Before you say this is over the top, read on.
Germans were very dispirited in the 1920s. They had lost WWI, the reparations demanded by the victors crippled the economy, inflation was so massive that money was literally worthless.
Then along came Hitler who preached that Germany was great and he wanted to make it great again. That they only lost the war because Germany was stabbed in the back by the German Jews. They were the enemy and had to be cleansed from the country.
He spoke as a person of towering strength and force. And Germans were ready for a strong leader to lift up Germany and make them feel good about themselves again.
The conservative leaders of Germany thought that Hitler was a maniac but that he could be controlled and wouldn't last long, so they supported him to advance their cause.
Hitler did make Germany powerful again, but only for a short time. Ultimately, he deceived the German people and plunged them into a nightmare (the physical destruction of Germany by bombing) that they could not have imagined. And those who thought they could control him found that they could not because he had the devoted support of the people.
Many Americans, mainly white middle-class workers, were dispirited as the 21st century began. Their lives had been turned upside down by globalization, the loss of jobs, and if they had one, stagnant wages; prices were rising. They saw the government paying attention to and drafting programs to help the poor and people of color, but nothing was being done to help them; they felt neglected.
Then along came Donald Trump. He wanted to make America great again and restore the middle class to what was rightfully their's. He blamed illegal immigration for taking away their jobs and bringing crime into their communities, ruining America. And so he planned to deport millions of them. He said that if he lost the 2024 election, the Jews would be to blame.
Trump spoke as a person of towering strength and force. He sounded outraged by what had happened to the middle-class worker and gave powerful voice to their grievances. The middle-class worker had lost all trust in the government and were ready to follow a powerful leader who would restore their rights. And he made then feel good about themselves again.
And so Trump could do no wrong. Whatever he said, they believed.
Other Republican leaders and officials realized his instability and failings, but they thought they could ride to power on Trump's coattails. Or they were scared of him. And upper class conservatives didn't care whether he had no character and was an inveterate liar because he espoused policies that they favored.
And so we are once again in an election season where the country and the world waits with breathless anticipation of the results, with either dread or hope. If Trump wins, there is no question in my mind that he will destroy the fabric of America and do great damage to our institutions of government. And that all those who supported him will come to realize what a mistake they made.
If and when that happens, they will say what Pastor Niemöller said about his enabling of the Nazi's in Germany: "First they came to get the Communists and I said nothing. Then they came to get the Jews and I said nothing. Now they have come to get me and there is no one left to speak out for me."
I hope Americans planning on voting for Trump see the truth before it's too late and vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
