Tyranny 101 - article

This is an article which, to me anyway, states the obvious. It seems that more and more people are comparing the present day US to Nazi Germany and other dictatorships. I guess everybody is going crazy, cuz there's NO way there is a valid comparison! Anyway, here is the article...it's from infowars.com.


The Tyrant’s Playbook: Hitler’s Strategy Proves Timeless

Scott Ritsema | March 16, 2005

Many Americans, regardless of political persuasion, understand that America has embarked upon a march toward tyranny throughout the 20th century. Since 9/11, the march has sped to a near sprint. The American founding and Constitution, however, established protections against centralized tyranny. This protection of liberty, in fact, was the central priority of the Founding Fathers. If we want to prevent tyranny from completely enveloping our nation, we would do well not only to renew our commitment to the principles of our founding, but also to learn the lessons of history, particularly embodied in the obvious five-step playbook of tyrants, such as Adolph Hitler. One could write an entire book paralleling Hitler’s dictatorship with the recent American experience in near-tyranny. For now, briefly summarizing this elementary five-step game plan is a simple yet shockingly necessary exercise.

Step 1: Eliminate the Legislative Process

Our Founding Fathers understood that the legislative branch, being closest to the people, would be the most powerful branch of government, most representative of the individual liberties of the people. Likewise, Hitler knew that to wield total power, he needed to do away with the legislature. In Germany, the destruction of the legislative branch began symbolically at the burning of the Reichstag. Following this event, after Hitler used the event to instigate fear of communists, the legislature signed its own death warrant, as it passed the Enabling Act. This act gave Hitler total executive power without formally abrogating the Weimar Constitution. The constitution was simply seen as a “living document.”

This executive power-grab is reminiscent of countless parallels in American 20th century history. Examples range from the abuse of the executive order to legislation such as the Patriot Act II being drafted by the executive branch. Additionally, one glaring example of an executive power-grab in recent history is the power to declare war. While the U.S. Constitution clearly gives Congress that power, they have avoided their duty to declare war for a half-century, giving the President discretion and power.

Step 2: Destroy Federalism

One of the most important and most neglected amendments in our constitution is the 10th Amendment. Unlike our Founding Fathers, Hitler did not want state powers to compete with the central government. In fact, he abolished all state assemblies and implanted a Nazi-friendly governor in each of the states to execute the decrees of the central government. He understood that states exercising their constitutionally granted powers would only inhibit his desired outcome: total centralized control.

Like others, this Nazi development has been paralleled in the U.S. Hardly any Americans even understand that, according to the Constitution, nearly all of our Federal Government actions are unconstitutional. According to the 10th Amendment, the Federal Government only has the power to do what the expressed powers of the Constitution grant it the power to do. All other powers are reserved to the states and the people. This fact is ignored simply because it would discredit all benevolent and tyrannical Federal Government actions. State power, according to the Founding Fathers, was to be much more powerful than Federal power. Our departure from this intention is one of the central reasons we are witnessing the waywardness of our Federal Government.

Step 3: Create an Enemy and Declare “Homeland Security”

For Hitler, the central “boogy-men” were the communists and the Jews. He blamed the burning of the Reichstag (which he most likely carried out himself) on the communists, and used the Jews as a scapegoat for the struggling German economy. He then declared that he, their leader, would protect them. He called his program, “Fatherland Security,” and took away all individual liberties such as freedom of speech and the press in the name of security. All dissent was stigmatized and marginalized as “treason.”

The parallels in the U.S. on this point are endless. Obviously, the Bill of Rights and especially the 1st Amendment are the most important element of our Constitution. But, due to the government fear mongering that has occurred since 9/11, security, rather than liberty has become the priority. Countless examples of intimidation, jailing, and outlawing political speech have arisen in the past 3 years. Those who question or oppose government policy are branded as terrorists. Under “Homeland Security,” we are told that we need to find a “balance” between liberty and security. This balance was completely absent from the philosophy of the Founding Fathers. This is one of the most dangerous developments in America today.

Step 4: Disarm the People

Using common sense, Hitler realized that an armed citizenry would threaten his power. He was fortunate enough to simply use gun control laws that were already on the books, enacted under the Weimar Republic, to disarm the German people. In 1938, five years after his rise to power, he enacted further measures to complete this disarmament.

Our Founding Fathers included a Bill of Rights in the Constitution as a check on government, intended to protect the people from government. While many liberal intellectuals argue that the 2nd Amendment was never intended to apply to individual citizens, this claim is laughable in light of the central purpose of the entire Bill of Rights. Unfortunately, due to the co-action of both the Left and the Right, gun control laws have been passed and upheld in America in a complete dismantling of the 2nd Amendment.

