Bush-Hitler: A Survivor Speaks Out

[WilliamPitt]

The Bush Hitler Thing
t r u t h o u t | Reader Submission

Friday 09 January 2004

http://truthout.org/docs_04/010904A.shtml

Dear Sir,

My family was one of Hitler's victims. We lost a lot under the Nazi occupation, including an uncle who died in the camps and a cousin killed by a booby trap. I was terrified when my father went ballistic after finding my brother and me playing with a hand grenade. (I was only 12 at the time, and my brother insisted the grenade was safe.) I remember the rubble and the hardships of 'austerity' - and the bomb craters from Allied bombs. As late as the 1980s, I had to take detours while bombs were being removed - they litter the countryside, buried under parking lots,buildings, and in the canals and rivers to this day. Believe me, I learned a lot about Hitler while I was growing up, both in Europe and here in the US - both my parents were in the war and talked about it constantly, unlike most American families. I spent my earliest years with the second-hand fear that trickled down from their PTSD - undiagnosed and untreated in those days.

(snip)

So far, I've seen nothing to eliminate the possibility that Bush is on the same course as Hitler. And I've seen far too many analogies to dismiss the possibility. The propaganda. The lies. The rhetoric. The nationalism. The flag waving. The pretext of 'preventive war'. The flaunting of international law and international standards of justice. The disappearances of 'undesirable' aliens. The threats against protesters. The invasion of a non-threatening sovereign nation. The occupation of a hostile country. The promises of prosperity and security. The spying on ordinary citizens. The incitement to spy on one's neighbors - and report them to the government. The arrogant triumphant pride in military conquest. The honoring of soldiers. The tributes to 'fallen warriors. The diversion of money to the military. The demonization of government appointed 'enemies'. The establishment of 'Homeland Security'. The dehumanization of 'foreigners'. The total lack of interest in the victims of government policy. The incarceration of the poor and mentally ill. The growing prosperity from military ventures. The illusion of 'goodness' and primacy. The new einsatzgrupen forces. Assassination teams. Closed extralegal internment camps. The militarization of domestic police. Media blackout of non-approved issues. Blacklisting of protesters - including the no-fly lists and photographing dissenters at rallies.

There isn't much doubt in my mind - anyone who compares the history of Hitler's rise to power and the progression of recent events in the US cannot avoid the parallels. It's incontrovertible. Is Bush another Hitler? Maybe not, but with each incriminating event, the parallel grows -it certainly cannot be dismissed.

...more...

[nofurylike]

1. thank you for this WilliamPitt. n/t

[Cleita]

2. Yes, and so much more.

It cannot be ignored. The parties are the same. Yet our Bushie is not the same as Herr Hitler. He may even be worse. He is not an individual who forged the sword. He is the label for the institution.

[burrowowl]

3. I have had as very very good friends

French Jewish Resistance people. They are dead now and would be horrified. I'm glad they have missed Bu$h. They tried to warn the Grandmother and Mother-in-Law, who was an American Jew living in France (of a wealthy American family) who did not believe their warnings. Who towards the end of the war was round up by the Nazis, had an American Passport and they would have released her, but she insisted on staying and could not still believe that the Germans could be so barbareous. She died on a train to Aushwitz.
I think the Survior is right, the U$A could be even worse (the U$ has done a lot, like under Ray-Gun, the massacre of around 200,000 Guatemalean Indians, etc. etc.).

[DemoTex]

4. Will, I still owe you a beer in Boston.

Sorry. I thought two years ago that I was going to be back flying the line at any point. Not happening, friend. Sorry. My flying career is, evidently, over. Sad day for someone who has been in the air since 1962.

[seventhson]

I wish you would send this to the Simon Wiesenthal Center

Great Piece, Will.

I was dismayed when the Center attacked the moveon ads.

I do not understand WHY Jewish activists do not acknowledge this evil of the Bushes.

I suspect it is because of the Jewish right's supprt of Sharon and Bush is Sharon's best boy and vice versa. The Symbionese Fascist President's League, Bush and Sharon.

Anyway - Thanks for publishing this. You know how important this issue is to me.

And every word about this and reinforcing this is important!

