Viewpoint: 2024 American election not unlike 1932 Germany
David James
The world has seen a similar situation before. A charismatic demagogue with a God complex leads a populist and authoritarian movement by claiming to be the savior of the people. This leader taps into the resentment and hostility of a disaffected population and directs this disaffection unto others. When leaders do this, they show themselves to be pathological. Their ideas spread to like-minded people, infecting an entire nation.
When this happens, the country experiences a crisis of democratic norms and the public becomes depressed. Instead of putting an end to this malignancy; the public becomes helpless. Instead of stopping this threat to democracy and rule of law, the legal system enables it. “Responsible” leaders don’t take this threat seriously thinking they can profit from this leader and movement and ride it out to their benefit. This leader increasingly encourages violence as they undermine to bring down existing democratic institutions.
Many Americans who have been paying attention realize that denial of Trump’s authoritarian instincts is a mistake. The similarities between the rise of Adolph Hitler and Nazis and Donald Trump and MAGA are stark. The upcoming election America faces our own pivotal moment in history that decides the future of our republic. Like Hitler, Trump is a once-in-generation political leader; however, the parallels between America and Weimar Germany are uncanny. Legislative gridlock, political polarization, a deluge of incendiary fake news stories, hateful discourse, and scapegoating others.
MAGA republicans, like the National Socialists, are in a significant minority. Hitler would be very pleased with this support. However, our institutions are stronger than those of 1930 Germany. We also have history’s lessons to help guide us. In the past few weeks, the political landscape has changed. Prominent Republicans now join Democrats to stop this movement.
Yet, similarities remain: Hitler lost his 1932 presidential election by 6 million votes, went to court to have the results overturned amid claims of voter fraud. Trump loses the 2020 election by 7 million votes, then goes to court amid claims of voter fraud. Both cases were dismissed. Trump said he would be dictator for a day and vowed vengeance on his political enemies. Hitler promised a thousand-year Reich and vowed revenge on his political opponents. He succeeded in the Night of Long Knives. In the run-up to the November 1932 election, Hitler, like Trump, urged followers, “Es wird wild weden,” (it will go wild).
Hitler often referred to America’s past: Jim Crow, slavery, and Indigenous genocide as justification and inspiration. In 2016, JD Vance called Trump “America’s Hitler.” Many Americans often exercise willful blindness to our ugly past and cannot grasp the comparisons. It has and it can happen here. Vote accordingly.