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Much the same way Chamberlain did with Czechoslovakia.
If Trump was president in 1939 he would have said that there are "many very fine people on both sides" of the issue.
I'm not saying that Nazi Germany shouldn't be studied nor that we should forget the expensive lessons we learned. What I'm saying is that it does a disservice to whatever cause you're advocating when you start comparing your opposition to the Nazis, because the accusation will always fall short of the mark.
Well, ignore it at your peril...that's all I have to say.
It's equally perilous to overreact and make over-the-top accusations.
So what was "over the top" in the OP?
Actually, humor aside, I am more than happy to be open minded, just not to the point where it becomes loopy. The few "commonalities" (if any) are of no consequence compared to the differences. Among those key differences:
1) Trump is not an ideologue and his passion is impulsive, morphing, and tied to his own brand (looking good).
2) Trump can be, and often is, swayed by advisors and family.
3) Trump is limited by constitutional norms, congress, and the courts.
4) There is nothing in America that reassembles the iconic elements of NAZI Germany; no 'Reichstag' fires, Kristallnacht's, racial purity and discrimination laws, etc.
5) The element of the 'streets' is not by the right, but mostly by the left.
6) The attacks on free speech are mostly coming from the left (not the right).
It's disappointing that the Anne Frank center would be dabbling in such comparisons. It's nonsense.
Since Trump is looking good on Syria, the left feels they must change the narrative back to being anti-Trump. While Assad uses chemical weapons on his own people the TDS afflicted lefties need to start a thread claiming that Trump is the one who is actually the Nazi and give Assad a pass at the title.
So what was "over the top" in the OP?
I don't think it's really over the top.
Trump has been quickly ticking off most if not all of the boxes in the famous
"14 Points of Fascism"
1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism - Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.
2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights - Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause - The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.
4. Supremacy of the Military - Even when there are widespread
domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.
5. Rampant Sexism - The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.
6. Controlled Mass Media - Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
7. Obsession with National Security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
8. Religion and Government are Intertwined - Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.
9. Corporate Power is Protected - The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.
10. Labor Power is Suppressed - Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.
11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts - Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked.
12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment - Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.
13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption - Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.
14. Fraudulent Elections - Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.
The comparison itself was over the top. I look at Nazi Germany is a singular example.... it's like a fire axe in an apartment building. We've got to keep it under glass with an "only use in case of emergency" sign on it. If we keep reaching for it to prop open the stairway on hot summer days or to cut up that old table of Mrs. Peterson's in 14B, pretty soon we're going to find that that old fire axe isn't quite so sharp anymore when a real fire breaks out.
You can view the Trump Administration however you like. My own personal tripping point is when he starts organizing his own equivalent of brown shirt para-militias to start using violence and intimidation to accomplish his ends.
Suppose the real fire is breaking out...but all you see is a little smoke and think it's nothing to be concerned about and go back to sleep?
Like the Alt-right and the Second Amendment crowd?
You can view the Trump Administration however you like. My own personal tripping point is when he starts organizing his own equivalent of brown shirt para-militias to start using violence and intimidation to accomplish his ends.
A little smoke isn't cause enough to break the glass.
A little smoke isn't cause enough to break the glass.
I disagree with both of those groups. But I respect their rights to hold true to their beliefs. The line for me is when they start using violence as part of that.
Heh...Crime bosses never ever make moves that directly implicate them.
An organized crime family is more involved in business than politics, and the Trump Organization is more involved in politics, however they are certainly linking their politics to business, their business. And their business is fascism
But if you want brownshirts, just substitute khakis and use tiki torches...asked and answered.
All you need to do is stop standing on ceremony.
It's not like Herr Trump is going to send out a Nazi "test pattern" on all the smart phones and TV sets and formally announce that he's a nazi.
You might want to stop chanting "It can't happen here" and start connecting the dots.
Are you seriously suggesting that Trump organized Charlottesville??
Give me a break. I don't like the man, and I'd never vote for him if my life depended on it.... his response to Charlottesville was pathetic at best. But to suggest that he or his surrogates actually organized it is beyond the pale.
The operative clause was "the real fire is breaking out". So you would ignore a little smoke but by the time you decide to break the glass the entire town is engulfed in flames.
Richard Spencer was a favorite son of the Breitbart empire, which was run by Steve Bannon.
They have not left the White House team, my friend...they've just been given "lateral promotions" to get them out of the spotlight.
Are you intentionally being obtuse?
Or are you just hoping for the positive outcome?
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