Germany having a Eugenics programme in the 1930s is a reflection on the 1930s, and not specifically Germany - Why? Because many developed countries had similar policies when it came to Eugenics. This is not "whataboutism", but rather a cold light of day look at the prevailing attitudes at the time. Most importantly, this addresses the “Nazi eugenics as proof of genocide” angle often argued.
The German Eugenics programme was highly influenced and financed by leading American experts of the time, and most importantly, prior to the NSDAP coming to power
This alone should be persuasive enough to debunk the “Nazi eugenics”, but lets keep going and address the next obvious angle: Well maybe the Nazis took the American model and made it worse! We can read about the American model and see just how similar and "Nazi-sounding" it actually was:
If we are being honest and consistent, the language and ideology of American eugenicists as demonstrated here has become the kind of stereotype often hurled at National Socialist Germany, so it can be surprising to see these ideas not only featuring, but prior to the NSDAP coming into power. We also have insights into public opinion in USA regarding this topic, and it seems to be popular. Disappointingly I cannot find similar opinions in Germany during this time, but it would be safe to assume similar opinions.
Furthermore, the specific law enacted by the NSDAP predates them even coming to power, having been drafted by the Weimar government before them in 1932. This if anything shows us that Eugenics was a commonly accepted practice at this time period, and is in no way unique to Germany. Furthermore, the law itself as passed by Adolf Hitler cites a list of conditions under which people are to be assessed, and being Jewish is not a condition that is addressed.
Naturally the next argument would be to introduce a racial angle to this, so lets see what other developed Nations were doing at this time.
Again if we were to ask for conistency, it would be likely that those making the arguments against NS Germany for using these kinds of policies, as proof of genocide nonetheless, would be completely oblivious to what other Western developed Nations were doing at this exact moment in time.
To be clear, i am not attempting whataboutism here – the point isn’t to accuse other Nations of unacceptable practices, but rather to convey that all of this was considered acceptable if not desirable.
