A lot of people love to talk about fascism coming to the United States, draped in a flag and carrying a cross. Well, maybe that’s so; but I happen to think that it’ll come the way good old-fashioned fascism came to Germany. In fact, it’s almost here now.
Last Sunday, the BBC presented a documentary about Hans Litten, a young German lawyer, who single-handedly tried to stop the rise of Adolf Hitler through the courts during the early part of his rise.
The Beeb does great documentaries, better than some of the skewed tripe you’ll see on MSNBC or Fox. And, if you listen to the words and descriptions of events and the situation that existed in Germany in the early 1930s, which enabled the rise of Hitler, you’ll see why. In fact, you’d better watch this near your bathroom, because it will hit you like a ton of bricks and you’ll literally cack yourself.
Start with a poor economy replete with people driven emotionally, psychologically and physically into the ground under the burden of war and rising unemployment…then add a purely feel-good political movement aimed at the so-called oppressed middle classes and you’re almost there. Next, inculcate a fear of socialism and communism, being sure to affiliate such fears with the labor (union) movement, then, stir up enmity towards intellectualism.
Intellectuals, like Hans Litten, the subject of this documentary, always question ideologues. And so begins the demonization of intellectuals for their perceived “elitism.” If you think that you’re seeing a backlash against intellectual elitism in the United States today, just remember what arose out of the last movement to denigrate higher intellectual education.
And, please, don’t think the Left today is entirely exonerated from blame. As much as the Right, they’ve bought into Big Lie propaganda tactics espoused by the Tea Party and used these methods as virulently and as onerously against the President. Whilst the mouthpieces of the Left pay lip service to intellectualism, and, indeed, many would go as far as to identify themselves as such, they’re not.
Intelligence and an appreciation of culture does not make one an intellectual. It does, however, make you a dilettante. Just ask Arianna Huffington or Hermann Goering.
Watch and learn:
Edited By: Sherri Yarbrough
What has been of particular concern to me is that so many progressives, even radicals, have bought into the 9/11 so called truthmovement. From it’s inception, it has been heavily made of up of white supremacists. Just look back at the first printings of the 9/11 Deception Dollars to see a very disturbing collection of blatantly white supremacist websites. From American Free Press to Jeff Rense and Alex Jones, these sites are very troubling. Basically anti choice, anti migrant, homophobic and pro gun, this would usually be enough to tip thinking people off, but most do not bother really checking into who these people are. Tho once people who have anti racism crap detectors started calling Jones on his anti migrant vitriol, he and others became a little more clever in hiding their true agenda pulling in the likes of Cindy Sheehan and Cynthia McKinney, who for the life of me seem oblivious to how problematic it is to be used by the racist right.
I see nothing going on in this country that deeply calls to me. I am sick of white male dominance and the silencing of those who live life in the trenches of struggle. The traditional Dine people have been resisting Peabody Coal Co.’s massive strip mine for over 30 years and still, most do not know or care what has been done and is still being done to the last remaining intact Indigenous peoples of this country. Their sacred ancestral lands are key to global warming. Thankfully, the Indigenous of the Tar Sands are being heard, but gotta wonder about so many Indigenous of the Americas whose genocide is ignored.
Even people i am close to defend these bigots in the name of exposing the truth about 9/11. Gotta wonder how such people scare up sophisticated funding to spread their propaganda so effectively. Anyone working for true peace does not even come close to having the voice these nutjobs do. People are asleep and ignoring the silencing of the most marginalized people who are all too often killed by the shock troops of white supremacists who really are active death squads. Too many killings of migrants, Native Americans, homeless, GLBT, prostitutes, etc. go unsolved. Then there is the very suspicious killing of men of color, kids, homeless by cops all over the country who ALWAYS get away with it. Why is this not at the center for the struggle for authentic peace? I wish i could participate in the caravans for peace in Mexico where the people are opposing the government and the drug cartels. We are all too close to being in the same boat with Mexico. Only a matter of time…..
It’s a good argument. But I’d like a bit of clarification. When you say the left bears some responsibility, to whom are you referring? Those we elect to represent us who seem unfathomably ignorant of this agenda, or the rest of us who aren’t? Who realize that when the Republicans say they want to limit government, what they mean is they want to limit government of the people and for the People and by the people. The government agencies that they like can stay. Police, Prisons, the military. Not Social Security, or Welfare, or the EPA, or the FCC. If it involves hurting, maiming, or killing, that part of government is A-Okay. If involves helping anyone, or keeping the rights of the people from being trampled–well, that’s just wrong. Government can’t do that.
Republicans hate democracy. They undermine it at every opportunity. Odd that no one is shouting this from the rooftops. No one the people might listen to, anyway.
Saje Williams, Your comment is so well written that I must applaud you for your thoughts and your composition. I can not think of anything else to add that would make your point any clearer or point out our Nation’s dire condition.
I started realizing some time back that I was hearing things out of the Tea Party were scarily familiar. It didn’t take very long to realize the familiarity came from something I read in college: Mein Kampf.
Amen sister! I too, read mein Kampf and notice not only similairities in it and the tea baggers, but also John Ashcrofts text books and US Patriot Act
Anyone who has read anything about post WWI Germany could plainly see what parallels there are here. The Wingnuts are scapegoating the Latinos, i.e. Illegals and Nigerian presidents, as well. Funny how little there is written about Hitler’s rise that is in today’s literature.