Shalom/Salaam

Seventh Son

[CHIMO]

6. To Me

Looks like a relationship between Sharon (or his predecessor) and PNAC.

Has anyone done an analysis of this angle?

Would seem to me that some groups may be going out on a limb.

[RainDog]

15. Perle's questionable loyalties

from The Sludge Report...I'll have to hunt for the url, cause I didn't transfer it with the exerpt earlier..

----

this part is very pertinent now since Perle and Wolfie have subverted America's military might for a regional war in Iraq. Are we paying for a war for Israel? Are we working for Likud and their efforts to quash any hope for peace while they continue to allow settlements? Is Perle the American mouth for war criminal Ariel Sharon?

pertinent, too, because of the new Perle manifesto which wants America to invade and inflame the entire middle east. gee, if another country did this to us because of the unelected leader we have, and the fundamentalist nuts influencing our govt...would we think they were justified?

the US need to be a peace broker in the Middle East, not a war broker. We need to work to settle the Israeli/Palestinian issue in order to achieve a safer world for all the world's children, especially our own, of course, but not merely our own.

---

Richard Perle Is A Spy

And while we are on the subject of the Dim Son's strange friends, and who is spying for whom it is worthwhile reminding the world that Richard Perle, one of the lead architects of the present crisis (as opposed to the Dim Son, whose role is presumably trigger monkey), was fired from his job with Senator Jackson's office in the 1970s because he was caught passing classified material to the government of Israel.

See… Google Search On Perle And Jackson

It is further worth noting that Perle (and fellow White House hawk Paul Wolfowitz) were both on the list of officials implicated in assisting Jonathan Pollard to spy for the Israeli Government in 1985.

See… Google Search On Perle Wolfowitz and Pollard

----

And Perle is anti-semetic??? He's calling Sy Hersh a terrorist because Hersh reveals Perle's war profiteering and association with Iran-Contra, BCCI, terrorism funding Adnan Kashoggi?
----

Richard Perle Is A Also War Profiteer

Lets assume for arguments sake that passing secrets to the Israeli's is not enough to disqualify this clown (and close Bush/Rumsfeld adviser) from involvement in organising a military adventure destined to forever alter the nature of our world. Then there is also this:

Sy Hersh from the New Yorker magazine has written an excellent expose concerning recent dealings by Richard Perle. Take it away Sy:


"Perle is also a managing partner in a venture-capital company called Trireme Partners L.P., which was registered in November, 2001, in Delaware. Trireme’s main business, according to a two-page letter that one of its representatives sent to Khashoggi last November, is to invest in companies dealing in technology, goods, and services that are of value to homeland security and defense. The letter argued that the fear of terrorism would increase the demand for such products in Europe and in countries like Saudi Arabia and Singapore.

The letter mentioned the firm’s government connections prominently: “Three of Trireme’s Management Group members currently advise the U.S. Secretary of Defense by serving on the U.S. Defense Policy Board, and one of Trireme’s principals, Richard Perle, is chairman of that Board.” The two other policy-board members associated with Trireme are Henry Kissinger, the former Secretary of State (who is, in fact, only a member of Trireme’s advisory group and is not involved in its management), and Gerald Hillman, an investor and a close business associate of Perle’s who handles matters in Trireme’s New York office. "

See… Sy Hersh's article ( http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/ ) for much more on Perle.

But Perle of course - street fighter that he is - did not take this lying down and when the allegation of his attempting to profiteer from fear was made on CNN replied by Calling Sy Hersh a "terrorist".

[CHIMO]

5. You Have

Put out what has been in the back of my mind.

It seems like a simple recipe is being used. Make an enemy. Get the people behind a national issue that you have created. Make laws to protect the nation. etc...

Who is behind this?

[WilliamPitt]

8. If you want to hear me read this bit

http://www.truthout.org/overview.htm

[sushi]

7. This is a must read

!

[burrowowl]

9. Kick!

Everyone should read the letter. I have pontificated, so there.

[Lostmessage]

10. I think that he is worse then Hitler

That may sound terrible but I think that he is worse.

Thank you for the article.

