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Arendt's Refugee Origins
- Hannah Arendt escaped Nazi Germany and reached America in 1941 after detention and narrow escapes in Europe.
- Her refugee experience deeply shaped her later political thought and critique of statelessness.
First Impressions Of America
- On arrival in America Arendt learned English quickly and noted American social conformism like smoking rules.
- She embraced American political freedom while remaining conscious of her refugee status and its effects.
Two Pillars Of Totalitarianism
- Arendt identifies ideology and terror as the twin essences of totalitarianism.
- Ideology colonizes thought while terror strips people of political identity, making them superfluous.