Last night I watched in stunned horror as Donald Trump spoke at a rally in South Carolina aboard the USS Yorktown, and one image came to mind: the Nuremberg rallies held by the Nazis in the 1930s.
Yes, I’m well aware of Godwin’s Law of Nazi Analogies which states:
“As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches.”
However, in this case, I think the analogy applies. It applies in ways we have not seen in decades, perhaps ever. Consider these quotes and tell me who said them:
- “You will never learn what I am thinking.”
- “Sometimes by losing a battle you find a new way to win the war.”
- “It is not truth that matters, but victory.”
- “All great movements are popular movements.”
- “If you win, you need not have to explain. If you lose, you should be there to explain!”
How did you do? I have to admit that I got three out of five. All of these belong to Hitler except the second one, which is from Trump. But if you stop and look at them, is it difficult to imagine Trump saying all of them? It isn’t for me.
Just yesterday, Trump declared via press release:
“Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on.”
Here’s what Hitler said regarding the Jews in Germany and Europe:
“This question is to be viewed without sentimentality. We’re not to have sympathy with the Jews, but only sympathy with our German people.”
One more comparison which should not only help prove my thesis but also provide you with more evidence of just how interchangeable the ideas of these two men are. Here we have Trump on Mexican immigrants:
“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending the best. They’re not sending you, they’re sending people that have lots of problems and they’re bringing those problems. They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime. They’re rapists and some, I assume, are good people, but I speak to border guards and they’re telling us what we’re getting.”
Hitler on immigrants:
“Any further immigration of non-Germans must be prevented. We demand that all non-Germans who have entered Germany since August 2, 1914, shall be compelled to leave the Reich immediately.”
Personally, I don’t like playing the Nazi card, and have, in the past, said that if you do play it, you’ve automatically lost the debate. But when you look at the evidence I have just presented, can we at least agree that we need to ask Donald Trump a lot more questions? Can we come to a point where we all stand up and demand better from any person seeking public office?
Donald J. Trump is a threat to this country as we know it. If we do not stop Trump with our words and our absolute rejection of his ideas and his pronouncements, we may one day find ourselves in the position of the German preacher Martin Niemoller, who wrote:
“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
“Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
“Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
“Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
We must speak out, and we must do so loudly and repeatedly. The future of the United States depends on it.
This article was originally published by the same author at LiberalAmerica.org.
In this article you said, “I don’t like playing the Nazi card” but it looks like you played it four days ago in your Ted Nugent article. Seems pretty standard for you, whether it makes sense or not. Both men make a lot of good points many Americans can relate to; however neither are politically correct, which I suspect is your problem with them and the reason they get labelled Nazis.
Stunned horror?? Really?
Yes, stunned horror. Just because you don’t like my words doesn’t mean they aren’t how I felt. If you love Nugent and Trump so much, I question your sanity.
Sorry your feelings got hurt. I said they made some good points, you said I loved them and then ridiculed me by questioning my sanity. Right out of the playbook.
I disagree with Shane, Hitler called for removing non-Germans by any means necessary, Trump is not calling for the removal of anyone, he is calling for a shutdown of Muslims from entering the country until we can figure out what is going on. Many people think that makes sense, especially after the rise of ISIS and the increasing number of Muslim terrorist attacks in America and around the world. Does it make sense after the recent attacks to have open borders and to allow such a large number of Muslim refugees and immigrants in that can’t be properly vetted? People like Trump because he offers solutions and action. They’re tired of an administration that lectures them and defends Islam after terrorist attacks and and uses them as opportunities to preach about stricter gun laws that criminals won’t follow anyway. I don’t care for Trump’s personality but Shane is correct when he says people like him because he calls it like he sees it.
My feelings didn’t get hurt, I was just in amazement that you would presume to know how I think or feel (which you did once again by implying my feelings were hurt.) As for it being “right out of the playbook,” that is what conservatives always like to say when they have no real point or rational way of properly debating. I appreciate your comments and your reading mine, but your presumptive manner is more than a little off-putting, not to mention that it makes you sound as if you have some insight into others (in this case me) when you have none at all.
I suppose a lot of leaders in the mainstream tend to draw in comparisons to Hitler…I remember not too long ago when a lof of conservatives were saying “Obama is the next Hitler”. While I like Obama ok as a human being, he certainly isn’t my leader of choice for the US.
That all being said, I do agree with your sentiments that Trump could actually be history repeating itself. I actually find it terrifying that this man is leading the polls, and the crazy part is that he understands marketing, social media, and the average american far better than any of the other candidates do.
For one, Trump understands that there is no such thing as bad publicity (especially in his case). Say a candidate goes the typical way of the politician and tries to create a false and squeaky clean record, then inevitably when a smeer campaign or criticism hits they try to deflect everything and maintain their image. Trump just does something else crazy and immediately diverts attention away from whatever else he is doing.
Next, Trump shares many of the same values as Hitler did. Hitler came up in a war-torn and divided country of Germany. He preached re-uniting the country and taking it back to the “glory” days, and one of his ways of doing that was as you mentioned: getting rid of non-Germans.
Trump also shares many mannerisms of Hitler; the shouting like an angry child, the “like-able” threes stooges like presence, and even the “bad hair” that could be likened to Hitler’s bad moustache.
People in America are tired of politics. People in America are tired of the same political BS and rhetoric that every other candidate is spouting. People are ready for a new way of political life, and unfortunately Trump has set himself apart from every other candidate by being true to himself. As bad as Trump is, I think many people would rather have an honest candidate that calls it as he sees it, than another monkey in a suit working for large corporations and private interests.
I am a libertarian personally, and my only hope is that Sanders can beat Trump in the main race. While I don’t agree with many of Sander’s thoughts, it would certainly be a sad day for America if we ever see Trump sworn into office.
Cheers, thanks for the article!