Brown Shirts

[BoSoxGal]

I'm sorry if somebody already posted this or referred to it, I've been too busy the past few days to keep up with all of the posts here. But just in case it hasn't been posted, I just really felt it was worth sharing:

Brown Shirts

In the 1920's a militia known as The Sturmabteilung, commonly called the SA or Brownshirts, was formed to provide "protection" for Nazi rallies. Their primary function was at first to keep protesters from disrupting Nazi political rallies, but the SA quickly expanded to intimidation through violence. The SA was composed of racists and anti-semites, thugs and brawlers, and nationalist fanatics determined to "take back" Germany for Germans and restore their country to its supposed former greatness. Elements of the SA disrupted the rallies and meetings of opposing political parties and predictably began a campaign of intimidation against elements of German society they deemed undesirable, such as immigrants, foreigners, gypsies, liberals, Leftists, unions, and in particular Jews. At first, they were unarmed, but very quickly the SA became the paramilitary branch of the Nazi party and their tactics evolved into open armed violence. In large part, Adolf Hitler was carried to power on the shoulders of the SA. Ultimately the SA gave birth to the Schutzstaffel, the infamous SS, which at Hitler's order turned on the SA and in a day of murder known as The Night of the Longs Knives purged it of any elements not fanatically loyal to the Reich.

Jump forward a century and remember the adage regarding those who forget history:

“Do you want to provide security protection to innocent people who are subject to harassment and assault by Far-left agitators? If so, you are welcome to join. That’s the mission - to protect innocents who can’t hire their own security guards.”

That's the mission statement of The Lion's Guard, a militia currently forming to "protect" Donald Drumpf from "far-left agitators."

Lion’s Guard said that their members would be unarmed, “but willing to forcefully protect people if need be. We are defensive, protective of innocents who are being beaten and harassed for their political views.”

Except for that part where the only innocents beaten and harassed at Drumpf rallies are those who protest Drumpf's message. The ones Drumpf supporters have called leftists and possible members of ISIS and enemies of the United States. Except for that part where Drumpf himself has threatened to send his followers to disrupt the rallies of his opponents.

Just like the Stormtrumper who threatened me yesterday via email, these people seem to believe that the First Amendment applies ONLY to them and their candidate. More, they believe threats, intimidation, and violence are acceptable responses to anyone who opposes them.

For the last 80 years, people have looked at the Nazis and Adolf Hitler and the atrocities committed by that horrifying regime, they've boggled at how a democratic civilized country could devolve into murder and genocide and madness, and asked over and over "how could something like that happen?" When it was over, when the Third Reich was finally defeated at the cost of millions of lives and devastation on a scale that defies comprehension, even the Germans themselves had no answer. If you look at the films and interviews from that time, ordinary Germans are stunned, shocked, ashamed, repulsed, and sickened by what they had wrought. Many still are to this very day. And we still ask, how could this happen?

How?

Inch by inch. Piece by piece. Goon by goon. Thug by thug. Speech by speech. Rally by rally. Fear by fear. Hate by hate. Until one day, Germany woke up to find their country had been stolen by madmen who promised to make them great again in a thousand years of glory - but instead led them to ruin and disaster in an orgy of blood.

That's how.

Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. Over and over.

~ Jim Wright, freelance writer, Palmer, AK

[Burning Petard]

Somebody here, also posted over in the now-abandoned Chat House, a link to Jim Wright and Stonekettle perhaps a couple of years ago. I have deeply appreciated that introduction. Altho my son complains Jim is too wordy.

Prompted by the research paper liked in another thread here about Authoritarianism, I have started a book cited therein--The Ambivalent Partisan by Lavine, Johnston, and Stenbergen. It begins with a quote from Trivers, 'The Folly of Fools'

A rational approach to the world is nuanced and grey capable of accommodating contradictions, all of which leads to
hesitancy and a lack of certainty. . . .An easy shortcut is to combine ignorance with straight-out endorsement of
ignorance--no signs of rational inquiry, but, more important, no signs of self-doubt or contradiction.

Amen.

snailgate

[wesw]

the leftist brownshirts shutting down trump and his supporters.

I agree, it s horrible.

[TPFKA@W]

these people seem to believe that the First Amendment applies ONLY to them

This is an extremely common theme among any political group, liberal or conservative.

