My rating: 4 of 5 stars
310 pages
What struck and scared me as I read this book was how similar the political situations in Germany in the early 1930s were to the United States currently. Each country was and is going through a burgerkrieg (civil war) where there exists intense, political differences that often resulted in violence. Hindenburg stayed in office as he feared Hitler gaining political power. Hindenburg was accused of dementia and suffering from the ravages of old age. Today, Joe Biden fears a Trump presidency and the end of democracy in the United States. Biden too, is accused of suffering from dementia and being too old to serve another four year term.
In both the cases of Hitler and Trump, there were events that could have and should have ended their political pursuits. Hitler persevered through many defeats, political, personal and strategic.
I was not familiar with the appropriate knowledge of German history from 1918 till 1933 when Hitler seized power. Ryback provides the necessary background, history, and important men during this period. This book may provide a greater service in understanding what is happening in the United States today by looking back at what happened in Germany in the 1930s.
Shown below are my notes from this book..
“It has been said that the Weimar Republic died twice. It was murdered, and it committed suicide. There is little mystery to the murder. Hitler vowed to destroy democracy through the democratic process and he did.”
Trump and Hitler similarities
Neither were drinkers
Both felons
Both thin skinned
Both very poor liars (If you tell a lie long enough and keep repeating it…Goebbels)
Both suffered election defeats that they refused to accept
Both overestimated crowd sizes at various rallies and events
Both were counted out after electoral and political defeats and came back
Both sought to annul election results and lost
Both seeking to establish dictatorships embraced by the populace
Both opposed by older men (Hindenburg and Biden) who feared their rise to power
Both promising “revenge” on their political opponents when they gain power
Both used immigration issues (Hitler-Polish, Trump-Mexicans and South Americans) to stir up enthusiasm from their political base
Oswald Spengler knew both men. (referring to Hitler and Strasser). The author of the two volume landmark treatise Decline of the West was considered one of the leading conservative thinkers of today. Spengler found Hitler to be “clueless, indecisive, in a word, dumb. “
Adolf Hitler gave thousands of young Germans a chance from escape from reality Time wrote in December 1931. Hitlerites had uniforms, brass bands, roaring mass meetings, plenty of free beer. (Trump MAGA rallies 2020-2024)
The next day, Vorwarts (German newspaper) splashed the news in a banner headline, “Hitler wants to rule!” The editors were frantic at the thought. “The appointment of Hitler is out of the question because he lacks even the most basic qualifications”, they wrote. “You cannot trust a government to the leader of a party in recent days has been responsible for perpetuating countless horrific acts of violence without discrediting the authority of the state before the eyes of the entire world, not to mention the majority of its own people. “There was also the fact that Hitler served prison time for treason against the very state he was now seeking to rule.”
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Tag: politics
Quick Thoughts on Trump Conviction
Half of me thought that the Trump trial would result in a hung jury. The other half of me thought that Trump might be filed guilty of 10 or less of the 34 charges he faced.
I’m very surprised that Trump was found guilty of all the charges against him. How good were Trump’s lawyers? They couldn’t get him clear of at least one charge! Based on some of the things that I read about the trial, Trump’s lawyers may have been lacking in, presenting the best case for him.
What angers me the most are the people who are still supporting Trump. Don’t you people have any shame? There is an argument that this verdict will only help Trump get reelected. It’s possible, but given the actions of Trump’s jury today, I feel a little bit more hopeful that Trump will not be successful.
Politics in this country is such a huge mess. I blame the political parties, the press (or at least most of them), and just too many disinterested and ignorant voters.
News Ticker Shock
Nikki Haley supporting Trump…”I will be voting for Trump.”
Justice Alito caught flying another flag outside his home supporting insurrection
60% of Americans think that we are in a recession (poll)
“United Reich” wording posted to a video on Trump’s Truth Social media account
RFK Jr. VP pick Nicole Shanahan profiled as drug user and adulterer in NY Times article
Putin ‘launches space weapon’ while his forces carry out nuke drill near Ukraine
Daily marijuana use outpaces daily drinking in the U.S., a new study says
RIP Democracy?? 11/5/2024
- Democracy may be dead. 50/50 that this November’s elections results will not be accepted by the losing party.
- Donald Trump, MAGA, Fox News and the Republican Party are holding the bloody knives in democracy’s demise or in Kristi Noem’s case, the smoking gun. There is also huge crowds cheering this on.
- My sense is that our current political culture and craziness could not have taken place 50 or 60 years ago. Back then, anyone who had a whiff of scandal would not be electable and would not have a political future.
- To have a viable and working democracy, there needs to be a majority of smart people, large enough to suppress dumb people. That does not exist today. Not even a majority of reasonable, intelligent voters can offset the rising number of dumb ones.
- The end of democracy actually started after the election of Barack Obama when the Republican party decided to strictly become a party of obstruction. They were determined and largely successful in stonewalling Obama’s agenda for eighth years. Remember when the Republican party blocked the nomination of Merrick Garland as a Supreme Court Justice in 2016?
- The Democratic Party shows absolutely no spine. There are times you have to fight as dirty as your opponent and the Dems have failed to do that.
- Most of my intellectual life, I have been a student of Nazi Germany. I have been fascinated by the rise of Hitler and how the German people largely supported him. Maybe soon I will get to experience a similar government and dictatorship here in the U.S. that existed back in 1934 Germany.
- There is too much influence of religion in politics. Religious people tend to believe almost anything, especially those claims not grounded in fact, truth, or science. Easily manipulable, religious people are the least tolerant and the least likely to be persuaded by evidence or reason.
