Here is an interesting story on the issues surrounding Mein Kampf publication.
Apparently Mein Kampf is banned from publication in Germany, though, as this article points out, it can easily be found online. I did a quick search of Google and found an online copy very easily (second hit!). Scholars are arguing that before Mein Kampf goes into the public domain in 2015, a critical edition with annotations, pointing out Hitler's inconsistencies and factual errors, should be published. They argue that doing so will inform people and allow them to dispute claims of neo-nazis who will use Mein Kampf to their benefit.
Interesting argument. I agree that a critical edition is definitely needed, and the sooner the better, since as the article points out, we don't have 7 years until publication (in Germany), but rather negative time as the text is available online for free. Keeping Mein Kampf carefully tucked away under the disguise of copyright only hurts those seeking to study the text and analyze its rhetoric.
2 comments:
I wonder if the neo-nazis will really be concerned about the factual errors of the original.
Thankfully, they'll have the critical edition to study and re-evaluate their positions once they have the truth in hand.
Exactly! I can imagine them all studying up right now!
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