November 20, 2002
We Still Think We Are Free
The Web site ThirdReich.net posts various discussions about Nazi Germany and it is currently posting a section from Milton Mayer's classic study of tyranny, They Thought They Were Free. It shows how ordinary people went along with and eventually were caught up in the Nazi phenomenon. One particularly chilling moment in the progression was a point at which the momentum had gathered to the extent that it was no longer possible for anyone to stop it.It's a good thing to think about and note the parallels.
Along the same lines of thinking, Ted Rall wrote a piece he calls "A Fascist Fairy Tale," titled "Never Again". It tells the story about a leader, "who used to be somewhat of a laughing stock," but became extremely powerful. He tells the story in general terms and in such a way that it is impossible to differentiate between Germany during the rise of Hitler and the U.S. under today's historical progression.