By William Shirer
“History never repeats itself, but it does rhyme.”
–Mark Twain
Introduction
Over the past 50 years I have read this wonderful chronicle of the rise and fall of Nazi Germany from the birth of Hitler in 1889 until his suicide in 1945. I first read the book as a student at Oxford in 1968 and recently in 2020 reread it.
It is my belief that understanding history can provide some perspective on possible future events. My current concern is that over the past 50 years America’s resilience against dictatorship has significantly weakened. The mantra “the end justifies the means” has become accepted methodology in our political contests. Being a centrist, I shake my head in disbelief when I witness the excesses of both of our political parties.
Needless to say, my perspective on this book and life has changed markedly over the past 50 years. In brief, until recently I failed to recognize that the oratory of a demagogue and his minions could mislead much of the American public. Some 25% of the American public believes that Trump rightfully won the presidency despite his overwhelming losses in judicial hearings. The thought that Republicans in the “contested states” were “blind” to widespread voter fraud is not credible. By contrast the attempted “arm-twisting” of Republican officials by Trump and his allies to overturn states elections shows disrespect for the voting public. Instead of blaming Trump, his supporters express outrage that “Trump’s words were tape recorded.”
The Diminishing Power of Centrists
The ability of Hitler to legally become the German chancellor reflected (1) German questioning that they had lost World War I (2) A large percentage of the German public preferred a monarchy over the democratic government of the Weimar Republic (3) the disastrous consequences of the Great Depression. Although Hitler never defeated the famous World War I General, Paul von Hindenburg, he received a large number of votes in four nationwide elections.
Analyzing the American political situation should cause alarm. That is, we really do not have reliable sources. Instead, we now live in a world where millions of Americans subscribe to totally different sets of facts, viewing political events from conflicting viewpoints.
In the last years of the Weimar Republic, centrist parties influence diminished. Instead, the two leading parties were the Nazis and the Communists. The public increasingly felt that they must choose between these two extremes.
The influence of centrists in American politics has diminished markedly. Negotiated settlements leading to effective legislation is almost non-existent. Instead legislation and approval of cabinet members is passed almost exclusively on party lines.
During my lifetime, America has elected two presidents who would prefer staying in power rather than accepting democratic opposition–Richard Nixon and Donald Trump. Both Nixon and Trump surrounded themselves with lieutenants willing to break democratic norms. Just like Hitler attracted millions of voters, Nixon won 49 states in 1972 and Trump won the presidency in 2016 and received 74 million votes in 2020.
2020 witnessed horrific riots perpetrated by unruly mobs. In many cases, our political leaders sharply circumscribed the enforcement of laws to protect public property. In brief, the anarchy that disrupted life in Germany was replicated in America. The invasion of our Capitol highlighted rioters disdain for our democratic institutions and public figures. While I am in no way exonerating the mob that ransacked the Capitol, I believe that their actions were fueled by the unruly demonstrations, sit-ins, looting of stores, in hundreds of American cities in 2020. The legitimate aims of “Black Lives Matter” was eviscerated by this contempt for private property.
Unlike the 1930’s where despite unemployment rates that reached 30%, I do not believe the American public could tolerate a decade of economic deprivation. We would turn to some charlatan that would promise easy fixes to our economic distress. My current concern is coping with our growing national and state debt levels. Within a few years our national debt will approach $40 trillion. Just paying the interest on this indebtedness will require dramatic increases in our federal and state taxes. Thus, I shudder when the current rejoinder to our problems is pass another $ 1 trillion stimulus program. Politicians believe that “paying the money back” will be the problem of their successors-“not on my watch.”
The ascendency of Adolph Hitler to total control over German life seems inconceivable. Hitler (an Austrian not German) for over a decade held menial positions in Vienna prior to World War I and lived in flophouses. On a practical level, within months of taking office, Hitler totally eviscerated the independence of Germany’s local leaders. He amassed more power over German affairs than any Emperor.
