Poland is top exporter of Nazi memorabilia

[Sgt Barker]

While education is important many think of it only in terms of learning the "facts." People who do inhuman things are assumed to lack education - if they just knew more then they wouldn't act that way. It’s easy to forget that Germany in 1930 had one of most literate and educated populations on earth. And the NAZI ideology was couched in the science of the day; it was not any more irrational than it was irrational sailing “ideology” not to sail too far out to sea when the science (such as it was), of the day said the world was flat. Ancient China, the Roman Empire, heck, Iraq under Hussein were all run by educated people, yet hardly poster children for human rights. Timely proof that education doesn’t translate into respect for other people – Radovan Karadžić. He’s got a PhD, and if the charges against him are accurate saw nothing wrong with urging the killing of 8,000 or so people just because they lived in the wrong place.

For good or ill the education that’s needed to prevent inhumane actions is moral education. Understanding why something isn’t “right” can’t be left only to rationality, if history is any guide.

Not meaning to argue here. More expanding on the ideas. And no, this isn't a sly way of saying "religion is the answer." Don't know what the answer is beside "moral education" - knowing something's right because it's right, rather than relying on rationality for all judgements.