First, book recommendation: "It Can't Happen Here" by
Sinclair Lewis, written around 1936 because of the rise in nationalism worldwide at that time. I just recently read it. Very interesting to read about Hitler and Mussolini before their worst had become known.
Yeah, you're preaching to the choir on the rise of nationalist movements, and I would never say never about it happening here. But, it would require a suspension of the Constitution to get to that point. In the satirical Lewis book they use a manufactured crisis, or just impression of a looming one, sort of like Hitler did.
But you can't make the analogy between post WWI, pre-Hitler Germany, and the US today. They had no protection of civil liberties. None. Nyet. Not to say they didn't have laws designed to protect them, but they had no tradition of respect of individual rights, and no concept of separate of powers, none of the things that are literally enshrined in the bedrock of the USA after about 230 years of Constitutional Law. Germany had barely experienced the peaceful transition of power from elections.
Moreover, France today can outlaw burkinis, or head scarves, or other examples of individual expression that you could never get away with in this country. Much like hateful speech. Which, frankly, also sets the bar higher for "it" happening here.
"It" can happen here. But the barriers to "it" are higher than in any country on earth, in all of history. Decide that nazis don't have the right to free speech, and that statement becomes less true.
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In response to this post by Fuzzy Dunlop)
Posted: 09/21/2017 at 3:02PM