I read the most frightening thing I've ever read in my life last night.

[hedgehog]

The book I was reading is titled Inferno:the Fiery Destruction of Hamburg:1943 by Keith Lowe.

I wasn't reading about the firestorm. What I was reading was a description of the city before the war. Hamburg was a relatively liberal city with close ties to both England and America. When the Nazi Party first appeared, everyone considered them to be violent clowns with absolutely no future. Then, as the economy went belly up, the Nazis gained support. It all happened with incredible speed.

Now, with all due respect to Godwin's Law, as I was reading this I recognized the same phrases we here apply to Sarah Palin and the Teabaggers today. Even more frightening, the quotes from the early supporters of the Nazi Party could be placed in the mouth of Sarah Palin or any Teabagger.

The point is that Obama isn't perfect and the leadership of the Democratic Party can be positively infuriating. However, consider the Hell that the teabaggers would lead us through if they ever got a foothold. I doubt anyone here would support the concept of Manifest Destiny. The United States is not under any special protection from God, or Gaia or the Universe. Don't for a second allow yourself to believe that it can't happen here. The Democratic Party is not perfect, but with the Republican Party in the shambles it is today, the Democratic Party is all that stands between us and true horror.

[havocmom]

1. Yep, America is primed for economic meltdown and may react like Germany did back in early Nazi days

Oh, and we have plenty of pro-Nazi types in high places. BFEE already has backup hide-away in South America if things don't go their way, don't they?

The parallels are terrifying.

[femrap]

2. I agree....

a power vacuum is opening. People are angry...and their anger can be displaced. They should be angry with the Corporations who buy politicians and are eliminating The Middle and Working Classes.

But I fear that those who have jobs with the Corporations won't bite the hand that feeds them so they'll pinpoint their anger on the party in power.

[Goldstein1984]

15. We shouldn't target the Democratic Party for destruction, we

should target the Democratic Party, and our entire government, for reform.

Corporations have too much say in the business of both parties. Once the last ballot is cast, the people lose control. That needs to change.

It's only my personal opinion, but I think Bernie Sanders is the best Democrat in the Senate, and he's and Independent. Principles come first, the party is just a tool to implement those principles.

We're in a difficult situation. How do we put pressure on Democratic politicians without helping the Republican Party? If we reject nonviolent action, or if in our beaten down condition we are incapable of activism, then only the ballot box remains. But we can do great damage by using our votes punitively. It's tough to know what to do.

Blindly supporting a party isn't the solution.

Neither is blindly condemning a party.

But our system is no longer representative of the people. We have to fix that.

[femrap]

19. There are few good Dems....

Senators Brown, Franken and Feingold for a few.

I am an 'issue' person. And I press hard on them....to both the repugs and dems.

But you're right....the System is broke. Corporations need to have their charters pulled on an annual basis and reviewed.

But I think we could go further. Stop buying from them as much as possible...at least stop buying the crap made in China. I'm on my 20th anniversary of 'No Made in China.'

I've talked a bunch of people into it....it's easy. 'Just Don't Buy.' Plus I'm anti-consumerism.

[derby378]

3. You might want to watch THE POWER OF NIGHTMARES if you haven't done so already

One of the arguments this BBC documentary makes is that many American politicans have given up on offering blueprints for a better future to the electorate, and instead they're promising to keep us safe from nightmares. And when those politicians actually find themselves in power, bad things happen.

[CrispyQ]

10. Thanks for the recommendation.

Netflix has The Power of Nightmares & all 3 discs are in my queue. I look forward to viewing this.

[derby378]

14. Yep, that's cool

:hi:

[Shallah Kali]

18. is this vid it on google video?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2798679275960015727&ei=aBooS_3QL466lQfEtamECg&q=the+power+of+nightmares#

[NJmaverick]

4. No one has ever said they regretted overestimating an enemy's strength

or the threat they posed. The opposite can not be said.

[arcadian]

5. You can only postpone it.

It doesn't look like it will ever dissolve. 2012 or 2016, no matter which. So many on the right are petty, greedy, vindictive, amoral and self-righteous, I don't think there will ever be a compromise bringing the left and the right together. I'll bet a Republican is elected who makes Bush look like a saint.

