ordeal which I had to go through at that time; for it was the means of bringing meto think kindly again of my own people, inasmuch as the experience enabled me to distinguish between thefalse leaders and the victims who have been led astray.We must look upon the latter simply as victims
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