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I suppose that depends on your definition of ordinary. But then, I'm just a harmless old nut who never had the slightest interest in world domination.

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You sound like you're making excuses for Hitler.

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Just trying to de-demonize him.

If anything, Josef Stalin was far worse than Adolf Hitler & he got away with it. I don't know what drives these fanatical dictators or persuades people to support them but there's still some like them in power today. There's an old saying which seems appropriate although I forget who said it now:
Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.

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Unfortunately*, you came way too late for such an accomplishment.
*.
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Lord Acton stated, "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." I'd make a quick search for the exact source but I fear it may take too much time.

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Your second sentence correctly refutes the "singlehandedly" part of your first. None of them would have gotten so far, so fast, without the rest.
This is the sad part, as indicated by Hagar; it didn't stop with Caligula, Vlad the impaler, etc. We are all individuals and not all respond to the same stimuli the same way every time; some are more prone to adverse actions than others. I can only hope hope I'm not next .

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They could talk, they made promises and they had visions, which most of the people shared.
Nuff said.

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I'd say that Mr. Putin looks relatively good for a politician.

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I've seen those newsreels you mention Woody & not understanding German I could never understand why Hitler was considered a great orator. When in full flow at one of those mass rallies he seemed more like a ranting lunatic to me. The whole thing was carefully orchestrated for maximum effect. He seemed to have a hypnotic presence which caused mass hysteria. I don't think it would have mattered what he actually said or how he said it. He could have spoken a load of gibberish & they would still have cheered every sentence & got carried away with the occasion.

I've seen similar response at other mass rallies over the years & I suspect that all these people know the secret of playing to the crowd, they're talented actors rather than great orators. If you've seen film of Hitler in the relaxed atmosphere of his favourite retreat at Berchtesgarden or out meeting people in the street you will see a completely different side of him. It's almost like two different people & he might well have suffered from some form of schizophrenia. I don't know which of the two was nearer the real Adolf Hitler.

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I have pondered that for some time as well.  Odd, very very odd.