Hitler poster provokes Edmonds incident

seattletimes.nwsource.com...

As a child in Armenia, Henry Gasparian witnessed firsthand the horrors of Nazi Germany. Two uncles were killed, his father wounded and a brother starved to death during the German invasion and occupation of the Soviet Union. So when Gasparian, 70, of Edmonds, saw a poster of President Obama with a Hitler mustache near the entrance to the Edmonds Farmers Market on Sept. 5, he admits that his reaction was "personal and emotional."

He tried to grab the fliers being passed out by supporters of Lyndon LaRouche, a perennial presidential candidate who has likened Obama's health-care proposals to the Nazi extermination of Jews and other "undesirables."

Two young LaRouche supporters told police that Gasparian repeatedly pushed them and grabbed one of their arms. Gasparian said it was they who first pushed him.

Story continues in depth at provided link...

It's fascinating to me to think that not even 5 years ago the Bush/Hitler posters started springing up at rallies all over the country and, curiously, I don't recall the outrage from people with connections to the holocaust back then. In fact, I distinctly recall moveon.org held a contest encouraging people to make nazi-esque comparisons to the administration for use in their ad campaigns. There was a handfull of complaints at the time from some Jewish leagues around the country, but there was certainly no violent backlash surrounding it.

So why is it suddenly no longer OK to use your freedom of speech to disparage this tyranical regime, but it was acceptible to do so for the previous tyrant?

I can't believe certain Americans would be so ignorant as to equate health care with the Nazi system of removing undesirables.

To compare Obama to Hitler, or even to have compared Bush to Hitler is a total joke. At this moment in time the situations are not remotely similar.

reply to post by Kram09
As a student of history, I find the current situation in the United States quite similar to Germany, circa 1933. Obama is calling for an internal national army, supposedly to do community service. However, he plans on these young people having uniforms. How long will it be before Obama's plan starts to Resemble Hitler's youth corp or the Brown Shirts?
This man scares me. I keep getting the feeling he is just as evil as Hitler.
And I think his wife is not just evil, but she is the power behind the throne.
And I'm not being racist. I don't give a tinker's damn if he is pink with purple polka dots. His policies scare me.
At this point, he seems to be capitulating to every demand every country makes. My gut tells me this is ruse.
Folks, keep your eyes and ears open, and keep your powder dry!

reply to post by Kram09


The same Americans will declare members of either political party socialists, fascists and Marxists in the same breath. It's safe to assume their knowledge of all these subjects, including Hitler and the holocaust, doesn't extend past what they read on Wikipedia and what their preacher told them at church so try not to take them too seriously.

The reason why that guy that freaked out only did now is because the Obama/Hitler posters are much more wide spread than the Bush ones, Republicans are terribly sore losers. They started creeping north across the boarder at the beginning of summer and now they're in most Canadian cities that hug the 49th. We all sort of wish you'd keep to vandalizing property in your own cities though.. those stickers are hard to get off.

reply to post by kettlebellysmith


The whole community service thing, i don't particularly see as bad. Unless it has some kind of military theme to it, as in the Hitler Youth then i would be a bit concerned.

Judging by the amount of people on this site who seem to dislike Obama, you can't really compare him to Hitler, as Hitler was practically adored by the masses. Yes there are those who support Obama, but it is nothing like the 1930s, unless you bring up the economic situation, which isn't even as bad as it was back then.

Originally posted by Kram09
reply to post by kettlebellysmith

 

The whole community service thing, i don't particularly see as bad. Unless it has some kind of military theme to it, as in the Hitler Youth then i would be a bit concerned.

But obama has called for this organization to have the same resources as the military. That's where the connection to hitler's organization comes from. See below ...

From Obama's July 2, 2008, speech in Colorado Springs, Colorado:

We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.

Yep, got to do this to keep all those "right-wing terrorists" in check. Getting the hitler connection yet?



[edit on 9/17/2009 by centurion1211]

Originally posted by ZombieOctopus
The reason why that guy that freaked out only did now is because the Obama/Hitler posters are much more wide spread than the Bush ones, Republicans are terribly sore losers.

Remove your blinders. They are not more widespread. You may percieve it as such, but that is most likely due to your own political biases or possibly where you live. I happen to live in an unfortunately high liberal area (around Seattle) and can tell you I have seen maybe a half a dozen people with signs showing Obama Joker and one showing him as Hitler. The man in this story isn't affronted by this every day here. However, when Bush was in office they flooded the damn downtown area at times with mockeries of Bush.

I moved here from Arizona. Same as with Obama up here, only in regards to Bush there. You'd see the infrequent "Bush died, look who died" propaganda signs, but they were few and far between... yet on the news I noticed quite a few patriots standing up to Obama at a Phoenix health care rally.

reply to post by centurion1211


No i am not getting the Hitler connection.

In that little passage Obama doesn't say he will be giving them weapons. He says make them strong etc etc. I mean it could mean be strong mentally, have a community spirit or something.

He didn't say they should all be armed.

