[fivecatsandadog]

Hopefully, history is not destined to be repeated.

[kidd]

I used to wonder how the German people of the early-1930s could blindly support such a horrible man.

But I think I’ve seen firsthand how it happened with Obama and his supporters.

Blind devotion is a dangerous thing.

[Darksheare]

History will repeat.

[infowarrior]

the new techniques of propaganda, building upon notions of 'heroic' leadership widespread in right-wing circles long before Hitler's rise to prominence.

Mr. Kershaw calls himself a historian, and proffers *THIS*? He is as much an employer of propaganda as the late Shickelgruber was. And *BOTH* are/were left wing, to boot!

the infowarrior

[98ZJ USMC]

Possibly, but this is bassackwards. Instead of liquidating a minority it’s pandering to a minority(s) and instead of strengthening the economy it’s weakening the economy. Wheras Hitlers’ strengthening played to his increasing popularity, the reverse is true here. A economic crash will turn his acolytes off real fast.

The question is: How long can the enemedia carry the water?

[cripplecreek]

I don't believe he was ever wildly popular among the German people. Maybe a 3rd were true believers, another 3rd just wanted to eat, and the remaining 3rd were too terrified to speak. After all, the guy only won a minor seat and political manipulations and deal making took him to real power.

Third Reich - The Rise (in their own words)

If anything, the nazis used things like manufactured consent to appear more popular than they were.

[johnny reb]

“Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” - Voltaire

[LucianOfSamasota]

Its chief elements were virulent anti-Marxism and the perceived need for a powerful counter to the forces of the Left

The National Socialists certainly opposed the 'Stalinist' Communists, but they were hardly enemies of Marxist theory. Strong central government control over means of production and government regulated distribution of rewards based upon a government perceived 'fairness' were intrinsic to the Nazi message. Neither free-market nor capitalist.

So, despite opposition to the 'Stalinist' Communists and Social Democrats, the Nazi's were merely a third socialist alternative.

[dfwgator]

Remember at the time, radio and newsreels were the new media, the Nazis were the first to realize the tremendous power this new media had to sway public opinion. Newspapers were the old technology, and the Nazis knew they had to break the monopoly of the newspapers (which they considered to be in the hands of Jews), in disseminating information. They understood the power of symbolism, and radio and newsreels could convey this in a much more powerful way than newspapers ever could.

[cripplecreek]

Some worthwhile reading.

Language of the Third Reich by Viktor Klemperer (Amazon)

Language of the Third Reich (downloadable freebie on Scibd)

In the book, Klemperer details how the nazis changed the language to manipulate the population. Think about the way the left uses "undocumented immigrant" in the place of illegal alien or how the word "militia" has been demonized in America.

[GeronL]

If this thing refers to Hitler as “right-wing”, I really don’t think I’d want to read it.

[Wuli]

“building upon notions of ‘heroic’ leadership widespread in right-wing circles long before Hitler’s rise to prominence”

I see - Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Ho Chi Mhinh, Castro, Che, Chavez of Venezuala, and others on the Left employed no such notions. Right?

Anymore myths from the Left?

[JoeFromSidney]

Jut from this essay, you'd never know that Hitler was a National Socialist and that Mussolini was a former editor of a socialist newspaper, who gave up on the Socialist Party and started his own, in order to achieve the goals of the Socialists.