Reply #17: Seeming to offer a solution to problems [View All]

[Armstead]

Hitler was a product of his times, in a country that had been crushed in a previous war, and saw itself being destroyed maliciously by the victors. Plus, "Germany" was still fairly new as a nation at the time. So he was able to provide both a positive image of Germany's potential while also tapping into the resentments and hatred against those who were seen as trying to undermine that.

Hitler also did a lot of "good" things for the people too, through social and economic programns that actually seemed liberal or socialist on the surface. And he brought order to chaos. That looked good to a nation that was reeling from economic problems.

Other dictators also rose because they seemed to offer solutions to dire problems. Napoleon was both a product of and reaction against the chaos that followed the French Revolution. The Commies in Russia were a reaction against an oppressive class system in Russia, and seemed at first like a popular revolt against that tyranny.

There are some obvious parallels to the present situation. But my optimistic side sees one crucial difference -- Most countrires that have fakken under the thumb of dictatorships did not have experience with a functioning democracy. For all outr faults, the US has a long tradition with a functioning democracy, which makes it much less likely for would-be dictators to get very far ultimately. When it looks like they are, the system usually kicks in and boots them out.