Step 5: Nationalize Police Forces and Establish Secret and Military-Style Police

In order for Hitler to maintain control, he knew that he needed a mad band of storm troopers along with an extensive spy agency. He achieved both of these after incorporating and abolishing state and local police forces. His badgeless S.S. and Gestapo forces terrorized the people forcing them to always be ready to display “travel papers.” In addition to formal police forces, an extensive spy network was formed, even using children to inform on their teachers and parents.

Our Founding Fathers intended that government would be transparent, the people would have rights to privacy, and state and local governments would control law enforcement. All of these important concepts have become casualties of Homeland Security America. Under the Homeland Security Department, all state and local police forces are being incorporated under Federal power. In addition, the courts have ruled that citizens no longer have the right to refuse to show their I.D. (travel papers) to police, while at the same time, military-style law enforcement agents refuse to identify themselves to law-abiding citizens. The Pentagon’s Total Information Awareness Network exemplified this inversion artistically through their logo: the all-seeing eye casting its gaze upon the earth.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our Founding Fathers rightly noted that governments naturally become tyrannical over time (“when in the course of events…”). Is it a radical claim to argue that the U.S. is not immune to such natural developments? When one understands the fallen state of man, observes the repetition of history, and becomes aware of current events, such a claim is undeniable. If the American people don’t stand up and call this movement what it is, we will lose America and descend into despotism.


My bad for the long article, but I think it is a good article. Agree or disagree, post your responses.

What are you trying to say?

Are you trying to say that America is like Nazi Germany?

Typical European thinking.

Originally posted by Nothingtolose
What are you trying to say?

Are you trying to say that America is like Nazi Germany?

Typical European thinking.

Acutally typical european thinking is that you guys are a bunch of gunho, shotgun loveing, bloodthirsty, right wing crazy assed warmongers But hey only stateing what many europeans think...

It's not only those pesky EuroLefties the Right loves to hate that are worried the US is drifting toward fascism, thoughtful conservatives are worried about it too: Hunger For Dictatorship

But Rockwell (and Roberts and Raimondo) is correct in drawing attention to a mood among some conservatives that is at least latently fascist. Rockwell describes a populist Right website that originally rallied for the impeachment of Bill Clinton as “hate-filled ... advocating nuclear holocaust and mass bloodshed for more than a year now.” One of the biggest right-wing talk-radio hosts regularly calls for the mass destruction of Arab cities. Letters that come to this magazine from the pro-war Right leave no doubt that their writers would welcome the jailing of dissidents. And of course it’s not just us. When USA Today founder Al Neuharth wrote a column suggesting that American troops be brought home sooner rather than later, he was blown away by letters comparing him to Tokyo Rose and demanding that he be tried as a traitor. That mood, Rockwell notes, dwarfs anything that existed during the Cold War. “It celebrates the shedding of blood, and exhibits a maniacal love of the state. The new ideology of the red-state bourgeoisie seems to actually believe that the US is God marching on earth—not just godlike, but really serving as a proxy for God himself.”

[edit on 16-3-2005 by xmotex]

Originally posted by Nothingtolose

Are you trying to say that America is like Nazi Germany?

The article advanced the position that unless we "Norte Americanos" are vigilant we could succumb to the same strategy that allowed the Nazis to wrest control of Germany from the people and institute policies and programs that fly in the face of what most people would consider to be civilized behavior. The article isn't saying that America is like Nazi Germany...yet.

Originally posted by Zen_Doh
The article advanced the position that unless we "Norte Americanos" are vigilant we could succumb to the same strategy that allowed the Nazis to wrest control of Germany from the people and institute policies and programs that fly in the face of what most people would consider to be civilized behavior. The article isn't saying that America is like Nazi Germany...yet.

Exactly. I find it very discomforting. If our civil rights are disregarded much more, i'll be trying to find my way out of the country, and fast. These similarities are quite awakening, and you can bet i'll be watching the next few months and years very closely.

i was wondering what is bush real secret agenda... if hes on for world domination it is not working too well, cause more than 50% of his own people don't agree with him. if hes in the middile east for oil i don't think it is working too well too cause our oil is raising really really fast... if he is the anti-christ well, he is christan and anti-christ means using peaceful means to take over the world, he is too bloodly for it. it does seems that he is giving more power to big companies. or maybe he is just crazy

"Any dictator would admire the uniformity and obedience of the U.S. media."
-- Noam Chomsky

"I have often thought that if a rational Fascist dictatorship were to exist, then it would choose the American system."
-- Noam Chomsky

"Personally, I'm in favor of democracy, which means that the central institutions of society have to be under popular control. Now, under capitalism, we can't have democracy by definition. Capitalism is a system in which the central institutions of society are in principle under autocratic control. "
-- Noam Chomsky

"The more you can increase fear of drugs and crime, welfare mothers, immigrants and aliens, the more you control all the people. "
-- Noam Chomsky

"The United States is unusual among the industrial democracies in the rigidity of the system of ideological control - "indoctrination," we might say - exercised through the mass media."
-- Noam Chomsky

I guess that terrorists has already achieved their goal. People are paralised with fear and they are giving away their rights and libertys for fictional sense of security. And when you give something away its hard to get it back.

