One disturbing and growing theme during the health care debate has been that far right conservatives are panning Obama is a socialist/un-American/Nazi who wants nothing more than to kill your grandmother. Of course, we on the left find this laughable if only because we remember the bad-old-days of the Bush administration.
Indeed, many on the left panned Bush as a Nazi and unabashedly screamed it at the top of our lungs at protests and rallies. Now, with a new party in power and new social policies being put into place, it almost should come as no surprise that the right shouts over what is wrong with where this country is headed.
Now, it is a fact that neither Bush nor Obama are or were Nazis, but I really do feel it behooves us to examine which side of the shouting match was more accurate:
Responses to Terrorism:
Hitler - In response to the Reichstag Fire, Hitler successfully calls on then President Hindenburg to enact the Reichstag Fire Decree – an act that suspended most civil liberties in Germany and was a political tool used by Nazis to gain political power.
Bush – In response to the September 11th attacks, the Bush Administration successfully enacts the USA PATRIOT Act – an act that reduced civil liberties in the United States and was often used by the Republican Party as a political tool.
Obama – Though currently stalled, the Obama Administration is attempting to close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center. The center holds prisoners of war for an indefinite period of time without receiving a trial.
Race:
Hitler – Subordination of various races, eventually leading to the Holocaust.
Bush – Questionable response to Hurricane Katrina leads the majority of African-Americans to question the Bush Administrations feelings toward race relations.
Obama – As the first African-American president, Obama often had to deal with race often and eventually spoke to the American people during his campaign about the issue in a frank and honest manor.
The Economy:
Hitler – Banned Labor Unions, initiated public works projects, placement of banks under strict government control.
Bush – Increased funding to the Department of Labor for the expressed purpose of enforcing the Landrum-Griffin Act, an act designed to monitor Union activity for legal wrong doing. During this time critics argue that new regulations are written to be intentionally confusing in order to make more unions violate the law.
Obama - Authorizes $144 Billion into public works projects in stimulus package and reenacts enforcement of post-depression era laws disregarded by the Bush Administration.
Foreign Policy:
Hitler – Withdrew from Geneva Convention, invaded countries without being provoked.
Bush - Unilaterally invaded Iraq after the United Nations stated that they would not support the war. Ignores various articles of the Geneva Convention stating that the war on terror was a new type of war where the old rules did not apply.
Obama – Starting the withdraw process of troops in Iraq and transferring many to Afghanistan, a war that the international community supports. International views of the United States have improved.
I am sure there are numerous examples that can be added to this…but I leave it up to you, dear reader, which president has followed more in Hitler’s goosestepping footprints?
Nice try, but no cigar, you left out a lot of the economy. Taking over auto dealers? controlling banks? trying to control energy and health care? oops you forget the biggies!
Obama didnt start the withdrawal process, Bush did, Obama is following the Bush plan to the T including moving more troops into afganistan…
No comments about the loss of civil liberties, race relations, or violation of Geneva convention Dave?
Curtis,
While it’s your right to say these things, and I completely support that, this post greatly offends me. You and I both know that I am by NO means a supporter of Bush, but to even pander to those extremists (many of them ARE in my party -Libertarian for those who don’t know-) it does nothing to enhance the logical debate between the two ideological chasms in America.
Hitler was a man who’s agenda cannot be compared to american politicians at all…anyway…I am just VERY disappointed in what I previously considered one of the most well written and logical Democratic blogs that I have read.
Dylan,
I think you missed the point of this post, and I am sorry about that.
I did not consider this pandering; both parties are stupid to shout the Nazi moniker. What I was attempting to do, in my own little way, make the hopping mad far-righters think a little bit more about the terms they use so freely.
And, to be fair, I was in a writing funk and this was the one thing that was bothering me.
Curtis,
I agree with you completely that both (I will say ALL, since my party probably has the highest percentage (like 10 of our 15 members
) that call politicians “nazis”.
However, I also think the way you tried to do this could be refined to an amazing blog rather than something that sounds more like “I’m rubber, you’re glue…” If you were to take the stated goals of Naziism or Hitler and contrast them purely with Obama’s policies it would be shown the humorous and horrible logic (or lack thereof) of those making the claims.
Anyway, I want to thank you for the clarification, I know you understand my point of view concerning the extreme political rhetoric in this country, especially concerning Naziism.
Ha ha! Why don’t you look a little deeper into who is calling who a “nazi.” Not to mention, much of the race-baiters are being revealed as Left-wing activists.
http://blogs.dailymail.com/donsurber/2009/08/06/hey-pelosi-i-found-your-swastika-bearing-protesters/
http://gawker.com/5312952/hate-speech-against-malia-obama-on-conservative-blogs-reported-by-hate-speech-planting-journalist
Let’s be honest. The Left is desperate because their healthcare “reform” is on the ropes. Therefore, when backed in a corner, they conveniently start making it all about race. As one liberal pundit remarked, “Socialist is a code-word… it’s the new N-word.”
What rubbish! The dialogue on race is consistently beginning and ending with the Left. How funny that the Speaker of the House can unjustly accuse protesters of Nazism and other members of Congress call these individuals “political terrorists,” yet once a chump like Rush Limbaugh opens his mouth and says the words “Nazi,” liberals and pundits are all over it like white-on-rice… oops, that wasn’t racist was it? I am a conservative after all.