How to Fail a Job Interview(s)
Just when I though Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene had locked up the crazy vote, then comes along…
Tim Scott, the Republican senator from South Carolina, was asked five times on a national news broadcast, if he would accept the election results this November. Five times, Scott, obfuscated, spun, and flat out refused to give a yes or no answer. I think there is a huge character flaw in anyone who wants to be Donald Trump’s vice presidential candidate. However, give it to Scott, he gave a great audition to Trump on how little personal integrity he had and would do and say just about anything to be on the Trump ticket. However I question whether hard-core MAGA supporters would vote for a black man, no matter how many times he prostrates himself in front of his leader.
Another reputed candidate to be Trump’s running mate is South Dakota’s Governor Kristi Noem. Kristi is already in hot water for her admission in a book she wrote that she killed a puppy because she felt it was untrainable. She has stumbled publicly in trying to justify her abhorrent behavior. This weekend, she was also asked on a national news program, whether she ever met with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un as she claimed in the same book. Again, Miss Noem, spun, swerved, and refused to answer the question after being asked it a number of times. Miss Noem makes Sarah Palin look like Condoleezza Rice in comparison. There are already Saturday Night Live and comedic skits about Miss Noem, and there would certainly be a lot more if she was the vice presidential nominee.
No News is Good News
Every local newscast starts off with stories of violence, shootings, stabbings, murder…I wait till the second half of the telecast to catch Sports and Weather.
No matter how wrong or warped your vision of the world is, there is some venue or fool that will feed you misinformation and further your delusions.
We are verbally and visually assaulted by lies, exaggerations, and rampant stupidity that we have become inured to them. You can’t shock me anymore by a news host or politician saying something incredibly stupid.
A President of the United States has the right to assassinate his or her rivals?? This craziness was actually discussed as a serious matter in the Supreme Court!
2020 may have been the last Presidential election that was legitimate. And despite its proven legitimacy, maybe a 1/3 or more of this country’s voters still feel that it was rigged., based on nothing but an old man’s rants as he faces prison.
On CNN: Kaitlan Collins interviewing Bill Barr about his support for Donald Trump.
KAITLAN COLLINS: “So just to be clear, you’re voting for someone who you believe tried to subvert the peaceful transfer of power that can’t even achieve his own policies, that lied about the election, even after his attorney general told him that the election wasn’t stolen. And as the former chief law enforcement in this country, you’re going to vote for someone who is facing 88 criminal counts.”
No Debate about No Debates
Reports suggest that the five major broadcast and cable news networks are advocating for televised debates between President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump ahead of Election Day. However, it’s time to reconsider the value of such debates, particularly involving Trump.
Let’s be frank: a debate featuring Donald Trump tends to resemble a WWE event promo more than a substantive political discussion. His approach lacks preparation and substance, often devolving into insults and misinformation. The 2016 debates between Trump and Hillary Clinton showcased this stark contrast in demeanor and knowledge. While Clinton demonstrated a grasp of issues, Trump stumbled through with little coherence.
The 2020 debate between Trump and Biden was a debacle, failing to offer meaningful insights into policy or voter concerns. In fact, it only served to highlight the degradation of presidential debates into spectacles of theatrics rather than platforms for informed discourse.
One might argue that the last truly substantive presidential debate occurred between JFK and Richard Nixon in 1960. Since then, debates have become increasingly staged, manipulated, and divorced from genuine discussion.
In today’s political landscape, debates are marred by handlers, opportunities for misinformation, and outright falsehoods. It’s understandable why networks may view them as entertainment, but for voters seeking genuine insights, they offer little substance.
(Idea and initial content drafted by Eric Burleigh, edits suggested by AI)
Sitzkrieg and other Political Observations
On September 1, 1939, following the German invasion of Poland, both England and France declared war on the Hitler government. From September 1939 to May 1940, there were few major battles, and the period became known as the Sitzkrieg or “sitting war.” Similarly, in the United States, we find ourselves in a metaphorical “sitzkrieg” amidst our political, religious, and cultural conflicts. While January 6, 2021, might be considered a minor skirmish, it could be a precursor to more significant events. Former President Trump has hinted at potential chaos if not re-elected, suggesting a looming “bloodbath.” Comments like that are like lighting a match in a gas filled room.
I would prefer to read about the current political and cultural discord in the U.S. from a future vantage point, rather than experiencing it firsthand. It’s plausible that future generations will perceive this era as a “Dark Age” in American history.
The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, struck by a cargo ship yesterday morning, serves as a poignant metaphor. Just as the bridge crumbled into the river, so too may our democracy face deterioration in the wake of collisions spurred by divisive ideologies.
Who Will Pick Up the Pieces?
The United States has morphed into fragile pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Events are moving towards the pieces separating and falling scattered to the floor. Sadly, there will be no one with the ability or consensus to pick up the pieces and put the puzzle back together again.
Trump’s Allies Ramp Up Campaign Targeting Voter Rolls
Nikki Haley Ducks and Weaves on Trump Endorsement, I.V.F. and Jan. 6
Trump Drops an All-Time Whopper at Rally, Claims 82% of the Country ‘Understands That it Was a Rigged Election’
Voters Doubt Biden’s Leadership and Favor Trump, Times/Siena Poll Finds
CVS and Walgreens to start dispensing abortion pill in states where it’s legal
Tennessee National Guard deploying to southern border as Biden admin ‘fails to act,’ GOP gov says
Republican senator blocks bill to protect IVF access after Alabama ruling
Unholy Alliances 2024
Trump-focused Texas border rally blends politics and religion
Alabama justice who quoted Bible in IVF case often invokes religion
Esot-eric 