One of my most nagging puzzles is why voters do not see the connection between the emergence of fascism in the 1930s and the similarity of Donald Trump and his followers. There are books devoted to making the connection, but frankly, few read books these days. Rachel Maddow in her book Prequel has done a yeoman's job of educating so many about the history of how fascists were so influential in the US in the late 1930s and even into 1944 after Germany declared war on the US and the war effort was in full swing. We know how that ended. Been there, done that. The question becomes, could it have happened to the US, too? Can it happen in 2024? It came close in the late 1930's. What Donald Trump has been proposing to do lately if elected is "full-on Hitler," as Joe Scarborough tagged it recently. Yawn. More politics. Who cares? More over-the-top gibberish from the never-Trumpers, libtards.
Those of us who studied the years leading up to World War II as part of our academic studies in college were aware of what went down in 1930's -1944. I was in shock learning how JFK's father, the ambassador to the UK in those years, admired Hitler. There is nothing like having lived through post-war World War II as my generation did to wonder how we, the US, could have been so foolish and blind to fall for Father Coughlin as many other fascist lovers did. Influential Senators had such political power that it kept FDR from staying out of the armed conflict and just armed England with weapons as it was being reduced to rubble in the Blitz. Unfortunately, there are not many of us left with that hands-on or immediate post-war experience. My reaction was to spend my junior year in Berlin, 1958-1959, to see if I could get a feel for how such a well-educated and civilized society like Germany could have bought into Hitler. I never exactly got an answer because, looking back at it, the reason the surviving Germans were so similar to the people in the US. Despite that, I never dreamed it could happen here because the fascists were considered so evil. Now, via Trump, it is revisiting us. The folly of the American Firsters, the German-loving isolationists of the 1930s, and the same ones today is that the US is not an island. We are even more interconnected by the internet and trade pandemics, so our economy and national security are more intertwined with the world than in 1941. Europe fears a Trump second term for fear he would not support them and Ukraine. Economist calls Trump "biggest danger" for 2024 (axios.com) One problem is that in today's media and life experience, we do not make that connection between history and current events that are happening at such speed and in such detail and conflicting opinions that we do not have time or brain bandwidth to absorb and reflect on what history teaches us about what we should not ever try again.
A perfect example of how current events not part of history books or connected to history are playing out in the Hamas-Israel war. Whether the plight of the Palestinians will be an issue a year from now is unknown. The obvious unconcern for their safety by the IDF has hit a sympathetic vibe among younger voters and the public at large. Biden's polls, already poor, took a very big dip in the past month with the messaging on the Hamas-Israel war. How short of our memories. However, much depends upon the progress made in the two-state solution and Biden's support for years and if he can engineer that, as well as to credit for his wisdom and skills. In short, much can happen between now and November 2024. Also, the participation by neo-Nazis in pro-Palestinian demonstrations should be a red flag to university students that are supposedly educated about history. They are being played by some ugly forces. . Neo-Nazis and the Far-Right Are Trying to Hijack Pro-Palestine Protests (vice.com) Trump has also called to ban Gaza refugees from immigrating to the US and well as his history of stoking Islamaphobia. That is the contrast that Biden can make. Opinion | A short history of President Trump’s anti-Muslim bigotry - The Washington Post
MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: Is Trump a fascist? If the shoe fits, wear it.
Donald Trump Accused of Going 'Full-On Hitler' by Joe Scarborough (newsweek.com)
Trump called his political opponents 'vermin' echoing language used by Hitler : NPR
Trump's anti-immigrant comments draw rebuke | CNN Politics
Trump Threatens Wide Use of Military Force Against Protesters (voanews.com)
https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/17/opinions/support-ukraine-trump-politics-zakaria/index.html
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