Love trumps hate. And the justification of that sentiment is shared by bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger as well. Schwarzenegger, whose father Gustav Schwarzenegger was involved with the Nazi party during World War II, has learned and lived with the horrors of war from an early age. Years later, Schwarzenegger focuses on the importance of love and peace over hatred.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has spoken out on numerous occasions concerning the rise in hatred between two factions, his father’s involvement with the Nazi party, and how war can destroy and ravage people’s lives. Per the Anti-Defamation League report, there has been a rise in anti-semitism in the US and Schwarzenegger once again urges people to choose the path of love.
Arnold Schwarzenegger explains the extent of devastation that war brings to people’s lives
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A recent tweet by USC Schwarzenegger Institute went, “‘I don’t want that to happen in the world. Not in Germany, not in Austria, not in America, nowhere’. Governor @Schwarzenegger on why dismantling hate is an important issue to him”. The tweet thread ran long, where Schwarzenegger explained the genesis of hate since the beginning of human race, and how forever it has only brought tragedy and horror. He, however, seemed hopeful that it can be fixed.
“I don’t want that to happen in the world. Not in Germany, not in Austria, not in America, nowhere.”
Governor @Schwarzenegger on why dismantling hate is an important issue for him. pic.twitter.com/uUU3imtndq
— USC Schwarzenegger Institute (@GovArnoldUSC) April 26, 2023
Schwarzenegger was born in Austria in 1947 and moved to the US in 1968. In his 21 years in Europe, he faced a lot of challenges as a young man. It was the post-war period and being born to a Nazi father wasn’t the best of circumstances. Schwarzenegger spoke to CNN Politics, “The kinds of atrocities that happened. How many millions of people had to die and then they ended up losers … love is more powerful than hate”.
He also cited the example of the Confederates and how bitter it turned out for them. Schwarzenegger, who has spoken about his father’s Nazi ties in the past, also explained how a system designed to spread hatred sucks people into it.
Lies and deceit: The origins of hatred that leads to violence
“My father was, and so many other millions of men were, sucked into a hate system through lies and deceit”, said Schwarzenegger to CNN’s Dana Bash in an interview. Schwarzenegger could also see how it affected his father soon after the war ended with the cloud of hatred slightly lightened up. He said, “I’ve seen it firsthand how broken this man’s – this man were”. Schwarzenegger, despite his controversial relationship with his father, lived by his two-word advice – Be useful. In March, he also urged people to not choose the easy path of hatred and instead “choose a life of strength”.
He said, “I think it’s very clear that the more liberal we go with social issues, you see the other side becoming more and more angry, and there’s more and more hate in general.” In the midst of the recent rise in anti-semitism in the US, the Capitol riots in Washington DC on January 6th, 2021, and other similar instances of hate-mongering in recent times, Arnold Schwarzenegger pleads everyone to “fight the war against yourself” and believing in the strength of love than give into the weakness of hatred.
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