Republican Rhetoric is inappropriate

[Lester222]

Being a resident of Germany, I cannot help to notice the similarities of the Republican rhetoric to a certain movement in the 1930s. The whole notion of how liberals are "backstabbing" the military and the governments war efforts, are exactly was being said about the outcome of WWI. I don't know how many people in the states are aware, that in Germany's history books you can find references to the "Backstabbing Legend", which was a claim made by the Nationalsocialist Party, saying that WWI was lost due to a conspiracy of liberals (communists and jews). I'm not trying to link anyone to the Third Reich here (in fact that would be illegal where I live), but everytime I hear someone say or read about how supposably Vietnam was lost due to a communist/liberal conspiracy to backstab the troops and how the same is happening in Iraq, these associations just pop up in my head. Same thing about how the claim that the war cannot be won is "Emboldening the Enemy". We had a group of students here in the 40s, that were executed for "Treason","Demoralizing the Troops" and "Emboldening the Enemy", because they handed out papers saying that the war at the eastfront was unwinnable (one of the student's brother was a soldier at the eastfront). Stalingrad followed soon thereafter...

That said I must also note, how much it disturbes my that the claim that islamic fundamentalism is a threat to our civilized society, is made largely by people who like to use phrases as "Law of God", "Liberals are Godless" and "The holy Word of Jesus is the only Truth" themselves.

I might even have bought it if it didn't come from someone who falls over and starts drooling on a regular basis...

[Glorfindel]

1. Welcome to DU, Lester222

You're right, and others before you have noticed the similarities between the American right wing and the National Socialists in Germany in the 1930's. There is one glaring difference, however: Adolf Hitler was democratically elected. ;(

[EST]

2. There are many of us aware of just how NAZI-like,

Hitlerian and fascist this government is and was and made a point of saying so, especially pre-2004 election. As students of history, we are, indeed, well aware of most of the similarities and virtual identical policies, threats, political bulldozing and brown nosing.

The problem is that both educated liberals and the neanderthal neocons use the same accusations at each other and the discussion stops there, even though we know what we are talking about and they are knuckle dragging opportunists, creating lies to deceive a gullible, ignorant public.

For that reason, and because the criminal manipulators scream and whine about it, most people stop short of telling the truth, sadly.

The USA has already become a fascist empire but the liberal leaders are too chickenshit to point this out and the organized crime leadership avoids verbalizing it because the significant historical connotation might wake a few proles up.

[zanne]

3. Unfortunately, there is nothing new.

It's a shame that we have so little imagination, we have to repeat the past.

[tanyev]

4. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Of course, one could also make the case that the current crop of Republicans learned very well from history. Unfortunately, they are embracing it and using it as a how-to manual.

[mwb970]

7. The Republicans are channeling all of America's enemies.

Think about it.

Hitler and Nazi comparisons have been made in this thread. But I also hear clear echoes of Stalin's Soviet Union, the "Evil Empire" I was taught to fear and hate as a child, in the totalitarian, authoritarian impulses of Cheney and the extreme right in America. We torture people now too, just like al-Qaeda! And the race-baiting we see from the right in the presidential pre-campaign reminds me of the attitude of the slaveholding Confederacy in the Civil War.

My understanding is that during the Revolution, the right-wingers of the time were the Tories, who opposed the formation of America itself, preferring the monarchy of King George.

And they call us un-American!

[phatkatt]

5. Karl Rove is a student of the Nationalsocialist's rise to power.

I'm convinced of it.

A homeless artist on the streets of Vienna became the most powerful figure in the 20th century. So doing the same with a sniveling spoiled trust-fund brat with a coke habit and a good last name is child's play in comparison.

[IndyOp]

6. A group of students? Members of the White Rose Society are my heroes!

"Treason" "Demoralizing the Troops" and "Emboldening the Enemy" - A rush of nausea sweeps over me each time I hear a politician say such a thing.

The White Rose

The White Rose is a shining example of resistance to Hitler, but also of the ruthlessness which the Nazis authorities showed when faced with any opposition. In early 1943, the fortunes of war were clearly turning against the Germans. The battle of Stalingrad had been a complete disaster, resulting in the surrender of the Sixth Army on January 31, 1943. Around this time, a small group of students, mostly centered in the University of Munich, began openly to agitate against the Nazi regime. They saw the war as lost, the good things they had thought would result from the Nazis in the 1930s as having been thrown away, and were horrified at the mistreatment of the Jews. The leaders of the student revolt were Hans Scholl (25), a medical student and his sister Sophie (21), a biology student. Hans Scholl had been an enthusiastic member of the Hitler Youth in 1933, but he quickly became disillusioned with Nazism as its inhumanity and barbarism became more and more clear with the passage of time.

People who have never lived under a totalitarian government have difficulty understanding how difficult it was - and how dangerous - to organize opposition to the government. The Nazis in particular were organized right down to the street level and people were encouraged to inform on their parents, relatives, and friends to the Gestapo; in short, anyone who manifested disagreement with the Nazis could be in serious trouble. Under the law of the Third Reich, over 5,000 people were executed for such trivial offenses as making jokes about Hitler or listening to radio broadcasts from Britain.

Most of the White Rose members were medical students, except for Sophie Scholl, who majored in biology and philosophy, and many had Jewish friends or classmates, who had been persecuted under the Nazis, Their disillusionment became most pronounced as the brutality of the regime became more apparent and especially when the mass deportations of the Jews began.



The White Rose began distributing anti-government leaflets in mid 1942. The main authors were Hans Scholl, Alex Schmorell, and George

Wittenstein (see below) who wrote four leaflets and distributed about 100 copies of them. Of the 100, 35 fell into the hands of the Gestapo. At about this time, Sophie Scholl joined the group. It is known that Hans Scholl coined the expression "leaflets of the White Rose", but the origin of the expression is unclear. The leaflets protested against the brutality and evil of the government, and against the extermination of the Jews, which was beginning to become known to more and more people at this time.

More...

[Cabcere]

8. Thank you for posting this, Lester222

and welcome to DU! :hi: It's good to have you here.

[eppur_se_muova]

9. Many of us were aware of the general parallel, but it is frightening and ...

apalling to see so many of the details match up. Thanks for the history lesson, and welcome to DU! :hi:

[librechik]

10. Apologies, Lester--we haven't been ourselves lately

since a bunch of thugs took over our country in the name of "fighting terror" a teror they themselves trumped up!

But you know all about that.

Welcome to DU!

:hi: