It's a little unfair to be using the image of Hitler. But it's easy to understand Germany's acceptance of this man, given the humiliation that Germany endured after World War One. With riots in the streets, the German people could be easily seduced by any demagogue promising peace, order, and good government - none of which were delivered to the people of the Reich.
Today, we know more about how people choose authoritarians, and why people choose them. An article in Vox describes how the Trump phenomenon came about, and why he is attracting support. Sadly, all the signs of another authoritarian government coming to power are there - people who value order above freedom, people who sacrifice liberty for security, in short - people who are afraid of the future, and want to restore the glory days of the past. It is no accident that Trump's motto is "Make America Great Again." But when did it stop being great?
Trump is known for making deals that benefit only himself. Is there any evidence that his MO has changed? A Trump administration is likely to be one of the most corrupt administrations America will have ever endured, as he has used questionable business practices to build his empire. He is a con man, someone only interested in making his deal, and has no interest in seeing that the I's are dotted and T's are crossed.
Recently, on Vice TV, they documented about the squalid working conditions that "guest workers" (read, defacto slaves) live in while building the Trump International Golf Club in Dubai. Trump ignores laws that require we try to hire domestically first, and has staffed his exclusive resort, Mar-a-Lago mostly with imported labor. The man is a hypocrite and a total liar. Yet, none of his supporters give a damn.
What frightens me is that this man is so fickle. He has no consistency in pattern. He threatens to blow up any nation that doesn't bow to the power of a Trump America. Can we trust him with "the Button?" I doubt it. I'm afraid that America will make the same mistake in the 2010's that Germany made in the 1930's - with the same disastrous results.
How will we know this is happening? Let's look at what happened in Germany. In the 1930's they first rounded up the Homosexuals and Political Dissidents. Of course, we can not forget how many Jews were persecuted. Within 2 years of Hitler taking power, these people were persecuted. If we change the nation to America, go after Homosexuals, Transgenders, Socialists, and Muslims, we'd have the same situation as Germany had roughly 80 years before. We have already herded Indians onto reservations, and put Japanese Americans into internment camps, and lynched Blacks. It's not such a big step, given the size of our prison system (which incarcerates over 1.25% of our population, the highest percentage in the world) to expand it further to hold "undesirables". And it would not be inconceivable to make the new prisoners engage in hard labor. Does "Arbeit Macht Frei?" I doubt it.
If you think that going to Canada will make you any safer, please remember that Canadians are also under attack from their own authoritarian politicians. Could you imagine an "Anschluss" between the two countries? Heck, we were once both part of a larger British North America. I could see this happening.
Do I fear too much? Maybe. But stranger things have happened, and I am not comfortable (nor should you be) that Trump is running neck and neck with Hillary. I once said that I want America to be scared shitless with Trump. Sadly, I think that wish may just come true - and that Hillary may win a victory even closer than that won by Bush in November, 2000.
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