America and 1936 Germany..

Is America�s democracy as fragile as it seems to me? Comparing America today and Germany in 1936 (make it clear im not comparing Bush to Hitler in this thread) it seems that the elite in the US are manipulating the system of democracy just as Hitler had done in 1936 when he began overthrowing the Reichstag. Hitler's technique early on was to establish a majority of elected Nazis in the Reichstag which would become a rubber stamp, passing whatever laws he desired while making it all perfectly legal (seem to ring any bells in the US today). A few well placed terrorist attacks and suicide bombs would see the US clamouring for Marshall Law, and when that happens its all down hill from there�.

That is a very good analogy, even without comparing Bush to Hitler. That does make sense, though Bush doesn't have much time left to overthrow people and set up more attacks, it's a year until the next election.

You know...I have a bad enuff problem of paranoia/awareness without that sort of thing being said.

Hitler succeeded because their was a power vaccum and the people wanted change, any positive change.

America has similar situation.

The average citizen is not involved in democracy and the country has lost its 'roots' IMHO.

But adopting radicalism or socialism or any other easy solution is not a solution really.

What you're TOTALLY overlooking is German national feeling at the time. The country had had it's face well and truly pushed into the mud and made to eat dirt following the Versailles treaty. This once proud nation was left defeated, utterly humbled, weak, with no sense of pride, and a total lack of self-confidence. It was a nation humilitated.

Put simply, Hitler came along and gave a fallen nation new hope to rise again, and the chance to regain the status and pride they had before. That's why so many people bought into his ideology. He was going to rebuild a broken country, bigger and better than before, and spit in the eye of the 'oppressor' at the same time. He was going to give the people back their self-esteem, their pride in being Germans. It was virtually a form of extreme-patriotism, and the people ate it up.

I don't see that situation in the modern USA.

NEO, don't forget that he also had Nationalism on his side, one of the most powerful artifacts of the political realm. And plus, besides the disgusting practices of Hitler and the SS, he was a brilliant economist. These are just very turbulent times.