Yanchek,

What those in the US who support Bush fail to realise is that the government is not capable of protecting them with more than a 50% level of success. Furthermore the US government is not interested in protecting its citizens for the sake of the citizen. They simply need their money.

Cheers

BHR

Originally posted by BillHicksRules

What those in the US who support Bush fail to realise is that the government is not capable of protecting them with more than a 50% level of success. Furthermore the US government is not interested in protecting its citizens for the sake of the citizen. They simply need their money.

That is 100% correct... You as the American public have been turned into a number, a commodity, a little worker ant that has been blindly following your government - Supporting a war on "terror", you think thats gonna solve the problem of terror? Or do you think little Timmy over in Afghanistan saw his dad get murdered by the US-Coalition and was destroyed by it... And for the rest of his life he will grow up with a deep inclination towards revenge, and he will seek that vengance, and he will be claimed a "terrorist"... I for one call him a hero!

Ghost,

The silence in here from the Christian right is all the answer that is needed.

Cheers

BHR

Ghost, those are some interesting quotes. I must research this Chomsky dude. From the way "patriots" attack this guy, he must have some real stuff to say.

What's so wrong with a dictatorship? A government for the people, of the people and by the people may fail because, well PEOPLE can be stupid. just kidding!

Also is not it the democrats who are for more government, more taxes, more welfare and more socialist systems that force a person to rely on the government whilst the republicans want more responsibility for the individual and more independence from the government.

Just a thought?

well not exactly what you guys asked for but close as I'm Jewish right.



*edit
It seems that you guys are all on the same page and I am well not; so I chose my words very carefully to avoid a gang rape. Please be gentle in your responses.


[edit on 4/5/2005 by verfed]

Originally posted by verfed
What's so wrong with a dictatorship? A government for the people, of the people and by the people may fail because, well PEOPLE can be stupid. just kidding!

Also is not it the democrats who are for more government, more taxes, more welfare and more socialist systems that force a person to rely on the government whilst the republicans want more responsibility for the individual and more independence from the government.

Just a thought?

well not exactly what you guys asked for but close as I'm Jewish right.

*edit
It seems that you guys are all on the same page and I am well not; so I chose my words very carefully to avoid a gang rape. Please be gentle in your responses.

[edit on 4/5/2005 by verfed]

Well, you're obviously caught up in the fake left-right thing, but that's cool, I can dig it.

Did YOU notice how both sides are doing pretty much the same thing now? More Democrats voted for the Patriot Acts than Republicans, and the Republicans in power are pushing a liberal agenda. If you can't see this, compare Clinton and Bush. Clinton, a Democrat, left a surplus of money in the budget, something conservative. Bush, a Republican, has drained all that and created RECORD defecits, something ultra liberal.

I notice that, though you disagree with us, you do admit that the similarities hold true. That's why you had to create a diversion, but hey, all's fair when you need to make a point, so I won't knock you for that.

Whew! That went good. I will tell you guys one thing. I just bought a passport a few months ago just in case. Cost $100! It may be a good investment for the future.

Originally posted by verfed
What's so wrong with a dictatorship? A government for the people, of the people and by the people may fail because, well PEOPLE can be stupid. just kidding!

Also is not it the democrats who are for more government, more taxes, more welfare and more socialist systems that force a person to rely on the government whilst the republicans want more responsibility for the individual and more independence from the government.

The people are "stupid" because of the education and media systems that have been on place for decades... The only thing facilitating this stupidity is the average-joes lack of compassion and understanding - which is brought about by societal assimilations and brainwashing.

As for the democrats and republicans etc... They are both extreme right-wing parties, neither of those two are left-wing at all... Thats the mistake alot of Americans (and other countries people aswell) make, thinking that one of those parties has the best interest at heart - They are both figure heads for multi-national CEO's!

Truth,

The same fake left-right thing is going on here in the UK.

The fact that both the Tories and Labour are almost indistinguishable by their policies is what is leading to the high level of voter apathy.

Cheers

BHR

Originally posted by BillHicksRules
The same fake left-right thing is going on here in the UK.

The fact that both the Tories and Labour are almost indistinguishable by their policies is what is leading to the high level of voter apathy.

Its the same in Australia as well, the Labour party sold out... Alas they had to get their money from somewhere...

The people are "stupid" because of the education and media systems that have been on place for decades... The only thing facilitating this stupidity is the average-joes lack of compassion and understanding - which is brought about by societal assimilations and brainwashing.

Been saying that for years...
Glad I'm not the only one who sees it...