A Good Book on a Sad Time

The Nazi Seizure of Power.

I generally don’t link to books, and I think predicting the future by using the past is stupid. And I most assuredly do not believe that opponents of the ACA are Nazis. That is stupid as well as incoherent. You can oppose the ACA and be a respectable American.

The reason I like this book, though, is that it illustrates how a sincere, moderate government can be toppled through the inaction of the moderates and the folks who just want to get along, because there are some who want to overthrow the government and take power.

The Weimar Republic was fairly stable and working on developing a just society with equal access. But due to the way the political parties worked, there was political paralysis, and necessary things were delayed or never implemented during the 20s.

This gave rise to a very small contingent of unhappy right-wingers who loudly trumpeted their solutions to the problem, and also who were very tightly organized and impressive even in their early stages.

More and more the right-wingers showed themselves as (somewhat) respectable and disciplined even while they worked behind the scenes to cause chaos. And they never shied away from telling people what they really wanted to do–get rid of the Jews and start wars.

But people didn’t really believe it. Didn’t really believe it would be that bad. And so more and more, respectable people, Christian people, good, honest, hard-working God-fearing people supported the Nazis even though the Nazis were always quite blunt in their ultimate goals: the elimination of all opposition. And by elimination, not just marginalizing. Elimination.

And so they took over, peacefully, and then killed the Weimar Republica and instituted the rule of one man and one party. All very elegantly.

Again, I am in no way asserting Republicans are Nazis. And I don’t think their policies are to kill their opponents.

I am saying this: a determined minority can and will use every tool it can to achieve power. Once it achieves power, it will institute its policies, the policies it has proclaimed all along.

An America where the Republican ideology rules is an America of rich white “Christians.” It has no room for minorities, for women, for gays, for the elderly, or the poor. It will be a nation perpetually at war in the world, perpetually attacking, perpetually making sure that its will is done throughout the earth. It will be a nation that rewards and excuses the rich and that ignores the humanity of the people less fortunate. It will be a world where any expression of faith or of lifestyles that don’t fit the image of a white Christian family will be forbidden and repressed.

I’m not trying to paint some awful picture. I’m saying these are their stated goal. This is what they want.

Not Nazis, really. Not at all. Not all evil, not at all. But if they get power, they will do this.

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