When I was growing up, I heard lots of talk about Hitler. "How could anyone have listened to that madman rant and have believed what he said?" people would ask, shaking their heads sadly.
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William Lindsey :toad:replied to Jargoggles last edited by
@jargoggles This is excellent. I'm boosting it.
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@DP0 @CatDragon Yes, an important parallel. Hitler had the backing of Germany's media elites, its business elites, its military and church leaders, academic leaders: they all thought he'd be controllable once elected.
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Eric Lawtonreplied to William Lindsey :toad: last edited by
I live in Canada.
I learned about Anschluss in history classes; when Hitler annexed Austria with the connivance of Austrian politicians.
We already have some connivers in provincial office, with a federal candidate leading in the polls.
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William Lindsey :toad:replied to Matthias KrΓ€mer last edited by
@Kraemer_HB Yes, for a time, talk about parallels with the Nazi period was squelched with "Godwin's law" ridicule. Now, given what Trump is saying openly about mass jailings of his "enemies" and mass deportation of immigrants with blood flowing: how can we possibly refuse to think of Hitler and the Nazi period?
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William Lindsey :toad:replied to Huntn00 last edited by
@Huntn00 Thank you. A very good statement.
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William Lindsey :toad:replied to Matthew Loxton last edited by
@mloxton You're right, Milgram taught us a valuable lesson about the psychodynamics that permit a cruel authoritarian to rise to power relatively unchecked. And his experiment has been duplicated since then at other times and in other social settings, and the results have been dismally the same.
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William Lindsey :toad:replied to Eric Lawton last edited by
@EricLawton Ominous parallels, it seems to me. I cannot forget photos I've seen of the Nazis marching into Austria, with people waving wildly, women throwing flowers at their feet, churchmen standing by the roadside giving Nazi salutes.
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William Lindsey :toad:replied to David Mitchell :CApride: last edited by
@DavidM_yeg Yes, there were Germans who saw Hitler for who he was β no one denies this. As you say, they were often silent, lacking courage, and in that way, helped pave the way for the Nazi era.
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David Mitchell :CApride:replied to William Lindsey :toad: last edited by
Yes, letβs learn from that: the world really needs a lot of loud and courageous people right now.
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KChernecky For Harris 2024replied to William Lindsey :toad: last edited by
@wdlindsy same here
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Arqtecreplied to William Lindsey :toad: last edited by
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Stoneface Vimesreplied to William Lindsey :toad: last edited by
@wdlindsy always well to remember though, that a fair number, at least for a time, were ready to support the British union of fascists and thought "I don't agree with everything that Hitler says but he has some sound ideas". And certainly there was support for Mosley at some quite high levels. Fortunately most cottoned on to it but it may well have gone the other way. Not everyone was an angel - there were some devils too. And I can still remember certain people, not too many admittedly, expressing views not that far removed from Hitler's. There's always been 'something nasty in the woodshed' as aunt Ada Doom would have said.
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William Lindsey :toad:replied to Stoneface Vimes last edited by
@capnthommo Definitely important to remember.
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William Lindsey :toad:replied to Arqtec last edited by
@Arqtec @mloxton Yes β unfortunately, in the U.S., so much hinges on low-information voters who have not been willing to seek much information about these important issues, and who have swallowed misinformation. Coupled with that dynamic is the power of the Electoral College and the Senate, both deeply unrepresentative and anti-democratic entitites, to amplify the voices of those voters.
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William Lindsey :toad:replied to KChernecky For Harris 2024 last edited by
@PeasLuvnJustice Thank you. Definitely heart-breaking.
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William Lindsey :toad:replied to David Mitchell :CApride: last edited by
@DavidM_yeg I agree. And I have to ask myself in honesty if I'd have been as courageous as I like to think I would have been, as Hitler rose to power.
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William Lindsey :toad:replied to W6KME last edited by
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William Lindsey :toad:replied to crazyeddie last edited by
@crazyeddie Perhaps because I grew up in the shadow of WWII, with my father and uncles not long having returned from that war when I was born, I heard a lot of talk about Hitler and the harm he had done to the world. My father could be fierce if he thought anyone was sympathizing in any way with the Nazis. For no reason at all, I once drew swastikas on a page in a school notebook β I was bored and drew them meaning nothing at all β and when he saw them, he went into a rage.
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William Lindsey :toad:replied to Piousunyn last edited by
@Piousunyn I suspect suspicion of those who are different may be wired into a lot of us, unfortunately. Education challenges us to be aware of and think about that suspicion, but a lot of us do not choose education for ourselves.