I know a fellow who lives in LA and is as liberal as they go. He represents talent for a living. He is Jewish and Gay and lover Hilldabeaste til the other day when she said Nancy Reagan did good things about Aids. I am sure he is a decent human being in spite of the fact that his politics are way too liberal for my taste. The things I have read on his Facebook are just as appalling as this crap. At one point he and his following were plotting what they would have to do to shut up and shut down Trump. It included changing their voter registration to Republican just to vote for one of the others and doing, "whatever we have to". It's threatening and frightening.

We all need to take very deep breaths and get a grip before absolutely everything turns violent.

[BoSoxGal]

wesw, you're a good reminder of the pragmatic reality that some very nice people - some of them my relations, in fact - blindly followed Adolf Hitler into perpetrating genocide.

I don't think you're a bad person, but you are SERIOUSLY misguided, along with the millions like you who are enamored of Drumpf and his virulent hate speech, filled with ridiculous promises and ZERO actual substance, tailored for the sole purpose of pushing your fear buttons and earning your loyalty/vote, with no real regard for you, or the country.

SO. FUCKING. SAD.

[wesw]

you have no idea of what you speak.

apparently you come by it honestly tho...., the blind following I mean....

don t worry us easternshoremen are made of sterner stuff.....

if trump turns out to be a tyrant, you guys pitch in on the rifle and I ll shoot the bastard myself....

funny thing is ..., trump and sanders agree on sooooo many issues....

infra structure, trade, healthcare.....

trump may just fulfill YOUR agenda more than he will jim s.....



eta- swamp people is on now, so I have to go.....

[BoSoxGal]

Uh, no.

Sanders is NOT at all about hate. Drumpf is ALL hate, ALL the time.

Sanders says, if your child hurts, I hurt.

Drumpf says, go ahead and attack the people who are protesting my hate speech - I'll pay your legal bills when you are arrested/prosecuted.

You know the prosecutor in that Florida city is looking into prosecuting him for inciting a riot? I hope s/he does!

My larger point was about the banality of evil; the many, many good people who followed Hitler and turned a blind eye to the genocide.

Do you really think you are somehow better than all of them? It creeps up, wesw. Again, understand me - I am not calling you evil, I am not calling you a bad person. Again, understand me - I live my whole life with the knowledge that my uncles, aunts, cousins were actual, living, breathing NAZIs.

He who forgets history . . .

eta: The other critical difference between Sanders and Drumpf? Sanders offers substantive solutions to the problems that Americans, like those supporting Drumpf, suffer from. Solutions that are endorsed and lauded by over a hundred respected/top in their field economists. Solutions that have made socialist democracies like Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, etc. the best countries for business IN THE WORLD.

Drumpf offers only empty hate-filled platitudes like walls built by other countries (ha!), plans to kick out millions of undocumented immigrants, plans to prohibit entry to any Muslim from anywhere - there is NO substance. Where is the substance, wesw? Would you share it with us?

I certainly agree that Sanders is the better candidate for the people supporting Drumpf who care about economic opportunity, educational opportunity, income inequality, etc. Only the racists would stick with Drumpf if the rest would just take the time to truly understand Sanders and what socialist democracy really is. I'm honestly baffled to this day as to why a nice person like you isn't supporting Bernie, he offers more to you and your kin than Drumpf ever could.

[wesw]

I ve already shared it with big RR in another thread....

perhaps he will tell you, its not my fault that you don t pay attention to the issues and only follow, blindly, what your liberal outlets put before you.

I ve listened extensively to ALL of the candidates while you, obviously, have not.

[BoSoxGal]

I don't follow anyone blindly, wesw. And I have read almost every post you've posted about Drumpf and have yet to see substance, his detailed policy platform or any specifics recited by your from your detailed understanding of his policy platform, educated voter that you are.

I realize you don't know this about me, but now you will: I have a university degree in political science, with a focus in comparative politics. I was raised in a Republican family, still have the letter I received from President Ronald Reagan after I wrote him a congratulatory letter (age 10) upon his first election, and I voted most recently several times for Olympia Snowe, R, Maine.

I am no knee-jerk, reactionary liberal; I've come to my support of Sanders after a lifetime of educated observation of politics/social policies at work here AND in other countries, and an abiding belief that post-Citizens United this country will not work if we continue to play the same game we've been playing for the past 40 years, letting the rich get richer at the cost of everybody else's well being.

