Blog#189- 2/3/24
Blog#189- 2/3/24
NEVER FORGET
By
Richard Davis
Should we continue to remind people of what an evil, manipulating and dangerous sociopath Donald Trump is? His followers will never accept any form of truth and the rest of us are living in fear of him becoming President again.
I was reminded of the statement by German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemoller. At first he sympathized with many of the ideas in Nazi Germany, but when Hitler came to power he became a critic and ended up in prison. His words are as relevant today as they were in Nazi Germany.
“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.”
Losing our freedom can happen quickly. Holocaust Remembrance Day, on January 27, is the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp and the murder of 6 million Jews. As that day passed this year my thoughts pushed me in the direction of Trump.
When you grow up in a Jewish home where there are connections to the Holocaust you are taught that we must not forget what happened in Nazi Germany, because if we do then we risk the repeat of another Holocaust.
Sadly, there have been smaller examples of other kinds of Holocaust around the world since World War II. The list is long and sad and it is overwhelming to think that the world may have learned very little from the Holocaust.
Some people may say that it is an exaggeration to compare Trump to Hitler or Mussolini, but when I watch movies and read books about World War II I see an immediate connection of Trump to Hitler. The rhetoric is the same. Both men fanned the flames of racism and tried to make people believe that some human beings are more worthy than others.
Trump has become so brazen that he is using some of the same phrases and language that Hitler used and he is making it clear that he wants to rule with an iron hand and dismantle the form of government we have.
He has become even more unhinged than he was when he first ran for President and he is laser focused on revenge against anyone who does not support him. His entire campaign is based upon revenge and the hope that he can turn the Justice Department and the U.S. military into his private army.
We cannot take this maniac lightly. We cannot ignore him, because if we do we will end up just that much closer to a world where human life has no value and the twisted beliefs of one man will destroy our freedom, our economy and our way of life.
These are not exaggerations. Take the time to do some research and listen to what Trump is saying at rallies and on social media. We are under a very real threat and if people who are sensible and understand the truth do not vote in large numbers we risk losing our democracy.
Is it important to understand what Trump's rank-and-file supporters think?
“Wise men learn more from fools than fools from the wise.”
Do you have a MAGA friend, or are MAGA “true believers” not worth getting to know and understand? Do you have a MAGA relative, whom you dismiss as too crazy to bother discussing things with? Why did Karl Marx say: “Nothing human is alien to me”?
Lost cause?
I have several friends that have been absorbed into this maga/conspiracy theory nuttery stuff. trump is honest..trump won the election..Chem Trails are real and are being sprayed daily…the “rapture” is real and coming soon..I could go on.
Its hugely disturbing. I don’t know how to deal with it. I avoid these people now.
A quote from somebody smarter than me. …”Proving once again that when delusion becomes reality, facts become insults”.
What are the underlying dynamics?
In suggesting engaging with our MAGA neighbors, I meant at a deeper level than arguing over misinformation and facts and trying to convince them that they are wrong. I do not suppose that every MAGA “true believer” is the same, anymore than everyone on the left walks in lockstep with one another.
So what do I mean by engaging at a deeper level? I mean getting to understand what matters to that person, what motivates them. Does it not make a difference whether someone just wants an excuse to hate, or if that person is honestly convinced that they need to defend the values that we hold dear from a genuine threat?
It was a revelation to me when I realized that a MAGA acquaintance, whose constant warnings of conspiracies can be really annoying, was hungry for genuine friendship. Had I written him off as someone to avoid completely instead of putting my own argumentativeness aside long enough to pay attention and get to know him as a human being; I would never have realized that a major element of his MAGA allegiance is the feeling that he is close with other people who have similar believes. It is a substitute for genuine friends, but better than nothing.
How many people on the left who uncritically follow leaders and mindlessly spout “the party line,” are no different?
Against all odds, gradually building trust, both my MAGA friend and me have become close. Both of us are learning from each other what genuine friendship is about. While we have deep political and social disagreements, each of us respects one another’s integrity. Deluding oneself that “these people” have nothing of value to share, and lacking decent human qualities, are best avoided, is — I hate to say it — smug.
Your more articulate than I am by leaps and bounds. I
Your more articulate than I am by leaps and bounds. I get tired of listening to people lie.