The Nazi party in the 1930s took over Germany by telling the people they were under attack, and by demonizing Jews, intellectuals, gypsies, homosexuals, and anyone who didn't have blond hair and blue eyes. They especially blamed the Jews for that country's serious economic problems.
Right now, today, the right wing leaders in our USA are trying to do the same thing, demonizing liberals, Muslims and immigrants. They talk about liberals as "the enemy within."
They preach violence and "Second Amendment solutions," meaning the power of the gun. They talk about liberals being "like red ants at a party. You just have to stamp them out."
A right-wing friend of mine, whom I shall call Darrell (not his real name), talked me into watching Glenn Beck on TV one time. Darrell said (via e-mail):
"Today's show is a fascinating look at U.S. history.... It's about manifest destiny and how we abused the Indians and how certain collations can and have come together and do evil things.
"To me Beck comes across as goofy, but he's actually pretty smart and does his homework---and not the nut job the main stream media tries to paint him as. He certainly doesn't like Obama, but he didn't like Bush either. ..."
I recorded the show and sent this e-mail back:
"I watched about 35 minutes of it so far, and he hasn't said anything yet. He's like an Amway salesman. He keeps telling you how great it's going to be, over and over, without presenting any facts or a coherent line of reasoning. It's all generalities and mumbo-jumbo.
"And his off-hand statement that Obama is a Marxist is nuts. Of course he doesn't say why or how or cite any specifics. I can't believe anybody watches this. For one thing, it's so slow.
"Glenn Beck keeps saying that it's evil when government and commerce collude. But that makes no sense. One purpose of government is to protect and encourage commerce. Always has been and always will be.
"The last time I checked, we had a Department of Commerce, and I believe the Secretary of Commerce is a cabinet-level position. Huh? What the hell is Glenn Beck talking about?"
Darrell wrote back:
"Can you say dense? He means things like when the gov't uses the commerce clause to push it's own power agenda. Like the healthcare bill. Only the corruption of this commerce clause would allow the gov't to usurp the control of healthcare and education and banking and insurance as this Marxist [Obama] is doing even though without corrupting this clause, as gov't has done for years, all this is a clear n (cq) of the 10th amendment. Maybe you should read it. One sentence that is in no way ambiguous. Except to a Lib. I guess it all depends on what the meaning of the word specifically is. Or is it what the meaning of is is? ...
"Maybe you just aren't smart enough to watch Beck. Go back to [the] Huffington [Post]. That requires no thinking. Sorry I wasted your time. I thought a history lesson might be useful."
This exchange took place last August, and I haven't heard from "Darrell" since last September. I don't know if that's bad or good. I imagine him out there someplace, wearing a brown shirt and practicing his Nazi salute.
Copyright 2011, Roger R. Angle
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