[Karenina]

12. The *dauphin

is nothing more than the puppet personification. His *puppeteers are in control of the ways and means to overshadow even Hitler's unique atrocities in their scope. They will not hesitate to use any and every weapon at their disposal to maintain their power. Paß auf, ALLE.

This bit brought on goose bumps:

<snip>

So why, now, when I hear GWB's speeches, do I think of Hitler? Why have I drawn a parallel between the Nazis and the present administration? Just one small reason -the phrase 'Never forget'. Never let this happen again. It is better to question our government - because it really can happen here - than to ignore the possibility.

So far, I've seen nothing to eliminate the possibility that Bush is on the same course as Hitler. And I've seen far too many analogies to dismiss the possibility.

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[info being]

21. Its worse because the strategy is better

The Bush regime doesn't flaunt their evil as much, but the goals are the same.

[DUreader]

11. Hey GOP Morons

RNC Fuckheads

In Your Face

[SpaceCatMeetsMars]

13. Colin Powell did not want to stand in front of "Guernica"

at the UN last year. He knew how bad it looked because he knew Bush had no justification for the war. If there had been justification, he could have stood in front of the painting with no problem.

[MrPrax]

38. One of the footnotes of 2003...

that is worth repeating.

And the UN did oblige Mr Powell didn't they? Even though Guernica was a profound symbol of world peace, responsibility and history that the UN spent years to have installed

Just another reminder of the UN and their 'scrupulous' impartiality...

The United Nations
Tool for Peace or Tool for War?

By KARIMA BENNOUME

"Sometimes I think the televangelists are right. We are living in the End Times. Last night, I was invited to a reception at the United Nations in New York City to fete the release of an important book about how to use the UN human rights treaty body system. I set foot on UN grounds near the eloquent bronze sculpture donated in 1988 by Luxembourg. Reuterswark's piece depicts a gun tied into a knot so that its barrel is shunted upwards, rendering it a useless metal pretzel. It serves as an evocative reminder of the UN's basic purpose, as elaborated in the opening sentence of its Charter: "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war"
When I reached the police checkpoint just inside the main building, I was stopped by a UN officer. He told me that I could not enter the hallowed hall wearing the small "No War" button affixed to the lapel of the winter coat which covered my suit. I could, he explained, remove the badge, leave it with security and proceed to drink wine in the UN dining hall celebrating the human rights book's release. As much out of astonishment as principle, I refused. The police officer indicated that if I did not take off the peace pin, I would have to leave. Dumbfounded, I blurted out a few exasperated words to the effect that I was a citizen of a free country and could express myself freely. This, he admonished me correctly, was not my country, but was the United Nations. Actually, all the more reason for me to wear my button, I argued."
<more>
http://www.counterpunch.org/karima02282003.html

[banana republican]

14. My wife rides to work with a survivor

and she says the same thing.....

[Q]

16. A quote from the link...relevant to today:

"Life was better, at first, under the Nazis. The war machine invigorated the economy - men had jobs again, and enough money to take care of their family. New building projects were everywhere. The shops were full again - and people could afford good food, culture, and luxuries. Women could stay home in comfort. Crime was reduced. Health care improved. It was a rosy scenario - Hitler brought order and prosperity. His policies won widespread approval because life was better for most Germans, after the misery of reparations and inflation. The people liked the idea of removing the worst elements of society - the gypsies, the homosexuals, the petty criminals - it was easy to elicit support for prosecuting the corrupt 'evil'people poisoning society. Every family was proud of their hometown heroes - the sharply-dressed soldiers they contributed to his program - they were, after all,defending the Fatherland. Continuing a proud tradition that had been defeated and shamed after WWI, the soldiers gave the feeling of power and success to the proud families that showered them with praise and support. Their early victories were reason to celebrate - in spite of the fact that they faced poorly armed inferior forces - further proof that what they were doing was right, and the best thing for the country. The news was full of stories about their bravery and accomplishments against a vile enemy. They were 'liberating' these countries from their corrupt governments."

[RainDog]

17. What is Facism?

exerpt from an excellent essay at the introduction to Old Nazis, New Right, and the Republican Party-

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Fascism/WhatisFascism.html


What is Fascism?

by Chip Berlet

(Adapted from preface to Russ Bellant's book
"Old Nazis, the New Right, and the Republican Party," ) 

"Fascism, which was not afraid to call itself reactionary... does not hesitate to call itself illiberal and anti-liberal."

