166 words
I recently read this:
Wer glaubt, die kommunistischen Regime in Mitteleuropa seien ausschließlich das Werk von Verbrechern, dem entgeht eine grundlegende Wahrheit: die Verbrecherregime wurden nicht von Verbrechern, sondern von Fanatikern geschaffen, die überzeugt waren, den einzigen Weg zum Paradies gefunden zu haben. Diesen verteidigten sie vehement und brachten dafür viele Menschen um. Später stellte sich dann heraus, daß es kein Paradies gab und die Fanatieker folglich Mörder waren.
Or, in English…
Anyone who thinks that the communist regimes of Central Europe are exclusively the work of criminals is overlooking a basic truth: the criminal regimes were made not by criminals but by enthusiasts convinced they had discovered the only road to paradise. They defended that road so valiantly that they were forced to execute many people. Later it became clear that there was no paradise, that the enthusiasts were therefore murderers.
How sad. And not necessarily linked to communists.
Not using, Google, amazon or similar searches, predict which book I may shortly be writing about.