I'm truly not interested in being denigrated; I have consistently in this exchange repeated my assertions that you are a nice person who is merely misguided. You are going out of your way to be insulting to me in return, so I'll exit the conversation now. You clearly very much enjoy your closed mind; I can only hope you are very sorely disappointed either a) by the results of the Republican convention, or b) by the general election returns.

Good day to you, sir.

eta: I have explored the websites of every candidate, I have watched every debate and numerous interviews/press conferences with candidates both D and R, I have read extensively in media as varied as WSJ to The Nation. I'm confident I'm a very well-informed voter and I dare say a whole lot better informed that somebody who seems to limit his media consumption to FAUX news.

[wesw]

and don t forget that you were one credit short of that ornithology/zoology/ degree......

don t be a prey bird....

the eagle loved to talk. the eagle would talk and talk, from sunrise til sunset....

....then one day the eagle learned to fly.

he spoke no more....

his flight spoke for him (or her..., whatever...)

[BoSoxGal]

I didn't say one credit, wesw, I said one semester.

That is entirely true; I'm very proud of my academic career and would have no qualms whatsoever about scanning and posting my transcripts here, sans SS# of course.

I earned a B.A. in Political Science AND another B.A. in English (NOT a dual major, two entirely separate degrees), with a concentration/minor in Women's Studies, in 5 years' time - which is about how long it takes the majority of undergrads to earn a single B.A. or B.S. Why did I earn two full B.A.s? Because I had SO MANY CREDITS from being only one semester shy of a Zoology degree. Does the math make sense now?

I earned those two degrees with minor while working at least part-time during the regular academic year, and full-time every summer. I took summer session courses every year in addition to completing 15-18 credits every single semester, except the one semester when I decided to change my focus from the sciences - Zoology - to the humanities, PoliSci & English, + Women's Studies.

I did so because despite my love for the sciences, I found the misogyny and/or sexual harassment I encountered in the lab positions I held as an undergrad to be intolerable. I also found too many of my fellow pre-med classmates to be overly competitive assholes; the cosmic joke is that I then ultimately ended up in the company of law students/lawyers.

I graduated magna cum laude from the University of Maine, Orono. They still have some blurbs about me in the promotional literature online, I think. My stellar academic record, coupled with LSAT score in the 98th percentile, is what earned me acceptance to a handful of the best law schools in the country - University of Virginia, University of Chicago, University of Michigan, Georgetown University - despite earning my degrees from a run-of-the-mill land/sea grant university.

I'm no egomaniac; I'm a person who has suffered incredible insecurity my entire life thanks to abusive and/or emotionally withdrawn parenting - authoritarian parenting style, in the words of child development experts.

When I talk about my academic accomplishments, I don't have any reason to inflate them - they are what they are and again, let me know if you want me to send you a transcript or post one here, m'kay?

But I'm glad you don't disappoint; just like Romney predicted the attacks Drumpf would make on him for his criticisms, you attack me personally for my criticisms of your candidate. Thanks for being at very least predictable!

[Econoline]

Mike Godwin himself on Godwin's Law:

Sure, call Trump a Nazi. Just make sure you know what you’re talking about.
The inventor of "Godwin's Law" about Hitler comparisons on the Internet says they're not always inappropriate.

First, let me get this Donald Trump issue out of the way: If you’re thoughtful about it and show some real awareness of history, go ahead and refer to Hitler or Nazis when you talk about Trump. Or any other politician.
[...]
To be clear: I don’t personally believe all rational discourse has ended when Nazis or the Holocaust are invoked. But I’m pleased that people still use Godwin’s Law to force one another to argue more thoughtfully. The best way to prevent future holocausts, I believe, is not to forbear from Holocaust comparisons; instead, it’s to make sure that those comparisons are meaningful and substantive. This is something a pleasantly surprising percentage of commentators in this political season have managed to do (like this piece on Trump by New America and CNN analyst Peter Bergen). And I’m pleased in any season to see more people revisiting the history books.

Interesting (and timely) piece from WaPo. (Clickee linkee to read the whole thing.)