--Benito Mussolini

We have all heard of the Nazis...The seeds of fascism, however, were planted in Italy. "Fascism is reaction," said Mussolini, but reaction to what? The reactionary movement following World War I was based on a rejection of the social theories that formed the basis of the 1789 French Revolution, and whose early formulations in this country had a major influence on our Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights.

It was Rousseau who is best known for crystallizing these modern social theories in . The progeny of these theories are sometimes called Modernism or Modernity because they challenged social theories generally accepted since the days of Machiavelli...Fascists particularly loathed the social theories of the French Revolution and its slogan: "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity."

*** Liberty from oppressive government intervention in the daily lives of its citizens, from illicit searches and seizures, from enforced religious values, from intimidation and arrest for dissenters; and liberty to cast a vote in a system in which the; majority ruled but the minority retained certain inalienable rights.

*** Equality in the sense of civic equality, egalitarianism, the notion that while people differ, they all should stand equal in the eyes of the law.

*** Fraternity in the sense of the brotherhood of mankind. That all women and men, the old and the young, the infirm and the healthy, the rich and the poor, share a spark of humanity that must be cherished on a level above that of the law, and that binds us all together in a manner that continuously re-affirms and celebrates life.

This is what fascism as an ideology was reacting against--and its support came primarily from desperate people anxious and angry over their perception that their social and economic position was sinking and frustrated with the constant risk of chaos, uncertainty and inefficiency implicit in a modern democracy based on these principles. Fascism is the antithesis of democracy. We fought a war against it not half a century ago; millions perished as victims of fascism and champions of liberty.

In identifying "goodness" and "superiority" with "us," there was a tendency to identify "evil" with "them." This process involves scapegoating and dehumanization. It was then an easy step to blame all societal problems on "them," and presuppose a conspiracy of these evildoers which had emasculated and humiliated the idealized core group of the nation. To solve society's problems one need only unmask the conspirators and eliminate them.

One element shared by all fascist movements, racialist or not, is the apparent lack of consistent political principle behind the ideology--political opportunism in the most basic sense. One virtually unique aspect of fascism is its ruthless drive to attain and hold state power. On that road to power, fascists are willing to abandon any principle to adopt an issue more in vogue and more likely to gain converts.

[Q]

18. Thanks for posting this, Will...

- It shows that it's possible to LEARN FROM HISTORY...if we can only open our eyes and ears and reject the revisionism.

[Lorien]

19. Kick

a family friend was liberated from a concentration camp at age eight. His entire family perished under Hilter, he is the sole survivor. He is extremely fearful for our country under the Bush regime,and considers the 2004 elections one of the most important in human history. We MUST defeat *!

[RainDog]

20. kick

for truth out

[blindpig]

23. this should be posted at every freeper site n/t

[BeHereNow]

22. RUN, don't walk...

and rent "The Ship of Fools."
We are liviing the 2004 remake of this film and as
I have stated on other threads, many of us in starring roles.
It is an old black and white film, and you may have to
dig for it, but trust me, it has never been more relevant.
Positively prophetic.
Mandatory viewing for every man, woman and child
now living and breathing in the U.S..
BHN

[Karenina]

24. Kick!

:kick:

[ninkasi]

25. Thanks, Will, powerful article

I believe that the author is absolutely correct about the parallels between Hitler and Bush. What sickens me is that for all our promises to ourselves to never, ever, let another Hitler take power and terrorize the planet,we are breaking those promises and allowing it anyway.

There are so many of us who are old enough to have lived through those years, or to have been born and raised right after them, and had first hand accounts from people who were there, that we don't have the excuse of the passage of so much time that the memories have had a chance to fade.

With every day that passes, I become more and more convinced that Bush is the biggest threat this planet has faced since the end of WWII. Working to get him voted out in 2004 should be the primary goal of every decent, caring, freedom loving citizen.

[waltisfrozen]

26. Well...

While there may be parallels there, let's not forget that "Bush=Hitler" rhetoric is so inflammatory that it probably serves to drive away the undecided and moderate people whose support we need to drive Bush out of office.