[hedgehog]

8. I was one who didn't see that big a gap between Bush and Gore in 2000

(although I did vote for Gore). In my defense, I remind you that Gore chose Lieberman as a running mate. I agree with you that the current crop of Republicans make Bush look like a saint. At least Bush had a vested interest in preserving the status quo. These people want to tear down the temple.

[arcadian]

12. No, I'm saying one will emerge that makes Bush look like a saint.

Once elected.

[Clio the Leo]

6. The choice is clear....

.... or at least it should be.

[Gregorian]

7. Hitler was given a pass. Desperate citizens and poor judicial decisions gave him life.

It is nerve wracking to see the similarities. I think it would be a real stroke of ill luck in order to have a repeat of that era. But with a right wing media, we are really asking for it.

[hedgehog]

9. We need to fight aghainst the Teabaggers at every opportunity.

While we need to take the threat seriously, I think turning them into a joke may be the best weapon we have.

[jgraz]

11. The problem is we have President Chamberlain seeking "peace in our time" with the GOP.

[hedgehog]

13. I think Obama is holding out a hand to those who are afraid of both camps.

I'm thinking of my rock solid Republican neighbors here in the NY23rd who are now looking seriously at the Democratic party for the first time ever.

[Cowpunk]

16. Can you share some of those quotes with us?

I'm not doubting you, just curious.

[truedelphi]

17. I liked your opening paragraph & am glad that you are reading abt this important era

OF history.

The German people were boondoogled into the mess that occurred. And that "mess" ended with over 50 million people being dead.

But your analysis that we need to support our current DLC leadership is not a good conclusion. As that leadership is in cahoots with the Repugs.

You need to really see this for what it is - BOTH PARTIES ARE CORPORATE OWNED. They are really one party. Why is it that Obama failed us? Because all he is is a Talking Head, with PR people telling him how to angle his profile and how to interject such pathos and empathy.

No one that has power in the Democratic Party will let any true Democrat come to power.

I mean, when Wellstone's plane went down, what Dem leader asked for an investigation? Naw, the reason they didn't open that can of worms is that people like Di Feinstein were glad that the rat bastard progressive Wellstone would no longer be a thorn in their side!

It is all one big party controlled by money. And unless you have a huge share in that money, you should be thinking outside that box.

[AllentownJake]

20. If it happens here it will be their failure

Not ours, we'll all be in camps.

[rasputin1952]

21. One of the distinct, but often overlooked...

parallels is that there must always be fear involved with totalitarianism...something that the RW is exceptionally adept at. They have used fear for decades, and when it was shown there was no real basis for the fear, they collapsed under their own weight of destructive enterprise.

The current crop of RWnuts have ramped up the fear factor to almost record highs, and most people have no idea why they should be so terrified, and yet they are. It reached a new level after 9-11, the impression was that turbaned maniacs would be in the cornfields of Nebraska and the nuclear power sites on the coasts, doing all kinds of sabotage and then...the hordes would reach our shores and invade us, closing down the nation and making us come to prayer 4 times a day in a mosque. it was, and is ridiculous to even contemplate such a scenario...and yet, (and this is true!), people here in NE were actually running their combines with firearms in the cab, there was at least one incident where a plastic bag was shot to hell because a farmer thought we were being invaded and he thought it was a "A-rab"..really, I'm not kidding.

The lesson is, all fer is based on ignorance. When people step back and look at a problem, take a moment to analyze it, they find ways to deal with said problem rationally and the problem is solved. It is the irrational fear that drives people to extremes. Only under the most dire circumstances, such as when you looking down the barrel of a .45 Colt, is there a reason to soil one's pants.

The only thing the GOP has is fear, and if we accept it, we do at our own peril. During the 1930's Italy, Germany and Japan used fear to build and conquer perceived enemies, in the end, it proved disastrous for all 3 countries...and a damn good portion of the rest of the world. The lessons of history must be understood; the GOP understands them enough to know that fear works, however, whenever fear is faced down, it inevitably dissolves. In the larger picture, brains beat brawn every time.

[backscatter712]

22. That's what the Teabaggers are: the American Fascist Party.

And no, I'm not exaggerating or snarking. I'm dead serious. These guys are really fucking dangerous.

[uponit7771]

23. Amen