In my last post, I discussed
the broad strategies of the Nazi Party of the 1930’s related to the takeover of
a small town in central Germany; the town of Northeim, as told in the book, “The
Nazi Seizure of Power” by William Sheridan Allen. Author Allen told us about some of the
strategies used, and I summarized them under four large headings: 1) Use Outside Threat(s), 2) Use False Hope, 3) Send in the Storm
Troopers, and 4) Seize Complete Control.
In today’s post, it is important to explore the tactics used by the
Nazis at the grass-roots level, in order to bring that town, and all of
Germany, within its complete control.
It is of great importance in
our current circumstances to illuminate the one weapon used most effectively by
the Nazis, and that is the engendering of reactions that further their
cause. The point cannot be over-blown
that what ISIS counts on in terms of their strategies and tactics is the
reaction of those who are on the receiving end of their threats. They must be overjoyed by what they have
seen, particularly in the United States.
In France and Europe, they are witnessing a growing concern to restrict
air travel, to tighten entry surveillance, to ramp up all kinds of additional surveillance,
and to lessen the restrictions on search and seizure. It is quite similar to the reactions of the
Bush administration after 9/11. The more
reactions they provoke that instill fear and restriction of freedom, the closer
they are to their goal of total control.
More to the point, ISIS must
be absolutely exuberant over the Xenophobia exhibited by most of the Republican
presidential candidates (along with a majority of Governors and a huge
majority of the House Representatives who pushed legislation to keep Syrian
refugees out of the country for now).
The candidates and their followers have issued all kinds of warnings and
actions regarding keeping Syrians from crossing our borders for fear that some
of them may be Jihadist terrorists. Calling for substantial boots on the ground
in Syria, as well as taking restrictive and prejudicial actions against
Muslims, are additional actions and attitudes that serve the Jihadists’
cause. Take just the one example of
about eight Syrian refugees (including four
children) who presented themselves at the Mexican-US border in Texas. That circumstance was immediately used by
Donald Trump (and others) as a foregone conclusion that they could be
terrorists. Turns out, they were
families with children who presented themselves to authorities rather than
crossing undetected (i.e. illegally).
One point: those who react with threats of war and
threats of more surveillance and repressive actions that reduce individual
rights are playing right into the hands of the terrorists, as the citizens of
Germany did with the Nazis of long ago.
The over-reactors like Trump
and Carson are cultivating the possibility of new members for the very
terrorist cells that they want to destroy.
They lay the groundwork for recruitment of new Jihadist members by
lumping all Muslims into the terrorist camp, and especially referring to refugees as "rabid dogs." Those outcomes are exactly what the Nazis wanted, and are a tremendous
help to the Jihadi terrorists in preparing the groundwork for attitudes upon
which they can build. Let us, then, not
support those who unwittingly support the terrorists by their words and
actions. Creating fear, suspicion,
xenophobia and repression is not helpful, and the radical Republicans fail
miserably in understanding that their reactions are helping to build the ISIS
movement.
In addition, we have to point
out the obvious: the problem is not with Syrian refugees. There were no Syrian
refugees involved in the latest attacks in Paris. And,
of the 2,000 Syrian refugees accepted into our country since 2011, NONE have
been arrested or deported for terrorism! The real problem is the fertile ground in
which home-grown terrorists are being cultivated (recruited and trained) by
ISIS for terrorist activity. And that
problem is exacerbated by xenophobic congressmen and women, and Republican
presidential candidates (and others) who scapegoat innocent refugees (75% of
whom are women and children). The
engendering of fear, hatred and scapegoating is a betrayal of our core American
values. It is also a classic tactic
utilized by radical rightists in their quest for absolute power. We should have learned this long ago.
With some editorial comment
from me, I hope this posting will enable you to detect the parallel actions of
radical Right Republicans and of Jihadi terrorists as compared with Nazis of
the 1930’s. Most recent events and past
atrocities have indicated the fascist tendencies of ISIS and reactions to some
of those events and their consequences have also shown more clearly what stripes
are being carried by the Right-wing radicals of the Republican Party. Here are a few of the Nazi tactics that
deserve your scrutiny and understanding in relation to our own national
circumstances.
- Incessant propaganda – Republican radicals are particularly adept at
this with unified themes and emphasis right down to the synchronized wording
used by local operatives. Not only
do they make use of propaganda to convince an unthinking public of their
beliefs and policies, they use lies and manufactured crises and threats to
put fear in voters’ lives and misconceptions into their heads. Just
like Jihadi Terrorists, radical Republicans use this tactic to recruit new
members as well.
- Keep records – of all kinds: who attends meetings; topics that work; numbers in
the audiences, etc. Donald Trump’s
suggestion for a database to track Syrian refugees (and other Middle
Easterners) fits exactly into this tactic, as do special ID cards
suggested by others.
- Adapt message to audience – adapt to public interests and what works. Pandering to their ultra-conservative
base is something most right-wing Republicans do best.
- Castigate the opposition and keep doing it; use violence when necessary or
expedient. One mechanism that
worked well in Northeim was a weekly Nazi newsletter that contained
furious attacks on the communists and the city council. Jihadists tend to use electronic means
and Republicans tend to use TV, especially Fox News, but are now using
electronic social media and databases at a more effective level. There are many examples of this from
Republicans, but none as graphic and hate-filled as their acknowledged excoriation
of President Obama at every opportunity.
