Comparing Nazi's to Republicans? If you take away the death camps and Kristallnacht, it's not that much of a stretch. National Socialism was, of course, also known as corporatism.
This is a scary story, but it is instructive. If you have ever wondered to what lengths the conservatives will go to get power and to hold on to it, the Rise and Fall of the Nazi party and just as importantly the final days of Hitler are very instructive.
The First World War bankrupted Germany. They had lost and were forced to pay reparations with money they didn't have. They were having their own little depression, with people scrounging for food and inflation skyrocketing. Hitler wisely capitalized on this by feeding on the German desire for greatness and creating an us vs. them mentality, which was easy enough in that atmosphere.
It's important to understand that the enemy was no better defined in post WWI Germany than it is in the U.S. today and didn't need to be because the most important message was this:
Somebody Else is Responsible for Your Problems.
This plays directly to the mindset of reactionary people. If there is one thing that Republicans have in common with their supporters, it's that none of them want to own up to any responsibility. I haven't listened to the speeches, but I'm pretty sure you're not going to hear McCain say something like: "We've made a terrible mess and it's our responsibility to clean it up." That sort of thing doesn't go over well with Republicans.
Contrast this to the fact that Democrats will RALLY to a statement like that. That's how different the thinking is. If you have ever argued with a Republican, you know that as soon as the topic of responsibility comes up, they will cut you off and start blathering away about what's REALLY wrong . . . and it won't be them.
In 1938, after the Nazi's got into power, they struck in a move known as Krystallnacht. Explained in this article:
"Krystallnacht" was so called because of a deliberate but veiled edict which went out from the Reich to thoroughly destroy, ransack and loot all Jewish Business. Violent men, some in uniform and some not went through town and cities, smashing glass front windows, looting and confiscating Jewish businesses destroying synagogues and even bursting into houses and killing innocent people in their beds.
The night was characterized because of the thousands upon thousands of tiny shards of broken glass which covered the ground the next morning.
In the U.S., this would be impossible. The Republicans face much stronger opposition than the National Socialists ever did and American culture wouldn't support that sort of activity. I do get the feeling though, that such a move is not far from their thoughts providing they could just find a despised minority to beat up on.
Like the National Socialists though, it is about power and control. This agenda plays perfectly their base. It's been said about elections that Democrats want to fall in love and Republicans want to fall in line and I think that's accurate. We are dealing with people who want direction for their hate and fear as long as it's someone else.
I'm sure that the Germans had plenty of evidence that the Nazi's were up to no good, but a lot of Germans were conservative and they don't want evidence that doesn't support a decision they've already made. They just want to be led and if a leader says all the right things, well then, that's good enough. Psychology kicks in and once they've made their decision it becomes a personal thing and they start rationalizing it and will defend their position beyond all rationality.
When I say beyond all rationality, I'm not kidding. If you're wondering how ordinary people can support Republicans after everything that has happened, consider this 1945 nightmare.
Berlin, 21 April 1945: The Führerbunker: The situation was quite hopeless. Americans were basically unopposed and driving East, and the Russians were tightening their noose around Berlin.
On 21 April Hitler gave orders which showed that his grasp of military reality had gone. He ordered German army formations to counter attack to pinch off the two massive Soviet pincers that were encircling Berlin. The northern attack was to be commanded by SS-General Felix Steiner's Army Detachment. Steiner tried to explain to his superiors that the only offensive capability he had was two battalions of the 4th SS Police Division and they had no combat weapons. No one passed on this information to Hitler. The southern counter attack was also just as unrealistic, because far from attacking, the German Ninth Army was being pushed back into the Halbe pocket.[2][3]
On April 22, at his afternoon situation conference Hitler fell into a tearful rage when he realised that his plans of the day before were not going to be realised. He declared that the war was lost, he blamed the generals and announced that he would stay on in Berlin until the end and then kill himself.
During this time, what were the party faithful doing? Scrounging ammunition and supplies for the defense of Berlin? Nope. Grabbing every available weapon to fight off the Russians? Nope. Helping civilians get out of Berlin or helping the wounded behind the lines? Nope. Not that either.
They were preventing starving German citizens from cutting up dead horses for food. Why? Because it looked like Germans were starving. When they weren't doing that they were shooting civilian Germans who were trying to flee the city because it made it look like Germany was losing. It is these sort of people we're up against.
Even in the midst of total defeat, they clung to their hopeless vision and continued the insanity.
In the end, as the last of the German defenses were collapsing and the Russians were overrunning the city, Hitler finally took full responsibility for everything he had done. HAHAHAHAHA!!!! Of course he didn't. In the great tradition of conservatives all over the world since the beginning of time, Hitler blamed the German people for letting him down.
The point is that we will never go far enough downhill for American conservatives to change. There will be no realization, no hitting bottom. They will simply drag everyone down with them until they are utterly and completely stopped by their own evil and incompetence. By then, everyone else will be suffering with them. Even then the conservatives will still be blaming someone else.
We are only going to have a better Country when we take power from them. We can't hope for things to start getting better because unless we make the change, they won't.