Slicing Away Liberty: 1933 Germany, 2006 America

[Clara T]

Slicing Away Liberty: 1933 Germany, 2006 America


By Bernard Weiner
Co-Editor, The Crisis Papers

02/22/06 "ICH" -- -- I must confess that I'm utterly baffled by the lack of sustained, organized outrage and opposition from Democratic officials and ordinary citizens at the Bush Administration's never-ending scandals, corruptions, war-initiations, and the amassing of more and more police-state power into their hands.

And so, facing little effective opposition, the Bush juggernaut continues on its rampage. How to explain this? Certainly, one could point to a deficient mass-media, to the soporific drug of TV, to having to work so hard that for many there's no time for activism, to education aimed at taking tests and not how to think, to the residual fear-fallout from 9/11, to a penchant for fantasy over reality, to the timid and unimaginative Democratic leadership, to scandal-fatigue, etc. But I would suggest that even more disturbing answers can be found by examining recent history.

Just so nobody misunderstands what follows: I am not saying that George W. Bush is Adolf Hitler, or that the rest of his Administration crew are Nazis. What I am saying is that since history often is opaque (making it difficult to figure out the contemporary parallels), when the past does offer a clear lesson for those of us living today, we should pay special attention.

What happened in Germany in the 1920s and '30s can teach us much about how a nation in a few years can lose its freedom in incremental slices as a result of a drumbeat of never-ceasing propaganda, strong-arm tactics, government snooping and harassment, manufactured fear of "the other," and wars begun abroad with the accompanying rally-'round-the-flag patriotism.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article12022.htm

[babylonsister]

1. Thanks, Clara T. A terrific read that, w/o you, I wouldn't have. nt

[enigma000]

2. So, what is wrong with Germany?

I mean, things were good in the late 1930s. Berlin Olympics, less street riots, economic progress. Your failed pResident FDR and his "Jew Deal" was presiding over the collapse of the USA. Stalin was killing millions in the USSR. Sounds like to me the US Democrats and that communist FDR has hypnotized you to believe these racialist things about Germans.

Hitler is a man of peace. No Nazi ever harmed an American. Remember, you imperialistic Americans attacked Germany in the Great War. I bet you have a problem with peaceful German military research too. Ten years from now, in 1946, Germany will be peaceful and prosperous and America will be shattered and failed. Wanna bet?

[Lerkfish]

4. huh?

[enigma000]

6. Was I THAT cryptic?

Read between the lines (again, please)

Oh...yeah.....FDR is Napoleon.....

[iconoclastNYC]

3. It's the DLC. They neutered our party.

Half our elected officials are afraid of thier own shadows thanks to the DLC.

[Lerkfish]

5. yeah, whether by incompetence or design, you're right.

[Drewskie]

7. A decent read...

but I'm not going to compare USA with Germany til they start euthanizing retards and prominent political opponents start getting shot in the head. Hitler murdering his political opposition had something to do with his getting elected. Clinton and Kerry were still breathing air last I checked...