The use of Nazism for anyone who disagrees with those on the Left is repugnant. It is a lazy attack bereft of an understanding of Nazism. That said, the bizarre alt-right denial of the Reich is disturbing as well. The historian who went on Tucker's show claiming Hitler didn't have designs on expansion, but was forced to do so by the Allies, is shockingly ignorant. Fascism, like Marxism, is a derivative of Hegel. By its very nature, expansion and war are the goal. The series Man in the High Castle does a great job encapsulating this concept, with characters explaining that a planned war will bring about utopia. Such history reveals itself in unexpected places if one pays attention. A documentary on Russian ballet in the late 1800s references how Russia and France were briefly allies because of the threat posed by Germany with its military ambitions. The real problem is that no one says "Maoist" as a slur. The numbers killed by Marxist ideology dwarf those of Nazism. Unfortunately, intellectuals have ensured the young are kept ignorant of this truth.
Sadly, you’ve fallen for the “only Jews were killed by the Nazis” propaganda. Approximately 12 million civilians were killed, roughly half of them non-Jews.
Does this matter? Yes indeed; historical accuracy is important.
Stefan - I did note 'Jews and others' without going into detail. We know that Hitler went after Gypsies and homosexuals as well as any person that he felt inferior to his ideal, but the Jews were the primary target of the Holocaust. In addition, I specify 'the Holocaust' and not casualties of the war. European theater casualties can all be laid at Hitler's feet, but I do see a distinction between those deliberately targeted for genocide and those killed during Hitler's war.
Thank you for the response; my apologies for missing "and others." However, your wrap-up (Point 8) cites "over 6 million erased," which virtually everyone understands refers to Jews. Perhaps "over 12 million" would have been better (and more accurate)?
Appreciate the thoughtful comments. My perspective on the above is based on Colbert's comments and my interpretation of that. To my ears, the Nazi label as used by folks like Colbert is driven by the engineered genocide, rather than the total outcomes of the war. Nazis killed political opponents, prisoners of war, and civilians in combatant countries, but when I hear the idiot left make comparisons between ICE and Nazi's I assume they are comparing to the Nazi genocide specifically and not the entirety of Hitler's actions. Getting the left more education on WWII and the atrocities committed in both the European and Pacific theaters is well beyond the scope of my short article, although a very worthwhile endeavor!
I don’t watch tv talk shows so I’m relying on your summary of what Colbert said.
Am I correct that by “ engineered genocide” you are referring to the systemization of the deportation and mass gassing (which began in earnest with the Operation Reinhard camps in 1942)? Or are you referring to the entire genocidal scheme whose roots lie in the systematic targeting of German Jews through discrimination and persecution which began in the spring of 1933 with the first boycott attempts? Jews were disappeared into concentration camps(the Kristallnacht roundups being the first and most notorious example of this behavior) and into ghettos in Poland before the targeted elimination of European Jews commenced. My understanding is that Holocaust and genocide scholars consider these events as necessary predicates to the mass murder.
We may split hairs all day long about whether it’s accurate to compare the masked, armored and armed members of a national paramilitary force which assaults and disappears individuals— including infants and children—into “detention” camps where they lie in their own waste, are deprived of necessary and timely medical aid, clean food and water without due process under the US Constitution to Nazis.
Maybe a better comparison is to the paramilitary forces under the Brazilian dictatorship or the Argentine junta.
Does that clarification change the gravity of what is happening in the US?
The use of Nazism for anyone who disagrees with those on the Left is repugnant. It is a lazy attack bereft of an understanding of Nazism. That said, the bizarre alt-right denial of the Reich is disturbing as well. The historian who went on Tucker's show claiming Hitler didn't have designs on expansion, but was forced to do so by the Allies, is shockingly ignorant. Fascism, like Marxism, is a derivative of Hegel. By its very nature, expansion and war are the goal. The series Man in the High Castle does a great job encapsulating this concept, with characters explaining that a planned war will bring about utopia. Such history reveals itself in unexpected places if one pays attention. A documentary on Russian ballet in the late 1800s references how Russia and France were briefly allies because of the threat posed by Germany with its military ambitions. The real problem is that no one says "Maoist" as a slur. The numbers killed by Marxist ideology dwarf those of Nazism. Unfortunately, intellectuals have ensured the young are kept ignorant of this truth.
Well said! There aren’t many mainstream movies with Communists as the bad guys, either Russian or Chinese. (Any beyond “The Killing Fields”?)
Being crass, I used to ask is it the uniforms?
😂😂
Sadly, you’ve fallen for the “only Jews were killed by the Nazis” propaganda. Approximately 12 million civilians were killed, roughly half of them non-Jews.
Does this matter? Yes indeed; historical accuracy is important.
Stefan - I did note 'Jews and others' without going into detail. We know that Hitler went after Gypsies and homosexuals as well as any person that he felt inferior to his ideal, but the Jews were the primary target of the Holocaust. In addition, I specify 'the Holocaust' and not casualties of the war. European theater casualties can all be laid at Hitler's feet, but I do see a distinction between those deliberately targeted for genocide and those killed during Hitler's war.
Thank you for the response; my apologies for missing "and others." However, your wrap-up (Point 8) cites "over 6 million erased," which virtually everyone understands refers to Jews. Perhaps "over 12 million" would have been better (and more accurate)?
Appreciate the thoughtful comments. My perspective on the above is based on Colbert's comments and my interpretation of that. To my ears, the Nazi label as used by folks like Colbert is driven by the engineered genocide, rather than the total outcomes of the war. Nazis killed political opponents, prisoners of war, and civilians in combatant countries, but when I hear the idiot left make comparisons between ICE and Nazi's I assume they are comparing to the Nazi genocide specifically and not the entirety of Hitler's actions. Getting the left more education on WWII and the atrocities committed in both the European and Pacific theaters is well beyond the scope of my short article, although a very worthwhile endeavor!
I don’t watch tv talk shows so I’m relying on your summary of what Colbert said.
Am I correct that by “ engineered genocide” you are referring to the systemization of the deportation and mass gassing (which began in earnest with the Operation Reinhard camps in 1942)? Or are you referring to the entire genocidal scheme whose roots lie in the systematic targeting of German Jews through discrimination and persecution which began in the spring of 1933 with the first boycott attempts? Jews were disappeared into concentration camps(the Kristallnacht roundups being the first and most notorious example of this behavior) and into ghettos in Poland before the targeted elimination of European Jews commenced. My understanding is that Holocaust and genocide scholars consider these events as necessary predicates to the mass murder.
We may split hairs all day long about whether it’s accurate to compare the masked, armored and armed members of a national paramilitary force which assaults and disappears individuals— including infants and children—into “detention” camps where they lie in their own waste, are deprived of necessary and timely medical aid, clean food and water without due process under the US Constitution to Nazis.
Maybe a better comparison is to the paramilitary forces under the Brazilian dictatorship or the Argentine junta.
Does that clarification change the gravity of what is happening in the US?
Don't worry, it was just locker room talk. Rightwingers love locker room talk.