The Very Real Danger of Mein Kampf

Recently it came to my attention that Hitler's infamous manifesto has been republished and is selling out in German book stores and online. With this development, there has come a wave of new interest and understanding of Hitler's motives and though I have not read the new annotated edition, the mind of history's most reviled mass murderer has drawn attention both for scholarship and spectacle: But whatever the case, everyone seems far too hasty in agreeing that the spell of hatred that the book casts has been thoroughly dispelled because of the extensive annotations.

The mainstream media, in an effort to attract viewers no doubt, has run stories about the sales of Mein Kampf ever since the new critical edition began to be stocked on shelves in Germany in 2016 claiming that the book is "flying off the shelves". They always mention, as if to allay the reader's fears, that the book is largely for academics, is being read critically and is serving educational purposes. They seem to forget however, that when presented with an idea, the choice amounts to a judgement of truth by the reader, true or false. Or perhaps partly true?

Sputnik ran an article claiming - against the mainstream narrative - that the book is being used for scholarly purposes. In it they claim that the forbidden nature of the book and the low price of under 100 Euros is what is fuelling demand. In many instances then, this is just another edgy book that will fit in on your bookshelf next to your copy of the Satanic Bible. Schelm-Verlag publishing house, noted by Sputnik news for being right wing in orientation however, vowed to print a copy without the annotations of "do gooders" according to another article.

It's not at all clear what kind of group consensus is forming around Mein Kampf. I've never seen an interview with a person who bought the book, and I've never heard anything but the party line, that the book is nullified of power through annotation. Annotation however, is merely another argument to the uncritical mind, not a refutation - only an alternative. Still it is better that we have access to the vast scholarship that was put into this new edition so that at least we have a chance to form a consensus and understand how to defeat hateful rhetoric in the free market of ideas, but we must also keep in mind that not all Mein Kampf sales are truly because of benign interest. Mein Kampf itself is just more ideas, more water in the bucket. The purity of the water in the bucket is not tainted by it,  but we must be mindful lest the sediments do not sink to the bottom.

https://sputniknews.com/europe/201701031049232129-hitler-mein-kampf-germany-bestseller/