Of all the Nazi leaders, only Hitler wanted Germany to embark on World War II, causing more than 50 million killed. That is, the German military recognized that Germany could not prevail in a two front war against initially Great Britain, France and the Soviet Union. Ultimately, the United States replaced France as Germany’s primary opponent. As supreme German leader, Hitler believed he was destined to be his countries greatest leader of all time. “Will power, not rational analysis”, would overcome all problems. Many of Hitler’s fanatical followers believed that Hitler was divine, and that he would ultimately replace Jesus Christ as the object of adoration.
When I was in college, we learned that America had in effect 4 parties: 2 National Parties and 2 statewide parties. That is, local political parties were independent of the National Party. Today, the independence of state and local politicians has been seriously compromised.
The election of Trump as a representative of the Republican Party shocked the political establishment. To win Trump had to gain the nomination over seventeen other Republican contenders, many of them office holders with considerable financial war chests. The establishment of the primary system allowed Trump to by-pass the need to get endorsements from political “king makers.” Because of the popularity of the television show “The Apprentice” Trump enjoyed huge public recognition. Trump was able to leverage his celebrity status to first win the Republican nomination, and then the presidency. Moreover, Trump was able to use his popularity to control the Republican party in statewide and congressional elections. While Trump did not obtain total supremacy compared to Hitler over local bodies, his influence surpassed previous U.S. presidents. In a nutshell, Trump could determine the victors for the most part in state and local primary elections.
To give the devil his due, Hitler displayed marketing and organizational genius in converting a rag tag group of disgruntled nobodies into a political powerhouse. The organization of the Nazi Party was superior to the other political parties of Germany. Over time, Hitler acquired media star status, speaking repeatedly to mass audiences. He became a household name, being the first politician to fly to rallies. In effect, Hitler’s rallies took on the frenetic appeal of a “rock concert.”
Under Hitler’s guidance, the Nazi Party, provided leadership positions at all levels–state, local, and neighborhood. In addition, there were Nazi clubs affiliated with the legal, medical, etc. professions. Even among college professors and college students the Nazis gained zealous followers.
Hitler recognized the importance of controlling Germany’s streets. At its height, his private army of brown shirts numbered several million. This rag tag militia fought relentlessly against the Communists to establish their hegemony.
I have no sympathy for the assault on our Capitol or the protests that occurred in some 200 American cities in 2020. I find it reprehensible that cities such as Seattle, NYC, Portland, Minneapolis, etc. allowed protestors to occupy key portions of their downtowns for months. Over and over again, I asked “what was new in their message?” “Could you translate their language into meaningful, positive legislation?” The thought of defunding our police would have led to anarchy rather than defending our core civil rights.
I remain in shock that in America many state and city officials accepted that key metropolitan areas could be occupied for weeks and even months by protestors. In brief, our political leaders failed to uphold a principle tenet of our capitalist system–protection of property rights. The idea you could defund the police without undermining the community’s safety is pure bunk. The long run damage to America from widespread looting of stores and the failure to prosecute shoplifters has frightening implications.
Trump used slogans such as “Make America Great Again” to amass frenzied supporters. Between his Twitter accounts, television ads, and rallies, he generated incredible enthusiasm from his adherents. Trump, like Hitler, used simple slogans and repetition to establish his image.
Today, Americans have embraced “alternative facts.” In an earlier era, we would dismiss these assertions as the “Big Lie.” Hitler, like Trump, believed that endless repetition of a fictional statement would ultimately lead to millions feeling it was credible. Thus, his followers accepted his claims that Jews controlled the world’s media and political power structure. Just as bad, Hitler believed that Jews had different blood, and therefore for the sake of purity even Jewish children (1.5 million under the age of 6) should be slaughtered.
Conclusion
Edward R. Murrow, a broadcast journalist during World War II, said, “we must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. When the loyal opposition dies, I think the soul of America dies with it.” These words express my concerns.
