Why our current situation is different from 1934 and the Third Reich.

[no_hypocrisy]

Germany is obviously a different country than our country.
1934 is much different than 2024.

Germany had a weak and fledgling democracy in 1934, which could hardly defend itself against fascism.

The German people were a culture primed to respect and follow authoritarians, from Bismark to Kaiser Wilhelm, perhaps before them.

Not all Germans were Nazis but had to go along in order to avoid being arrested and/or their families.

Being unprepared for a fascist takeover, the resistance was weak and unorganized and rapidly lost their ability to have much impact. (The White Rose Society was a rare exception to this.)

OTOH, this country has been a constitutional republic using democratic principles since 1776 . There is tradition. There are protocols. There is the Constitution.

We've seen this movie before and we're not unprepared.

Too many of us will not accept a dictator instead of a President. Too many of us will not accept a country of depth-defying inequality for our children. Too many of us want to continue, if not improve, this country.

Consistent incremental political will of The People will help us weather this period (not era) until we can regain the power to return democracy to the country, MAGA be damned/

[tgraf66]

1. I wish I had your optimism about the US public

Unfortunately, the fact that a ton of people who voted for him didn't bother to find out about what a tariff was until after tehy had voted tells me otherwise.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

2. But who is going to dare report that we are under a dictatorship

A lot of people are in denial and won’t realize it until it gets really bad and it hit them or their family and friends.

[Renaissance Man]

3. Germany's Economy Was Crap in 1933

The German economy was crap in 1933. The German mark was worthless, and Hitler became so popular because he gave Germans someone to scapegoat (Jews). There are old cartoons of people rolling a barrel of German markets to the market to get bread.

It was also the reason why Hitler became expansionist in his views the Third Reich. To keep the scam going, he had to invade other countries to make the government stronger and keep the war machine going.

[Strelnikov_]

7. "They made the trains run on time"

MAGA, otoh, is going to take a strong economy and wreck it.

[thinkingagain]

4. Thank you for that but of hope

I really hope and pray you are correct.
That has been my biggest fear the USA turning into a dictatorship or such

I also see that with social media, internet
Survellience Cameras etc
We are a easy target for catch and grab and
Interrogate. Etc

[Skittles]

5. yeah, we know Dems ALWAYS have to clean up repuke mess

the issue now is, they've handed EVERYTHING to a dictator-wannabe - THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE WILL BE EXTENSIVE and maybe NOT repairable

[Bettie]

11. Not just a dictator-wannabe

but a puppet of a hostile foreign power, along with a feckless billionaire who thinks he's the smartest person in any room, plus a bunch of rapey dickheads.

[Irish_Dem]

6. We have learned the hard way how weak and fragile our democracy really is.

Much of it is based only on the honor system, and when there is no honor there is no system.

Also rule of law does not apply to the rich and powerful.
The judges did not hold the line like we assumed they would.

We saw congress and the judiciary branches fold like lawn chairs.
The billionaires immediately line up with the fascists.
And the voters adore a known ruthless criminal psychopath.

It does not bode well.

[bucolic_frolic]

8. We will have Friendly Fascism, the title of a 1980 book by Prof. Bertram Gross

1/2 of America may be duped, but all Americans think about freedom. It just means different things to different subsets.

We have digital instant communications, here and worldwide. Paste that back on Nazi Germany and give it a think.

[CanonRay]

9. Trump shits on tradition, ignores protocols, and doesn't believe in the Constitution

[lostnfound]

10. On the flip side...technology of fascism have improved, and who will intervene?

AI-facial recognition, big data, tracking, surveillance cameras everywhere.

And the US in WW2 became a formidable adversary to stop Germany.