As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1- that is, if an online discussion (regardless of topic or scope) goes on long enough, sooner or later someone will compare someone or something to Hitler or Nazism.
I’m normally loathe to introduce comparisons to Nazism, Hitler, or Nazi Germany into my writing. It’s rarely an appropriate or accurate comparison, and it’s so emotionally-laden that it’s a stunningly effective means of ending virtually any rational conversation/debate.
Seldom is the employment of any sort of Nazi analogies germane to the topic at hand. That said, it’s difficult not to look at Donald Trump’s campaign without seeing significant parallels. It’s something that should be deeply disturbing and of great concern to any American with a sense of history…which is exactly the problem. Most Trump supporters either don’t know and/or don’t give a damn about history- and thus have sealed their destiny to repeat it.
Listen to interviews with Trump voters, and what you hear could easily have been said by Germans prior to Hitler’s ascension to power. There’s the same tolerance for racism, bigotry, and generalized hatred of The Other. There’s the same willingness to tolerate coloring outside the lines if it serves the dominant narrative. Perhaps the most disturbing aspect is the malevolent, sometimes violent atmosphere at Trump rallies. The candidate himself has implicitly (in some cases, openly) advocated for his supporters assaulting those with the temerity to raise their voice in protest.
I’m not altogether comfortable with comparing Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler (though a more apt comparison might be Benito Mussolini), but neither is it something I can simply ignore. We’re living through a time when the presumptive GOP nominee has shown a distressing level of comfort with strong arm tactics…something his supporters also seem to have no problem with. What I find truly frightening is that many Trump supporters sound as if they’re transplants from a time when Hitler’s base wore brown shirts.
Mentioning Trump in the same breath as Hitler (or even Mussolini) may seem to some melodramatic, but for me it raises a question as simple as it is vital: Is this what Americans want their country to become?
