THE PARTY AS AN ORGANIZATION
Political parties, in the USA, are loosely-knit organizations. Membership, if there were such a thing, usually signifies that one agrees basically with the principles for which the Party stands: however, it is not necessary that the Party member approve of all of them.
Membership indicates the the political convictions of the individual, but his obligation to activity exhausts itself mainly through making 'donations'. As a rule, the acquisition of membership also indicates the willingness of the member to promote the aims of the Party by voting for cadidates in local and national elections.
The big political parties expect no more active work on the part of their members and even less do they look for constant rediness to perform duties for the Party. Much as they desire that their members should not restrict themselves to such a passive form of membership, active work for the Party is never a condition of belonging.
However, in any case the members of the political parties in their relations to one another feel more or less as individuals and act accordingly; at any rate they do not acknowledge for themselves unconditional submission to the Party machine or unquestioning obedience to the uniform will of the Party. Usually there are no close ties between the members; they are held together only by the fact that they belong to the same Party.
The NSDAP differs fundamentally from the traditional pattern of political parties. Though it may call itself a party and exercise functions as do other parties it does not stop there. It binds its members so much more closely, not only in regard to shaping their decisions at elections, but also in all spheres of life. From this the Party derives its double character as a political party and also as a political Community.
Our Party recognises as members only those who will work actively for the movement; that there is no such thing as passive membership; and that therefore, the acquiring of Party membership is identical with the obligation to constant active work for the objectives of the Party.
A follower of a movement is one who agrees with its aims, a member is one who fights for these aims.
Accord is based only on the recognition of the aims, membership on the courage to stand up for them and to spread them.
Propaganda must, therefore, constantly endeaver to win new followers for an idea, while the organization must take great care that from among the followers only the most valuable ones are made members.
Hence it follows that the number of followers cannot be too large but that the number of members may more easily be too large than too small.
The purpose of the Party is to bind together all honest working groups of our people, regardless of whether they be physical or intellectual workers, so that they with united effort may create the conditions necessary to win their political freedom and their economic independence.
Yes, fighters: Not 'Party members' of some political party which pursues any political objective or which tries to fulfill a small part of the promises made at election time by scheming political bartering.
Yes, every National Socialist must be a fighter, a fighter for an idea, that is, in German 'ein Hochziel,' a high ideal, which is worth fighting for. 'To fight' means more than 'to endeavor,' 'to try to do something,' 'to acquire by long sitting,' 'to obtain by underhand means,' 'to barter' or 'to succeed in a roundabout way': To fight means to become active to the point of sacrificing one's self and one's personal interests; to dedicate one's self with all his abilities in all earnestness, and if necessary to sacrifice one's own life.
We renounce all bandwagon followers. He who joins our ranks must burn his bridges behind him - a hundred percenter or nothing!
Heil Hitler!
Political parties, in the USA, are loosely-knit organizations. Membership, if there were such a thing, usually signifies that one agrees basically with the principles for which the Party stands: however, it is not necessary that the Party member approve of all of them.
Membership indicates the the political convictions of the individual, but his obligation to activity exhausts itself mainly through making 'donations'. As a rule, the acquisition of membership also indicates the willingness of the member to promote the aims of the Party by voting for cadidates in local and national elections.
The big political parties expect no more active work on the part of their members and even less do they look for constant rediness to perform duties for the Party. Much as they desire that their members should not restrict themselves to such a passive form of membership, active work for the Party is never a condition of belonging.
However, in any case the members of the political parties in their relations to one another feel more or less as individuals and act accordingly; at any rate they do not acknowledge for themselves unconditional submission to the Party machine or unquestioning obedience to the uniform will of the Party. Usually there are no close ties between the members; they are held together only by the fact that they belong to the same Party.
The NSDAP differs fundamentally from the traditional pattern of political parties. Though it may call itself a party and exercise functions as do other parties it does not stop there. It binds its members so much more closely, not only in regard to shaping their decisions at elections, but also in all spheres of life. From this the Party derives its double character as a political party and also as a political Community.
Our Party recognises as members only those who will work actively for the movement; that there is no such thing as passive membership; and that therefore, the acquiring of Party membership is identical with the obligation to constant active work for the objectives of the Party.
A follower of a movement is one who agrees with its aims, a member is one who fights for these aims.
Accord is based only on the recognition of the aims, membership on the courage to stand up for them and to spread them.
Propaganda must, therefore, constantly endeaver to win new followers for an idea, while the organization must take great care that from among the followers only the most valuable ones are made members.
Hence it follows that the number of followers cannot be too large but that the number of members may more easily be too large than too small.
The purpose of the Party is to bind together all honest working groups of our people, regardless of whether they be physical or intellectual workers, so that they with united effort may create the conditions necessary to win their political freedom and their economic independence.
Yes, fighters: Not 'Party members' of some political party which pursues any political objective or which tries to fulfill a small part of the promises made at election time by scheming political bartering.
Yes, every National Socialist must be a fighter, a fighter for an idea, that is, in German 'ein Hochziel,' a high ideal, which is worth fighting for. 'To fight' means more than 'to endeavor,' 'to try to do something,' 'to acquire by long sitting,' 'to obtain by underhand means,' 'to barter' or 'to succeed in a roundabout way': To fight means to become active to the point of sacrificing one's self and one's personal interests; to dedicate one's self with all his abilities in all earnestness, and if necessary to sacrifice one's own life.
We renounce all bandwagon followers. He who joins our ranks must burn his bridges behind him - a hundred percenter or nothing!
Heil Hitler!
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