[Capn Sunshine]

27. kick

every time someone says "it's not polite" we have to stay in their face about this

[zeemike]

28. Ouch

The author of that listed EVERYTHING.
That has got to make the neocons squirm in their seat if they were to read it.

[latebloomer]

29. Thank you, Will (I think)

That was chilling.

[Malva Zebrina]

30. there are some parallels and there are some that are not

the scapegoating of Jews is not present in Bush, on the surface.

Underneath the surface, in the lexicon of the literalist religious right,who are influential and rich, and necessary to this administrations tendencies toward fascism, the underlying belief in the Armageddon and the "prophecies" existing in the "bible" are definately "anti-semitic"

One really needs to wonder how these do get away with it, but anyone who is familiar with the "prophecies" knows that it predicts the anhiliation of the Jewsand the state of Israel.

It predicts only a certain amount of Jews that repent and accept Jesus as the Messiah will be saved from the horrors of the Armageddon. Some 144,000 of them. The rest of the Jews and Israel will be totally destroyed. These religious right absolutely believe these "prophecies" will be soon fulfilled. They are the "born again" literalist fundamentalist. and those who are most alligned with Bush.

How come no one knows of these prophecies and no one asks the religious right about it? And how come some Jews accept the money and the support of the religious Christian right and join with them, while they predict, and actually hope for this prophecy to be fulfilled in their lifetime?-- Meaning that the Jews will be destroyed because they did not believe in Jesus as the MEssiah.

It is all out there. This is the belief. Jews will be destroyed according to this belief, yet we have the Jews joining up with Bush, because it is perceived he is protecting them and the state of the given Israel, from the Arabs or the other tribes,(the modern day Palestinians) as was said thousands of years ago.

People simply cannot, from ,my point of view, get beyond their religious beliefs and progress toward real love and protection the fate of the human being because of those religious beliefs, which, imo, as an atheist, are simply made up stories that were made up so a particular tribe could survive above the others, And, as history has shown, it DID NOT . It was conquored by the Romans and was conquored for a long time hence bh that same force.

[leesa]

40. The Jewish people are being used as a tool. The US (Bush) MUST keep

their toehold in Israel right now. Don't think for a minute these people will not turn on the Jews when the need is no longer there. Israel (Sharon) is also using the US as a tool...it's a dangerous game.

[Selwynn]

31. As someone who's been very resistant to hilter analogies, and still is....

...that letter has given me a moment of pause.

thanks for posting it.
Sel

[Karenina]

32. Ba-da

BING!

[Selwynn]

34. I still don't think the comparisons are all that helpful, true or not...

because they only serve to reinforce obvious truths to people who don't need to hear them - namely people like us - and serve to alienate and "turn off" other people who see us as making an absurd and ridiculous comparison between the murder of six million Jews and a four year term of one republican president.

It doesn't matter how "right" you think the comparison is - no one who needs to be persuaded is going to stand still long enough to listen to it.

[Karenina]

36. Unfortunately, Selwynn

Reading through various threads, your point cannot be dismissed. Would that it were not so, much human suffering could be spared.

[Q]

37. If you listen closely...

...no one is making THAT comparison...at least not those who suffered through Hitler's Germany.

- Of course you'll 'turn off' people if you bring up the deaths of six million jews instead of the more relevant comparisons. You're issuing a self-fulfilling prophecy.

- Hitler's Germany was about much more than the death of millions. People should be made aware of how Hitler was able to attain the type of power that made all these deaths possible.

[Karenina]

42. You're hitting the nail on the head,Q

As always. Those who are ballistically "turned off" are so attached to their myopic view that they glaze over before they can even grok:

- Hitler's Germany was about much more than the death of millions. People should be made aware of how Hitler was able to attain the type of power that made all these deaths possible.

[0007]

33. Looking at Hitler today doesn't compare with looking at junior

in his infancy - so far the parallels are there.

[bloom]

35. kick

It is terribly sad.

[Insider]

39. same sentiments from a neighbor in NC

german-born woman from fulda. she expressed similar sentiments and opinions of what is going on here.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

41. Nice job, Will. Thanks.