In contemporary terms, Heidegger was a militant1 activist in a revolutionary movement that succeeded in toppling the old government and in establishing a new power. To be sure, the new power collapsed and, according to Heidegger, the new regime failed, even though, again according to Heidegger, maybe not much worse than those centres of power against which the revolution was done. Because Nazism has, in Derrida's words, become a symbol for "the worst", so that anything in any way connected with Nazism is almost taboo or at least very difficult to discuss, Heidegger's obvious Nazism has created a near impenetrable thicket of commentary.