[richlevy]

Originally posted by lookout123

you forget about the major obstacle to that - YOU! do you honestly believe that if we were moving in that direction that individuals, such as yourself wouldn't be up in arms, protesting and contacting your local rep's?

You mean like the protesters being sheperded into 'free speech zones', and not reported in the mainstream media?

germany in the early 20th century was destitute, not uncomfortable, not poor (as defined by only having 1 vehicle, 1tv, and dial up internet). they were destitute not from the actions of their internal leaders but by the burden placed upon them by a veangeful continent. they were ripe for the plucking. and here is a landmine - the german people historically have been disciplined followers. the american public, although mindless sheep at times, rarely unites in a large meaningful way, for anything but short term goals.

Germany in the 1930's was undergoing a period of extreme nationalism in response to perceived foreign threats. They systematically marginalized and segregated target groups.

If you don't see a similarity in America today, you're not looking.

A common misconception is that the death camps were built overnight. That is not true. It first started with new laws. One of the criticism's of the new Homeland Security department was that Homeland sounded a lot like Fatherland.

And up until the Abu Graib pictures were releases, how many Americans were asking their Congressman about what was going on in Guantanamo Bay and the military prisons? All our goverment had to say was 'national security', and we looked the other way. How many times have we heard the word 'treason' trotted out by neocons? How much of a step will it be for the Justice Department to begin taking those accusations seriously?

Don't think that because we have McDonalds and Wal-Marts that something like that can't happen here. That was the mistake everyone made in the 1930's. "Germans are rational." "Germans are civilized." "Germany is a free republic." "This will all get better soon".