[kmccune]

I dont think Trump will be the panacea some Conservatives hope are hoping for . (BTW Rush caused me to jump ship from the Right Wingers ,just because one may have a liberal bent ,doesnt indicate stupidity )

[wesw]

kev, I certainly don t see trump as a panacea . he scares the hell out of me..

it s either him or surrender to the barbarians at the gate

hell, even the freakin' French are clearing out the Calais jungle....

econo, the Washington post was my favorite paper for twenty years. it went waaay downhill years ago and I stopped reading it.

now, under Bezos, it is little more than a partisan rag. it no longer is a place to find truth or a reliable fount of knowledge.

it is an arm of the left, allied with moveon.org, soros, and or everyone who wishes that the little people would be good little yes men.

it is Al-Jazeera lite.....

trump and sanders are the best things to happen to this country in a long time, if only because they have reinvigorated democracy in our stale and corrupt republic and because they have caused a renewed education and interest in our nation and its founding priciples

they are our saviors

sanders seems good and wonderful, but he is not. he is blowing rainbows and unicorns up the butts of the naïve ....

trump seems evil, but he is not, he is throwing un pleasant truth in our faces....

it is hard to tell good from evil these days, and good men will be fooled, perhaps I am fooled...

...I can only take the path that seems right to me and pray that I have chosen wisely

[Long Run]

Various groups of Obama supporters or workers in programs started by him have similarly been called brown shirts. Likening them to the Nazi Germany enablers and goons was ridiculous as are the comparisons to Trump. Worse, though, these inflammatory and skewed comparisons work to Trump's advantage, creating more media and more victimhood for him.

[Lord Jim]

Geez, for the second time in as many days, I'm being forced to defend Donald Trump...(yuck)

Having found that 90% plus of what the Alaskan based left-wing crank Jim Wright writes is either distorted, exaggerated, taken out of context, or just plain bollocks, the first thing I do when I see something from him posted around here is engage in some fact checking...

When it comes to hyperbolic histrionics, Mr. Wright rarely disappoints, and he certainly didn't in this case...

The OP contains a lovely history lesson, but the total sum and substance of this "Lion's Militia" "forming" consists of one tweet from an account created by an anonymous individual that was later deleted...

That's it...beginning and end of story...

And from this, Mr. Wright weaves an ominous tale of a new American SA marching down Main St....

It's funny, (but not surprising) but if you go and Google about this you will find right-wing fringe blogs and left-wing fringe blogs (like Jim Wright's) all excited about this one tweet "militia group"...

But what you won't find is a single word about it from any legitimate news source...because there ain't enough to it to qualify as actual news...(Yeah I know, everybody from the cable news channels, the network news departments, The Washington Post, The New York Times, etc, etc, are all in a conspiracy to hide this great threat...)

This is yet another example (like the brouhaha about the supposed "Nazi salutes" at Trump rallies) of a completely unnecessary attempt to pump up bogus stuff to go after Drumpf with when there's an Everest-sized mountain of legitimate crap to attack him for...

If I want to go after Trump for the ways in which he seeks to threaten American democracy, there is no shortage of material...

His desire to change laws to silence press critics, his admiring comments about the WW II era Japanese Internment Camps, his plans to ban people from the country based on their religious faith, his plan to kick in doors all over the country to locate and forcibly deport 11 million people, his plan to deny citizenship to people born in this country, etc, etc, etc....

I don't need a one tweet story about a bogus "Militia"...

[Sue U]

If I want to go after Trump for the ways in which he seeks to threaten American democracy, there is no shortage of material...

His desire to change laws to silence press critics, his admiring comments about the WW II era Japanese Internment Camps, his plans to ban people from the country based on their religious faith, his plan to kick in doors all over the country to locate and forcibly deport 11 million people, his plan to deny citizenship to people born in this country, etc, etc, etc....

On this I agree with you 100%.

[Lord Jim]

Not even the openly Liberal/Left news operations with any claim to "mainstream" cred...

Like The Huffington Post, The Daily Beast, even The Nation...

are wasting any time with this "Lion's Militia" BS...

[rubato]

"...

I am no knee-jerk, reactionary liberal;... "

A what?


yrs,
rubato

[rubato]

Jim Wright is generally more intelligent and perceptive than this.


Trump is an idiot who has carefully selected his rhetoric to appeal to the lowest common denominator of voters, Republicans. They don't require reason, logic, anything resembling a cogent prescription because they have been fed on idiotic slogans for so long they don't know what a reasonable theory of government is.

I'm the real conservative.
Cut taxes and revenues go up. (The tax pledge says that you can only turn the handle one way.)
Immigration is our biggest problem.
Kynect isn't Obamacare.
Whatever Obama does is wrong (until we're in office).
Deficits are the Devil (until we're in government and turn a surplus into a deficit).
People who have never been in government always know more than those who have.

yrs,
rubato