- Project an image of fervent patriotism and avid militarism. Radical Republicans use this tactic whenever possible because Americans are generally receptive to it, as it is an integral part of the American experience. Donald Trump may be the epitome of tough talk that spurs nationalistic fervor, but John McCain has always been the stirrer of the pot when it comes to war-talk. This last week, Republicans took advantage of two circumstances that presented themselves: the terrorist bombings in Paris and the rejection of Syrian refugees in some 31 states, culminating in the House passage of restrictive legislation pertinent to Syrian refugees. Such reactions were nothing more than bluster as most military solutions proposed by the Republicans for battling the terrorists have already been implemented by President Obama. State restrictions on refugees are nothing more than symbols of toughness because Governors have no say over federal law that governs what happens with those seeking asylum or protection in this country. Nonetheless, they serve to promote nationalism and militarism.
- Send in the Stormtroopers – demonstrations of strength and violence are
intimidating to most, and attractive to some. Terrorism works to impress certain
groups which is why the Troopers attended most Nazi rallies in their
brown-shirt uniforms.
Radical Republicans don’t support gun violence just
because they support the 2nd amendment right to own firearms. They also support secret and not-so-secret
militias; unrestricted carry and self-defense laws, and guns for children. They vigorously support the idea that the
more people carrying guns, the better prepared they are to fight off an
out-of-control central government. Their
main objective is not a second amendment right to own a gun, but having the
ability and power to take over a government that challenges their views, their
politics and their way of life.
- Support and infiltrate local governments and offices – important to Nazi takeover and to
radical Republican takeover (they have already made gains in municipal
areas by running for school boards, councils and legislatures).
- Pick on an enemy (or scapegoat) – choose one that others will
also identify as a problem –like Jews in Europe, illegal immigrants in
America, and Christians or Israelis in the Middle East. Just recently, Republicans chose to make
the Syrian refugees the target of their villainous Xenophobia, potentially
denying thousands of young families the ability to seek the safety and
protection of this land. At least twenty-eight Republican governors actually have led the fight to
exclude those refugees from their states, in defiance of federal law, and
50 Democrat Representatives in the House just supported Republican passage
of a bill that will do just that, but the President has vowed to veto.
- Join local organizations and movements and then promote and proclaim
one’s own philosophy and cause(s) at every opportunity. Ever been to a school board meeting or a
coalition of churches where right-wingers are in abundance and are
attempting to impose their beliefs on everyone present? It’s not pretty.
- Use religion as a pawn—the Nazis warned the faithful to beware of
fundamentally anti-church socialists and communists who were
atheists. They also excoriated the Weimar Republic which they said leaned toward communism and therefore
would damage the Christian (Lutheran) church. Sound familiar? Republicans constantly warn their
Evangelical friends to be wary of the anti-Christian and socialist
leanings of the national government.
Voter restrictions to combat voter fraud, walling off borders, abortion and same-sex marriage have been lead
subjects for Republicans – why? Because
they know this is the way to garner solid support from middle class
church-goers for what is essentially an immoral approach to denying homosexuals,
African-Americans and Hispanic Americans (particularly Mexicans who
cross our border illegally) as well as poor women and children certain benefits
and rights to which they are entitled. The Republican support for the county
clerk in Kentucky who refused to issue marriage licenses to gay couples on
religious grounds is the epitome of this kind of manipulation of religion. For Ultra-Rightists, Religion
is a means to an end: a very useful pawn in their battle for control of
people’s lives and their votes.
- Organize to assist workers and others down on their luck – when the
depression got worse, the Nazis organized a soup kitchen to feed the
unemployed but went even further to provide bed and shelter for those in
need of a place to stay. This tactic
is well-known to both Radical Republicans and to Jihadists who have done
similar “good works” in their respective areas. It is a tactic and not charity, for
they expect to recruit new members from such activities, much like the
evangelical missionaries of a by-gone day and certain faith communities
today. The pandering of Republican
presidential candidates to the pressing needs of the working class is
another example of this. What they plan to do when in office is quite
different, for they plan to destroy the programs and policies that aid the
“unwashed” and the “unworthy” (read their budgets!).
- Emphasize youth membership and give them very visible things to accomplish
– by keeping its activities as much social and adventurous as political,
the Hitler Youth groups for boys and for girls made a lasting impression
on its members and on the community.
Republicans are paying special attention to religion-affiliated
colleges where more right-wing students can be found to join the Young Republicans.
- Destroy trust in government and its leaders – the Nazis attacked and vilified a particular
senator in the Civic Association of Northeim. They did it for a reason that explains
why Republican radicals vilify and downgrade government and prominent
office-holders every chance they get. It’s also why they themselves act in
a seemingly raucous and mean-spirited manner. It is clear that radical Republican
debasing of the political process and of the leadership of that process
(including the President, the Majority Leader of the Senate and the former
Speaker of the House) has produced a repugnance among the citizenry for
the whole process of governing.
This attitude exists to the extent that a majority of Republican
voters now favor outsiders (non-politicians) as their candidates for President
in 2016. The chief effect of the
blockages, disharmony, disarray; the partisan bickering and the relentless
attacks on President Obama is not to turn people away from a particular
Party necessarily, but to undermine the People’s trust and respect for
government itself and for its leaders.
Why? Because that very distrust and disgust can be used by a
radical group to worm its way into power with a promise to make everything
right through a strong authoritarian leader (Hitler, by the way, was a
definite outsider and so were many of the local Nazi leaders!).
- Use and abuse the election process to win offices and to gain control. This must be a never-ending pursuit and the Nazis did so over decades until elections were no longer needed. Gerrymandered districts, Super-PACs, attacks on voter registration and ability to vote, plus attempts to manipulate the actual returns and voting processes are all ways that Republican radicals have used and abused the election process. The fact that the Supreme Court has joined in this strategy by approving legal bribery in their Citizens United decision is abominable.
