Yuji Ishida, Professor, Graduate school of arts and sciences, The University of Tokyo Using the latest historical materials, he explains how Hitler, who was unknown until the age of 30, was able to establish a dictatorship in such a short time. "He gained charisma through his diplomatic achievements in liberating Germany from the yoke of the Treaty of Versailles." He also makes the surprising point that one of the sources of his popularity was his loud voice. Check out the video of "Ishida's Fiery Classroom." Moderator: Atsuro Kurashige, Planning Committee Member, Japan National Press Club (Mainichi Shimbun) http://www.jnpc.or.jp/activities/news... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Reporter's press conference report: "A word to Adolf: Don't come back to life!" An unprecedented dictator who trampled on human rights and democracy. The role that history has given to Adolf Hitler has been distorted in recent years. His skillful speeches and his stylized performance style are popular among young people. The fact of the Holocaust is set aside, and attention is focused only on his "great charisma." The tactics of Hitler and the Nazi Party (National Socialist German Workers' Party), full of lies and schemes, are now commonplace in politics. Inequality and terrorism, religious conflict, the rampant use of financial capital, economic crisis, mass refugees, and the rise of the far-right. Various anxieties that are causing turmoil in the world are supporting his "resurrection." But why did "the great evil Adolf" emerge and grow under the democratic German Weimar Constitution? Why did the world after World War II not face this problem head-on and overcome it? Professor Ishida asks the question again, based on new materials from the Cold War that reveal the true nature of the dictator. There is a somewhat similar scene before our eyes. For example, the presidential emergency decrees of that time. Their excessive use allowed one man to easily gain enormous power. Isn't the LDP's draft constitution (emergency clause) a modern version? Or the Enabling Act, which is the finishing touch to dictatorship. The Nazi Party completed it in just one day of deliberation. It reminds me of our Diet, which relies on numbers to pass laws in a short time. When talking about the current political situation in which the movement toward constitutional reform is accelerating, the professor exudes a sense of crisis. Looking around the world, far-right and authoritarian leaders are roaming the developed world. If the mass media quickly raises the white flag and dissenting opinions are wiped out, it is not surprising that a great evil will be born there. How can we resist this uneasy trend? The professor expects the courage of independent citizens, but the matter is a little complicated. Just like the German citizens of the past, no matter who you are, it is difficult to escape the rampant "banal evil" (H. Arendt). Moreover, in today's world, where we are floating in a vast sea of ​​online information, even our judgment of right and wrong tends to waver. The only way to prevent the return of the great evil Adolf is for each citizen to fight against their own inner evil.