Editorial: First They Came... A Reminder For Us All

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When Adolf Hitler came into power in Germany in the 1930s, nobody believed he could do the damage that he would later do.

The German population, angry about jobs and the economy among other things, decided to blame everything on minorities instead of trying to understand the many factors that go into such a situation.

Now, today, we're at a similar crossroads.

We see millions of angry voters claiming they're not racist as they lynch the effigy of the first black U.S. president.

We see people dressed in Confederate flags talking about the need to take their country back, even though regardless of qualifications, they still make more than nearly all minorities on average.

We see the Ku Klux Klan and David Duke for the first time in recent history putting their full support behind a mainstream presidential candidate, and the candidate initially refused to disavow that support.

We see the media act like they could have never imagined this -- as they day-in and day-out try to normalize the views of the Alt-Right, spewed by hateful individuals who until recently only existed in the shadows.

And now, they're likely to be part of the most powerful cabinet on earth.

We see kids in the schoolyard taunting their minority classmates, yelling "build the wall."

We see Muslims scared to go outside for what may happen to them, and Latinos, regardless of immigration status, afraid of deportation forces.

Yet we let it happen, and we assume it will never happen to us.

Hillary Clinton was a horrible candidate. And there's no doubt that a lot of people who voted against her did so because of that.

But a large number voted based on hate and racism. And it's now time for all of us to reject the hate.

If you walk the buildings of Auschwitz in Poland, you see a room full of eyeglasses -- the eyeglasses of the murdered.

And you see a room full of shoes -- the shoes of the murdered. And you remember how Germans simply stood by as they watched their neighbors being carted off to death.

We recall the words of Martin Niemoller (who wrote several versions of this):

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out--

Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out--

Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--

Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak for me.

The updated version writes itself.

Everyone hates Nazi parallels, but sadly, this was how things began. And it was how things began with the Yugoslavian Genocide.

And it was how things began with many African genocides. And as much as we like to think we're better, it was how things began with many Middle Eastern governments (albeit sometimes with a little help from our CIA).

It's time to admit the Nazi parallel is not far off.

The new president may not be Hitler -- and there's pretty good evidence he isn't (like his prior support for universal healthcare, Syrian refugees, etc.).

But as you can see in interviews, a large swath of his base do seem like the Germans of the 1930s.

And the media, and the people need to internalize that.

Wanna read more on this? Check these out: Who are Parker Rand Ricciardi and Edward Tomasso? (more); 'The Young Turks' Cenk Uygur Blasts Democrats, Will 'Shred' The Establishment (Watch) (more); The Young Turks' (TYT) Ana Kasparian Grills Obama Crony David Axelrod with Tough Questions (more); The Young Turks Interviews Nutcase Who Thinks Trump Is Incarnation of God (more).

And here are some more related articles: 'The Young Turks': Trump Fan Says Jesus, Trump Against Women Leaders (Watch) (more).

NOZ.de