‘The cuts’ and Eichmann: Reflections on viewing the film ‘Hannah Arendt’
Katherine Brannan
photo of Eichmann in Jerusalem
Burnage man with severe learning difficulties has benefits cut by £400 a week – over the phone 5 Oct 2013 Ruth Holland, 54, from Burnage, has been told the weekly allowance she receives from Manchester council for her son Paul, 33, is being cut from more than £500 to just £7
I just saw the film ‘Hannah Arendt’. I dont know her work but this film about this political thinker’s coverage of the Eichmann trial in Israel is very interesting in relation to her thoughts about the ‘banality of evil’ and how this man was not a satanic monster but a ‘ little nobody’ who obeyed orders:. After seeing the film, I suddenly thought of the person who telephoned the disabled man from Burnage and all the other officials citing ‘legal’ reasons for cutting lifelines from human beings.
Eichmann stated himself in court that he had always tried to abide by Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative. In Eichmann’s formulation, the legislator of the ‘imperative’ was Hitler. Eichmann said this changed when he was charged with carrying out the Final Solution, at which point Arendt claims “he had ceased to live according to Kantian principles, that he had known it, and that he had consoled himself with the thoughts that he no longer ‘was master of his own deeds,’ that he was unable ‘to change anything’.
Eichmann’s inability to think for himself was exemplified by his consistent use of “stock phrases and self-invented clichés,” demonstrating his unrealistic worldview and crippling lack of communication skills through reliance on “officialese” (Amtssprache) and the euphemistic Sprachregelung that made implementation of Hitler’s policies “somehow palatable’’.
But the thought of that modern-day official cutting the Burnage man’s income over the phone and the Councils bureaucratic ‘explanation’ made me think of Eichmann. All of which means we must never get into office to implement the cuts’ after all, as if we did not we would not be obeying the Law.’ We would then be going the way of Eichmann.
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7 responses to “‘The cuts’ and Eichmann: Reflections on viewing the film ‘Hannah Arendt’”
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The second to last paragraph of this article is a verbatim repeat of the paragraphs on either side, but in reverse order ! Very confusing to read ! Better editing needed.
I’m not really sure what overall point your article is making. We’re all horrified by the unfeeling vindictive petty savagery of the current Austerity Offensive as it impacts on the poor and vulnerable – but to compare this to the “Final Solution” ? Not really very appropriate or relevant, surely ?
John, you are right, this should have been edited and thats my tired and hurried fault! Sorry and thanks for reading and responding in spite of that. Is it appropriate to evoke the ‘Final Solution’ in the context of the economic policy of the government and beyond that, the international ruling class? In my view, Fascism and its ‘solutions’ dont necessarily take on exactly the same form. ( There might be a more robust and efficient protest otherwise, and the ruling class does not want that). What has been happening in the UK and worldwide, over a period of years, is a ‘drip by drip’ approach by which the population (us)learn to tolerate the intolerable. I see an example like that of the man from Burnage every day. Somebody here will have the figures for the number of those people who died after Fitness for Work tests. You know that doctors are being asked not to waste their time on helping claimants. You will know the number of suicides related to Bedroom Tax and other welfare cuts. You are aware that the latest coalition assault is against the young. Recently categorised as one of the least skilled youth in the world, the talk is of those not in work or education having to do ANY work they are asked to do and for free, or possibly just staying in the Job Centre every day 9-5pm to get the feeling of work. Meanwhile they will have access to NO money for homes or food. Workfare and zero hours jobs expand into more and more sectors. ATOS commands that one finger that can push button means you are fit for work. Right to appeal is attacked and means loss of money. Legal aid for battered women and babies and refugees is out of the window. There is a fight on now to stop Cameron and co from criminalising campaigns around welfare in the run-up to elections. Internationally, you will have seen just one of the many boats of 500 desperate African refugees, this time sunk, on what looks like almost suicide flights from starvation and destitution. Above, on this page, the ignored plight of kicked in the teeth Syrian refugees in Calais. Out of the socially engineered indifference and the obedience to orders of bureaucrats and city, and county councils (to which we LU would like to be elected) the worst evils become possible. Eichmann is a symbol of this process, according to Hannah Arendt. I think this message is very relevant for us. Do you think the mass murders of Nazi Germany took place in one go? It was a gradual introduction which started with an attack on the disabled. The idea of ‘useless’ lives, compounded by ‘useless’ work where sense of your life’s individual meaning is lost. Hasnt one counsellor in the UK already spoken of culling the disabled babies as farmers do for deformed lambs? He has been sanctioned ‘for now’. How much more is needed? Do we stay horrified or do we mobilise by showing how what is happening now can be understood in terms of where this previously led in recent History?
I’m glad that the point came across at the end, Chris. Have you considered that this attempt at intervening in the debate does not come from an academic or old Leftie or Marxist? My lack of experience in writing may make me too long winded and confusing… but these are beginners errors. And I have real points to make.I am afraid the very existence of LU will stimulate people like myself who have not been active in left politics to re-think who we are and what we can do— including to read Marx and Luxembourg which I have begun to do for the first time ever. I am attempting to use what I learn as I go along. It is true I am not new to disability issues as my daughter has been systematically excluded from education in the UK for not fitting in to the neuro-typical system and I hope I have gained valuable experience in this fight for her rights to help contribute to the progess of LU. But also other areas! I hope you wont subject me or ‘hesitant others’ to ‘sensible policing’! ‘Doesnt affect me and my world’?? How patronising and dismissive this is! However, thanks LU, I am glad of this debate on real issues and the approach to take.
I have to say I appreciate Kathrine’s post. I think she is absolutely right that it is a drip, drip effect taking us further and further down the road of fascism and totalitarianism.
And people will read the posts they want to read and leave the others, according to their interests and tastes. We in LU don’t want to police documents, other than refusing to publish offensive ones. But Kathrine, you can ask the web team to let you change it after editing out the repetition if you want.
In solidarity!
Thanks for the encouragements. I have sent the properly edited version to the web team as suggested.
Just to add, for Chris, apology warmly accepted. You will see the article is now shorter if not sweeter. There are, indeed, many pitfalls in internet communication…
I think that this is very much a valid analogy. Arendt’s point was that evil is not necessarily Machiavellian in nature. It involves those at the service of power deliberately avoiding any kind of moral reflection on the consequences of their actions. The person who phoned the disabled man in Burnage was carrying out an evil act.