Furthermore, under the organization of the poem Niemöller expresses the danger of total domination by 1,4,7 lines; "First they came for the Jews/ Communists/ trade unionists". There is chronologic description of how gradually people are indoctrinated to serve to the main objective of a totalitarian regimen. Arendt says, "The road of totalitarian domination leads through many intermediates stages () The extraordinary bloody terror during the initial stage of totalitarian rule serves indeed the exclusive purpose of defeating the opponent and rendering all further opposition impossible" (126). In other words, to make the people to believe that it is rational to think that certain type of groups are enemies because they are alienated, so it is justify any atrocities against "them" (Jews, communists, trade unionists). Niemöller's poem reflects this justification by pointing his silence several times: "I did not speak out" (2, 5, 8). This "no-response" is an agreement with the action taken by the "captors". The lack of reaction is confirmed by his own justification which is expressed in the lines 3, 6, and 9 " because I was not a [one of them]". This indifferent attitude portrays the initial stage of totalitarianism because his apathy enhance the struggle of the "enemies" (Jews, communists, trade unionists), as Arendt says, "the initial stage of totalitarianism rule serves indeed the exclusive purpose of defeating the opponent and rendering all further opposition impossible" (126). Thus, in the last three lines of Niemöller's poem, the effect of total domination is conclusive; there is no more struggle; the perpetrator came for the speaker when there are no more "enemies" or opposition left: "Then they came for me/ and there was no one left/ to speak out" (Niemöller 10-12).