Originally posted by Kram09
reply to post by centurion1211

 

No i am not getting the Hitler connection.

In that little passage Obama doesn't say he will be giving them weapons. He says make them strong etc etc. I mean it could mean be strong mentally, have a community spirit or something.

He didn't say they should all be armed.

Is it possible for you to split hairs any finer? He says as strong and as powerful as the military.

Gee, let's see. Anybody want to take a guess at what it is that makes any military "strong and powerful"? Weapons you all say?



[edit on 9/17/2009 by centurion1211]

Originally posted by Kram09
He says make them strong etc etc. I mean it could mean be strong mentally, have a community spirit or something.

It could mean:
"We build they bodies to be strong like bear in wild! They become not men. They become machine! Like iron! Machine! They take up fight for comrades and for motherland!"

reply to post by centurion1211


Look all i am saying is i don't see the Hitler comparison.

Fair enough if you do, i respect your opinion, but i have to disagree at this moment in time.

However i can see why the Civilian National Security Force could be seen in that light.

No need to be so sarcastic about it.

reply to post by Kram09


Perhaps you are right. Instead of the icon, I should have suggested that you study the events in Germany that took place in the early 1930's when hitler was rising to power to see if you still could not find a connection.

Hitler used his private army to physically intimidate opponents. Haven't we already seen the beginnings of that already with obama supporters like the black panthers intimidating voters and union thugs intimidating protesters? And that's happening without even creating the "civilian" force we are discussing. If there was a "civilian" force armed like the military and run by obama's hand-picked czars, or whatever, what could we expect then?

But to you, there's no possible connection ...

reply to post by centurion1211


I had a feeling that you would say that to me and don't worry i am more than familiar with the Nazis and the era of their coming to power and the Second World War etc.

No i do NOT see the comparison between Hitler and Obama at this present moment. To me personally i think it is exaggerated.

If you want to believe that then fair enough. At least respect my opinion instead of pouring scorn on it.

reply to post by Kram09


Perhaps you will concede that by the time you see an armed "civilian" force marching down America's streets that it will be far too late to say "oops"?

Hopefully, it will not get to that point. My point is that to make sure it doesn't, the time to stop it is now.

Originally posted by Kram09
At least respect my opinion instead of pouring scorn on it.

Like you respected the opinion of those who disagree with your opinions?

Originally posted by Kram09
I can't believe certain Americans would be so ignorant as to equate health care with the Nazi system of removing undesirables.

To compare Obama to Hitler, or even to have compared Bush to Hitler is a total joke.

Don't know about you, Kram09, but where I come from calling a person "ignorant" and labeling their opinion as "a total joke" is pretty much pouring scorn over them. I could care less what your opinion is or what you think of my opinion, but please don't be hypocritical and take offense at someone else discrediting your opinion after you just did the exact same thing.

reply to post by centurion1211


Agreed

Second line.

Mod Edit: Adding that doesn't make it any less of a One-Liner.

[edit on 9-10-2009 by alien]

reply to post by burdman30ott6


Okay yes in that instance i was hypocritical.

I apologise.

The bottom line is that there's only one Hitler and he died in April 1945.

To equate the leader of any first world nation with Hitler today is to concede you don't have the intellectual footing to debate the real issues.

Originally posted by Kram09
reply to post by kettlebellysmith

 

The whole community service thing, i don't particularly see as bad. Unless it has some kind of military theme to it, as in the Hitler Youth then i would be a bit concerned.

Judging by the amount of people on this site who seem to dislike Obama, you can't really compare him to Hitler, as Hitler was practically adored by the masses. Yes there are those who support Obama, but it is nothing like the 1930s, unless you bring up the economic situation, which isn't even as bad as it was back then.

In regards to the community service, how is it a good idea? Its a good idea that we should force teenagers to do community service? I was actually forced to do the same at my Catholic high school that i attended and i can tell you that 90% of us hated it just because we were required to do so. Dont get me wrong, i dont mind helpin people out and in fact, im the one that friends call when they need something. But being required to do this is equivalant to slavery imo.

www.youtube.com...

I also dont define "Universal Civil Defense Training" as community service. When community service comes to mind, im pickin up garbage at a park or helpin old ladies cross the street. You add that "Civil Defense" into the mix and its a whole nother thing entirely to me. What do you think?

reply to post by ZombieOctopus


The fact is, history often repeats itself, especially when a nation that has become as ignorant as ours quits paying attention and making the connections. Obama's civilian defense force can theoretically be equated to Germany's Gestapo during Hitler's regime - many in the Gestapo didn't use weapons. Propaganda was the biggest weapon of all:

The Gestapo The Gestapo was a part of the SS which also had the power to arrest anyone it wanted. It mainly spied on people, read their mail and tapped their telephones. It encouraged people to report on their neighbours and their fellow workers. Children were even encouraged to spy on their parents. The Gestapo became the most feared organisation in Germany.

www.slideshare.net...

His "defense force" won't start at the same level as the Gestapo, but the Gestapo most likely started as a small organization under the guise of a community service organization as well.