Can't escape the truth any longer
If Bush is like Hitler, are Americans now like the Germans then?
For several years now, comparisons of George W. Bush to Adolf Hitler have inundated the Internet. For the most part, I rejected these comparisons – not out of any love for Dubya, but out of a need to preserve my own psychological well-being. Simply put, I did not want to believe that I was a citizen of a country with a "leader" that could even remotely be compared to Hitler.
After all, even more than Stalin or Lenin, Hitler is remembered as the 20th century’s epitome of pathological evil. But somewhere in the back of my mind was a little voice – a voice that refused to ignore the ignoble truth. Then, with Bush's signing of the "Torture Bill" this week, the little voice got a lot louder. I had to accept that ignoble truth -- and it is not so much that Bush is like Hitler, but rather that I am like the average German citizen who did nothing; who allowed perhaps the 20th century’s greatest assault on human rights; and who watched blithely while millions were murdered. That is the ugly truth I wanted to protect myself from – my own inaction in the face of an assault on civilization.
Perhaps you are already familiar with the comparisons that have been made of Bush to Hitler:
- Hitler used fear of communism to incite the Germans to accept his extraordinary policies; policies that were strictly forbidden in the German constitution.
Bush uses fear of "Islamofascists" to incite the Americans to accept his extraordinary policies; policies that are strictly forbidden in the American constitution. - After a national tragedy (the Reichstag fire-1933), Hitler blamed it on Communists and instituted extraordinary measures against Germans’ civil liberties including restrictions on the right of free expression; rights of assembly and association; violations of the privacy of postal, telegraphic and telephonic communications; and warrantless searches of people and homes.
- After a national tragedy (attacks of 9/11 – 2001), Bush embarked on a war against all "Islamofascists" and instituted extraordinary measures against Americans' civil liberties including suspension of habeas corpus; violations of the privacy of postal, telegraphic, telephonic and electronic communications; and warrantless eavesdropping/searches.
- Hitler had a bill entitled the "Enabling Act" passed. It temporarily transferred power from the Reichstag [Germany’s Congress] to the Reich cabinet. The laws enacted deviated from the constitution. In voting for it, the Reichstag would essentially be dissolving itself and making Hitler dictator.
Bush had a bill entitled the "Patriot Act" passed. It temporarily gives extra-legal powers to federal law enforcement. The laws enacted deviate from the constitution. In voting for it, Congress essentially eliminated itself as the oversight branch and afforded the executive branch dictator-like powers. - Hitler gained and retained power through propaganda, lies and rhetoric.
Bush gained and retains power through propaganda, lies and rhetoric. - Hitler justified pre-emptive war by convincing Germans that they should liberate countries from evil regimes.
Bush justifies a pre-emptive war by convincing Americans that they should liberate countries from evil regimes. - Under Hitler, secret internment camps were established.
Under Bush, secret internment camps were established. - Hilter convinced Germans that their survival depended on removing the worst elements of society - the gypsies, the homosexuals, the petty criminals, and later, the Jews. Hilter elicited his countrymen's support for prosecuting the 'evil' people poisoning society.
Bush convinced Americans that their survival depended on removing the Axis of Evil. His party also plays to the notion that there are 'evil' people poisoning society like homosexuals, pacifists, flag-burners and pro-choice advocates. - Hitler professed to be Germany's savior, chosen by divine providence.
Bush professes to be America's savior, to have a divine calling to rid the world of evil.
This list could go on, but again, it’s not the incontrovertible parallels that exist between Bush and Hitler that cause my psychological dilemma, but those that exist between the Germans under Hitler and the Americans under Bush. That will be the most damning thing in the historical record, not that Bush raked over the Constitution, but that the apathy and inaction of the people allowed it.
Law professor Jonathan Turley said it best when asked to comment on Bush's signing of the "Torture Bill" on Countdown with Keith Olberman
Well, this is going to go down in history as one of our greatest self-inflicted wounds. And I think you can feel the judgment of history. It won’t be kind to President Bush. But frankly, I don’t think that it will be kind to the rest of us. I think that history will ask, Where were you? What did you do when this thing was signed into law? There were people that protested the Japanese concentration camps, there were people that protested these other acts. But we are strangely silent in this national yawn as our rights evaporate.
Tags: Bush=Hitler comparisons: here, here, and here.
How "they" let it happen: here, here, and here.
More Mussolini
Hitler actually served in combat, was a vegetarian, was vehemntly opposed to smoking tobacco because it caused cancer, and as a personally defining characteristic, Hitler was articulate.
Actually, I prefer the analogy to Mussolini. It is not as loaded a term. It is probably more accurate, in that Nazism, a derivative of pure fascism, had some different characteristics than the original fathered by Mussolini. For example, Mussolini never really shared Hitler's rabid hatred of the Jews, and there was considerable discord between the two as to the actions to be taken.
Bush's brand is closer to Mussolini. Muslims and homosexuals are convenient scapegoats, but he has no personal animosity towards them. Bush's fascism is one that is more purely economic and legal than Hitler's. The fusion of business and State into what Mussolini called the Estado Corporativo, or the corporate state. And, I feel that the adventures in Iraq started out like Mussolini's Ethiopian conquest, rather than Hitler's plans for Europe.
But, Hitler probably gets the nod for the analogy, because most people don't really know who Mussolini was.