US more like apartheid South Africa than 1940s Germany?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

There really is some crazy shit on the internet.

The problem is that there is some crazy shit in the White House.

Part of the problem, yes.

[Minimalist]

Today he abandoned crazy for treason.

[Anomalocaris]

Today he abandoned crazy for treason.

The problem was never “he”, it was always “they”, they being the Republican Party and those who imagine themselves to be the opposition to the republicans but who willingly reduces laudable ideals into suicide pacts with their brain dead electoral choices.

[Clueless Morgan]

What a totally rediculous, stupid, inaccurate and historically offensive accusation.

Obviously whoever said this has no idea what apartheid was like. Not to mention pre-apartheid south Africa. Not to mention what Nazi Germany was like.

This is where anti Trump people totally lose me in the conversation. I'm opposed to Trump based on reality. No need to make over the top historical comparisons.

The comparison I was making, as was the twitter thread, wasn't the end result of apartheid, it was the slow boil in the lead up to apartheid: the frustration of a white working class, the apathy of the public at large, the election of an extremist political party. Just like with 1940s Germany comparisons, the comparison that is apt isn't the full blown effects of the holocaust but the way that the Nazi party infiltrated German politics, took control of the country and how they demonized the Jews.

To me, to not look at historical comparisons is to not learn from history. If a path taken in the past is being repaved now it's our responsibility to recognize the similarities of the situations and take action to prevent history from repeating itself. I would rather sound false alarms when disturbing parallels appear then sit back and wait until people have their rights taken away, are being unconstitutionally jailed or deported, or killed.

[Rev. Rye]

What a totally rediculous, stupid, inaccurate and historically offensive accusation.

Obviously whoever said this has no idea what apartheid was like. Not to mention pre-apartheid south Africa. Not to mention what Nazi Germany was like.

This is where anti Trump people totally lose me in the conversation. I'm opposed to Trump based on reality. No need to make over the top historical comparisons.

The comparison I was making, as was the twitter thread, wasn't the end result of apartheid, it was the slow boil in the lead up to apartheid: the frustration of a white working class, the apathy of the public at large, the election of an extremist political party. Just like with 1940s Germany comparisons, the comparison that is apt isn't the full blown effects of the holocaust but the way that the Nazi party infiltrated German politics, took control of the country and how they demonized the Jews.

To me, to not look at historical comparisons is to not learn from history. If a path taken in the past is being repaved now it's our responsibility to recognize the similarities of the situations and take action to prevent history from repeating itself. I would rather sound false alarms when disturbing parallels appear then sit back and wait until people have their rights taken away, are being unconstitutionally jailed or deported, or killed.

That's the thing about history: there are lots of differences in the way historical events play out, but a lot of similarities, especially in the early days of any given event. Sometimes, Trump's presidency can go any number of ways, and we can see any potential outcome from the past and transpose it on the future. Then again, we as a species always keep finding new ways to fuck ourselves over.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

History tells us how things DID go, not how things WILL go.

[Anomalocaris]

History tells us how things DID go, not how things WILL go.

It also tells how things CAN go. A country that puts an outright traitor into its highest office and lack the resolution to put aside internal politics so as make such an example of him as for it to remain the signal example for all ages is unlikely to remain cohesive and united for long.

[Minimalist]

Today he abandoned crazy for treason.

The problem was never “he”, it was always “they”, they being the Republican Party and those who imagine themselves to be the opposition to the republicans but who willingly reduces laudable ideals into suicide pacts with their brain dead electoral choices.

I don't know about that.  They are chickenshit little bastards who are terrified of the nuts in the WLB's "base."  There are some, Gohmert, Nunes, Jordan, Meadows, Scalise, etc. who are psychotic shits and always have been but there are plenty of others who are so scared that they don't know what the fuck to do.

Part of the problem is that it has been divided into the crazies and the ordinary rich-fuck republicunt bastards.  The WLB is leader of the crazies and the rest of them are utterly fucked.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

History tells us how things DID go, not how things WILL go.

It also tells how things CAN go.   A country that puts an outright traitor into its highest office and lack the resolution to put aside internal politics so as make such an example of him as for it to remain the signal example for all ages is unlikely to remain cohesive and united for long.

I'm good with mine.

[Clueless Morgan]

History tells us how things DID go, not how things WILL go.

It also tells how things CAN go.

Exactly.

To ignore warning signs paralleling some of the darkest hours of our history is to potentially allow those "DID"s turn into "WILL"s, especially when those same signs appear in multiple atrocities across history.

Nothing is a sure thing until it happens but we, as a society, can recognize when things are looking familiar and take steps to reduce the potential for a repeat of the past.