Come together

I was reading an article in the Atlantic Magazine today about the rise of Hitler.

There were some notable similarities between his rise to power and what is taking place today.

No, this isn’t another Trump is Hitler rant.

This is more about just a couple of similarities.

The first is the money.

Hitler had the persona that attracted a certain type of person.    He was a persuasive speaker.  He didn’t have money.

Rich businessmen gave him money in exchange for various levels of power.

We see this with Trump.  Just look at the billionaires lined up behind him to pay their respects during the inauguration.  Musk is easily the biggest example.  Musk bought Twitter then used it to help buy Trump’s election.  Even today, Musk uses his wealth to keep Republican members of Congress in line.  He threatens to support their opponent in the next primary if they dare to cross Trump.

The second thing, and the one I find most interesting, is the “Intent to Divide.”

There was an intentional campaign, often filled with lies and misinformation, that was designed to pit one side of the public against the other.

Like you, I have always heard of the divide and conquer saying but this really struck home.

The reason they used this policy was to “Hollow out the middle.”  They eliminated the centerist position where people could gather to compromise and form a united front against the rise of Hitler.

By keeping people divided, there was no centralized opposition to Hitler.

Money, personality, strategy…it all came together.

Just like it is coming together for Trump.

Knowing this, it seems the best position to Resist is to find a way to come together in the middle.  I’m not sure how to do that just yet, but a united front is within our ability to create should we decide to do so.