Yes, but the thing is that the Nazis trusted the majority of the citizens more than the ones in charge trust the majority today. Says something of how "democratic" Europe is...
Er, no. The basic *philosophy* of the Nazi party was just the opposite--the very idea was to have one leader beyond reproach, beyond question from anyone and certainly the common man, and so the Reich's administrative function was left to the layer below the leader, which usually meant the whims most likely to result in a maximum short-term gain for the decision-maker. The Nazis didn't trust the population at all. Freedom is not measured in guns, never was.
The majority of Germans were very happy with the system. Little different to Putin's Russia really...
Not with the system. They were happy with their leader. Hitler was clever because he was able to remain above petty national politics and the inevitable blame game. Also, you'd have to remember where they came from. The Weimar Republic was blamed for pretty much everything but the fact is that the (relative) economic upturn that occurred around the time the Nazis came to power would have happened anyway. Hitler never had much to do with it.
Hitler basically built that system though. Asides, I think you don't give him as much credit as he deserves economically, he did manage to employ pretty much everyone.
Putin is more effective though...
I think you need to check your sources. Hitler's main function was that of an ideologist, not that of a hands-on guy or economist or anything like that. He did not have the background, the education or the interest to be able to change the economy of the country, and he did not participate much in the day-to-day tasks of running it after the Nazis came to power. The party was leader-driven almost from the start but soon after Hitler was appointed chancellor, his position was made absolute, both in the party and in the Reich, and as a consequence, The Third Reich pretty much lacked a long-term plan for its economy, other than to build up the armed forces again. Göring came to be the man mostly responsible for what plan there was but this lack of a sustainable plan was a source for concern for many in Hitler's original cabinet (most of whom they got rid of, eventually).
The little upturn there was would have happened anyway, in the opinion of quite a few economists familiar with the period, but by the time WW2 started, the country was on its way downhill again, a fact that was recognised by many around Hitler. His one-track mind insisted that the Jews and the bolsheviks were to blame, however, but if he could get rid of them and find Germany some
lebensraum everything would somehow magically be all right.
Considering how big a part of Germany's economy the Jews were, once upon a time, it's a bloody miracle he lasted as long as he did.
