Who is this?

And there were the promises. Economic times were tough, people were
losing jobs, and he was a great speaker. And he smiled and frowned and
waved a lot. And people, even newspapers, were afraid to speak out for
fear. afraid they would bulled and beat them into submission.
Which they did — regularly. And then, he was duly elected to office,
while a full-throttled economic crisis bloomed at hand — the Great
Depression. Slowly, but surely he seized the controls of government
power, person by person, department by department, bureaucracy by
bureaucracy. The children of of citizens were at first, encouraged
to join a Youth Movement in his name where they were taught exactly what
to think. Later, they were required to do so.

How did he get people on his side? He did it by promising jobs to the
jobless, money to the money-less, and rewards for the
military-industrial complex. He did it by indoctrinating the children,
advocating gun control, health care for all, better wages, better jobs,
and promising to re-instill pride once again in the country, across
Europe, and across the world. He did it with a compliant media — did you
know that? And he did this all in the name of justice and change. And
the people surely got what they voted for.

Do not forget that Germany was one of the most educated and cultured
countries in Europe. It was full of music, art, museums, hospitals,
laboratories, and universities. And yet, in less than six years (a
shorter time span than just two terms of the U. S. presidency) it was
rounding up its own citizens, killing others, abrogating its laws,
turning children against parents, and neighbors against neighbors.

As a practical thinker, one not overly prone to emotional decisions, I
have a choice: I can believe what the objective pieces of evidence tell
me (even if they make me cringe with disgust) or I can believe what
history is shouting to me from across the chasm of seven decades. Of
course, I can hope I am wrong by closing my eyes, having another latte,
and ignoring what is transpiring around me.

I choose to believe the evidence. No doubt some people will scoff and
others laugh or think I am foolish, naive, or both. To some degree,
perhaps I am. But I have never been afraid to look people in the eye and
tell them exactly what I believe and why I believe it.

I pray I am wrong. I do not think I am. Perhaps the only hope is our vote in the next election.