In 1935, Sinclair Lewis, in It Can’t Happen Here, spoke to the idea that many Americans held that fascism could not occur in the United States of America. His book is satirical, frightening, and, unfortunately, still applicable.
1984 by George Orwell details the action of dictatorship set in a dystopian future. Unfortunately, the lies of politicians as they deny their support for fascists and white power fanatics, illustrates Orwell’s understanding of how dictatorships can work.
Erik Larson’s nonfiction history book In The Garden of Beasts, 2011, detailed the experience of Ambassador Dodd in Berlin in the 1930s, during the rise and solidification of Hitler’s power, and it is a terrifying read.
We must always remember that it can happen here, that bigotry and hatred can lead to terrible results. That white nationalists and neo-nazis brought their horror and bigotry to Charlottesville, VA resulting in violence and death should make all Americans, regardless of political party, Democrat, Republican, or Independent, aware of what can happen. Since then other attacks on innocent people, both in the United States and around the world, continue to occur. The horror of the brutalities in New Zealand affects all of us.
We should all be frightened of the possibilities of such hatred. We should also speak to the singular lack of condemnation by President Trump of the neo-nazis and white power groups. As President, he should not have said that there were good people “on many sides” in Charlottesville, VA, and he has claimed that white nationalists are not a big problem in the world.
This problem is, however, enormous and terrifying. This is an issue of hatred, brought by those who worship hatred and the defeated, in World War II, obscenities of Hitler. The President should have, without equivocation, stated his condemnation of their actions and beliefs. And we must be aware that the fascist beliefs are regrowing in our world.
We must always remember that fascism, bigotry, hatred, and dictatorship can occur here as it can anywhere. As Americans, whose freedom was paid for in blood, by those who fought in World War Two, we must speak out against such injustice and horror. As members of the world community, we must condemn such actions and support the victims of this horror.
There should be no place for neo-nazis, white nationialists, and bigotry in the United States of America nor in the world. If we do not speak out, then we are condoning this horror. We must remember that silence is complicity in evil.
Awesome post, Charles!! Thanks so much for sharing this!!
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You are very welcome.
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to be silent is to be a part of it
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Yes.
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Reblogged this on The Reluctant Poet and commented:
Please read this!!
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Thank you!
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Too many people never travel out of their cultural norm to see what else is in the world and fear anything different thereby bullying and torturing anything out of their comfort zone. I don’t know how we change this nationalist attitude and embrace the differences. We need those differences..
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Yes, we do. I hope that speaking up and education will help.
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Reblogged this on Not Tomatoes.
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Thank you!
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Shared.
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Thank you.
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Well said, Charles.
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Thank you.
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‘O)
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An important post.
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Thank you.
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As we wear our blinders and carry our signs saying, “It can’t happen here”, it IS happening here. Sigh. Good and thought-provoking post … let us hope it reaches the people who need to hear this message. Thank you.
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You are very welcome.
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Thank you. In the last couple of days I’ve discovered that many of my fellow Australians would prefer to sweep the white supremacist, nationalist hatred under the rug, pretend it ain’t so, or pretend that somehow the victims in New Zealand brought it on themselves.
I truly didn’t think that there were many people like that. There are.
Thank god for all those who do care and aren’t afraid to call this rotten spade a shovel.
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Yes, we must all be willing to confront this evil.
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Yes. 😦
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Excellent post. People have to rise up, unify, and fight against the forces of ignorance, bigotry, and violence so it doesn’t happen here.
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Thank you!
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