History Lesson
by A. Joe Bias, Jr.
It would be helpful to reflect today on ordinary, moral German citizens back in the mid-1930s. In those times, they found a savior in a smooth-talking rabble-rouser from the streets, about whom the average German knew next to nothing. This man was associated with groups that shouted, shoved, and pushed around any folks with whom they disagreed. In the mid-1930s, this soon-to-be-dictator edged his way onto the political stage through great oratory and a multitude of empty promises.
Economic times were tough, people were losing jobs, and he was a great speaker. He smiled and waved a lot. And then he was duly elected to office during a full-throttled economic crisis [the Great Depression].
Slowly but surely he seized the controls of government power, department-by-department, person-by-person, bureaucracy-by-bureaucracy. The German kids joined a Youth Movement in his name, where they were all taught how and what to think.
How did he do this? How did he get so many people on his side? He did it promising jobs to the jobless, money to the moneyless, and goodies for the military-industrial complex. He did it by indoctrinating the children, advocating gun control, health care for all, better wages, better jobs, and promising to re-instill pride once again in their country, across Europe, and around the world.
He did it with a compliant media. And he did this all in the name of justice and change. Then he did it by fear and intimidation. And then the people got what they deserved – and what they naively voted for.
There were some Germans who objected back in 1933. But they were shouted down, called names, laughed at, and made fun of. And there were lots of average people, and even some newspapers, who were afraid to speak out for fear that his ‘brown shirts’ would bully them into submission.
Then in the late 1930s in the UK, Winston Churchill pointed out the obvious, while he was seated in the House of Lords (he was not yet Prime Minister). Although Churchill was correct in his concerns, he was booed back into his seat and called a crazy troublemaker.
Before Hitler took over,Germany was the most educated, most cultured country in Europe. Even in tough times, Germany led in industrial strength, music, art, museums, hospitals, laboratories, and universities. And then in less than six years — a shorter time span than just two terms of a US presidency — Germany was rounding up its own citizens, imprisoning and killing whoever they wanted to, abrogating their own laws, turning children against parents, and neighbors against neighbors. All with the best of intentions – the road to hell is paved with them.
Could this kind of nightmare happen again somewhere some seven decades later? Only if free speech and courage and resolve are abandoned. Only if good folks surrender to fear or anger or defeatism or apathy.
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