"Hitler's Table Talk" Study Hour: Episode 35

Published by carolyn on Thu, 2014-11-06 14:04
 
00:00

Nov. 6, 2014

Carolyn Yeager and Ray Goodwin read and comment on the April 25 - May 3, 1942 lunch and dinner table monologues by the German Leader, as taken down in shorthand by aide Henry Picker. 1h28m. Included in this episode:

  •  Considerations on the escape of a French General and more of Hitler's thoughts on diet - importance of raw food;
  •  On the competition between art museums and his plans to make Linz the most beautiful city on the Danube, surpassing Budapest;
  •  Hitler continues to talk about his plans for the Eastern territories, says roads are better than inland waterways;
  • The German opera, and his opinion of various conductors;
  • Architectural problems - artistic cities vs political/military cities - art for all the people and school children too;
  • How he avoids the assassin's bullet - too much police protection a negative.

Image: Interior of the Bayreuth Festspielhaus facing toward the box seats: An example of Hitler's wish to bring world-class performances and fine art throughout the Reich, not exclusively in Berlin and Vienna. Enlarge

The edition of Hitler's Table Talk being used was translated by Norman Cameron and R.H. Stevens, published by Enigma Books, New York, and can be found as a pdf here.

Comments

Hitler speaks of distributing the art of Vienna all over the Alpine and Danube Gaus, thereby leaving them in Austira, but not hidden in Vienna's cellars. This was Austrian art, and so it was logical to show it in the Ostmark. Linz is the second biggest city on the Danube in Austria, and it is located much more central than Vienna, which is at the Reich's edge. And Linz is a relatively small city with much land to build new architecture, not like Vienna, which was crowded already. I think, Ray and you thought Vienna's art was to be distributed all over the Reich.
 
Diet. Vegetarianism is not unhealthy at all. It even reverses many severe illnesses such as cancer and diabetes. From an agricultural viewpoint, it is also 100x more productive, cost-effective, environmentally sound and clean. Love for animals is really just a by-product.
 
I know,  this can be debated and everyone has an opinion, but it is certainly not a form of utopian mental disease as some people like to claim. I heard many anti-Hitler people using this against him, as well.
 
http://www.cornell.edu/video/china-project-1-introduction
http://www.peta2.com/blog/meat-industry-water-drought/
 
P.S. I don't want to debate this forever or have this getting between our good friendship, as I know you more or less brush this topic off. I just like to defend my Fuehrer here. hehe

I'm glad you're defending the Fueher. I shouldn't have been so cavalier about it; I felt it was wrong right away. I know all the benefits of vegetarianism, including the ecologic and humane reasons, but it still is not healthy for a lot of people whose "systems" are still set for a high-protein/fat, low-carb diet. Some people have adapted well to a meatless diet but I don't think Adolf Hitler was among them. It seems that his decision was based on the death of his niece who lived with him - Geli. He insisted on watching the autopsy. Then he probably read up on diet in order to justify more scientifically his rejection of eating flesh.

He is to be commended, I think, on every moral ground, but I still think it did not do his health any good. His doctors advised him to add meat to his diet. They recognized what he was lacking. Before he made this change he was the picture of health and strength. Anyway, Hitler still age eggs, but I don't know how many. His first valet after he was Chancellor said his breakfast always consisted of chocolate cookies (!!) and tea. I find that hard to believe.

The main problem in the world today is too many people. The growing populations of the 3rd world are demanding more meat in their diet so they can grow tall and strong like we in the West have done. This is what is filling the planet with slaughterhouses. A lot of Westerners eat too much meat - more than they need -- and the wrong kind.

There is a big difference between healthy (and expensive) meat and poultry and the unhealthy, cheap kind. The cheap kind, and if it's also not cooked right, can cause cancer. You are wrong about diabetes - that can only be reversed by a sugar (and starch)-free diet -- very hard to do without meat and fat.

Just saw this: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-two/11197958/Rationing-in-World-War-2-increased-intelligence-of-Britons.html

Interesting. 
Children were encouraged to eat vegetables. Sugar was rationed. (So were alcohol and cigarettes) plus wild game was eaten more. 16 IQ points increase. WOW