For a while now many have been comparing contemporary American politics to the Nazis. While it is wise to understand warnings from history, it's also important to keep in mind what has changed. Sure, you can make some basic generalizations about broad strategies like scapegoating, demonization of the media and loss of due process. Those are all certainly important things to keep in mind as we move forward. Nonetheless, I think it's also important to understand what's different now. Let's consider three things that are not the same: population and demographics, instant mass communication and 200 years of democratic government. There are probably more and this is to get the discussion going on how history will not repeat itself.
In the early 1930s, Germany's population was around 67 million. Most were Germans along with a handful of minority groups. The culture was very homogeneous. That's very different from the US population of the 2020s. We are a nation of around 340 million. While the main language used here is English, there are hundreds of other languages spoken here from all over the world. There are a wide variety of different cultures here in the US: Amish, Mormons, Latino, Cajun along with dozens of immigrant communities. This only scratches the surface. Whether you agree or not is irrelevant, we are a very diverse nation. Now let's add a new layer, modern mass communication.
The days of newspapers, theater newsreels and radio news are all but gone. We now have the double-edged sword of instant mass media where anyone with a cell phone can broadcast events as they are happening. The state no longer has a monopoly on the narrative. And let's not forget ubiquitous surveillance cameras almost everywhere now. That makes it harder to hide things. Yes, we do have a mass media that has consolidated around five large corporations but let's not forget the numerous independent people and organizations reporting and commenting on news. While it is not impossible for lies to pass as truth, I think it is much more difficult now. That's why it's a good idea to not take a so-called breaking story as the truth. Be patient and check back in a day or two to get a better feel for what really happened. But that's a discussion for another time. Overturning 200 plus years of democratic government is a tall order for a four year presidential term.
The Office of the President does not have that kind of power. He or she cannot simply dissolve the legislative branch and the judicial branch. So-called executive orders are not writs of a king and can be challenged and overturned. Elections are not run by the federal government but rather the States. Gerrymandering can only get you so far and as we are now seeing can be countered by the opposing party. Texas and California are redrawing their election maps in a bid to see who controls the US House come 2026. When the Republicans lose, they will of course jump up and down crying election fraud! Unless they have actual evidence, the courts will not play along. Trump and his sad band of ghouls are becoming more and more unpopular by the day. Elections still matter, at least for now.
There are other differences as well such as Germany having to pay massive war reparations and suffering from hyperinflation. That said, the warning from history should not go unheaded. Democracies indeed can become authoritarian. The current regime is doing catastrophic damage to the US and it will take years if not decades to undo. Take heart in the mass protests we are seeing all across the country almost every weekend. Remember, democracy dies only if we choose to let it.
