Can you see the similarity?

[Booldawg]

Adolf Hitler and a very small minority of supporters managed to seize control of a whole country and destroy millions of innocent people. We are assuming that 99% of Germans wouldve been honest peace loving people who wouldnt have personally taken part in this genocide from a physical or political point of view. The Germans have been tarred with the Nazi brush ever since the 2nd world war. The same way that all white South Africans were portrayed as supporters of appartheid and racists, they still too have to live with that image. Is all this Al Quaeda/Hezbollah leading to a minority who can do what they want, powerless to be stopped by the majority? Hitlers power snowballed via gaining political power and eventually control over the countrys military forces. Can the muslim extremists ever gain that kind of foothold?

[noxlumos]

No, there are no suimilarities whatsoever between the rise of the Third Reich and Muslim extrmeists that i can see except very cursory ones.

[Booldawg]

True, Hitler started off as a great leader and worked wonders with Germanys failing economy. No-one really knew what sick ideas he was harbouring until it was too late. I dont think there is any way he wouldve been voted in to a position of power if the Germans knew what was in store.

However, terrorism is snowballing, more people are joining the ranks of extremism - they only way out is to become a suicide bomber. Look at that guy in the paper, converted to Islam 6 months ago and pretty much straight into terrorism. We hear that British Muslims feel alienated by the country that bred them and are joining the ranks. Can you blame them? you've only got to read the posts on this site and realise that for a moderate muslim, it doesnt make good reading. All this is by the by though -that happens in conflict.

It may not be totally the same as the rise of the Third Reich, but on the rise it is.

[PhilBy]

Not too sure which history books you have read booldawg but at no time was Hitler a great leader. The German economy failed during the great depression after the USA called in it's loans following the Great Wall Street crash. Until then Hitler & his racist views was in the main ignored by the German population but as times got desperate more and more of them listened to the little horrid man & started to take on his racist opinions on how the Jew were to blame for the failing economy. He cultivated the support of wealthy businessmen promising them that, if he came to power, he would destroy Communism and the Trade Unions. This gave him the finance to run his campaigns............ and the rest as they say, is history!

[sandyg2244]

I was talking one day to an elderly german woman who married a Scottish guy and has lived here for 50 years or so. she spent ages telling me about her life in Germany as a girl and how they had no choice but to be drafted into the nazi regime(she was tricked into it basically) However, although at 10 years old she had no political aspirations and wasn't interested in Hitler or his cronies, she had great memories of how they pushed athletics in a big way and she still spoke of this time in her life fondly.Although she has alzeimers, she still tried to reiterate the fact that she didn't agree with what was happening in germany back then, and had basically spent the rest of her life being subjected to a snide comment here and there.On reflection, we can label people and the fact is, those who shout the loudest have the strongest views.it's easy to forget that , and in today's climate, well, I have been guilty of labelling along with the best of them.

[Booldawg]

I've been reading the history books that saw 6 million unemployed when Hitler took over as Chancellor in 1933 cut down to 0.3 million in 1939.

[Booldawg]

unless he killed all of them as well!

[Lonnie]

He drafted them.

The Army that invaded Russia, guess the numbers?,

Six million.

[maxximus]

very good description of the israeli/u.s. governments at the moment, using the media as a weapon of mass deception as the nazi's did with their propaganda news reels.

[Trotbot]

Hitler employed people in the arms industry (breaking international treaties in doing so). Sadly, everyone stood by and watched, and then appeased. It does not make Hitler a great leader working miracles with the economy. He was a very powerful speaker, but then most truely insane, evil people are.

There is less standing about watching this time, but I am not sure what is being done is appropriate. Easy for me to say as I sit in my boxers drinking my coffee and the toughest decision I will make today is whether to have cheese or salami in my sandwich.

[Oneeyedvic]

Actually, I'd say that you have it the wrong way round - it is the UK & US governments that are acting like Hitler.

As Philby says "started to take on his racist opinions on how the Jew were to blame for the failing economy. " ....
...we have already seen prominent politicians stating that immigration is the reason for our pension / nhs / housing (delete as appropriate) problem.

We have legislation that has gone through that is quite scary - but the populous has accepted it due tot he threat of terrorism. (If a UK resident was in a 3rd world country and was held for 90days without any form of charge, would we be happy?)

A few questions below this, someone states that they are beginning to hate Muslims.

So, for the actions of a small minority of fanatics, the actions of many are tarred. If you read the questions and answers in the last few days on this site, you will find a lot of anti Muslim (Asian / immigrant - people don't seem to understand the difference) feelings.

The amount of false facts (eg 23% of Muslims agreed with the 7th July bombings - A LIE), that are coming up, and the misleading quotes are getting quite scary - and of course papers like the Daily Mail (who try to remember welcomed Hitler and supported him) stir up this kind of hatred / frenzy.

So, yes, I can see similarities between what happened in the run up to 1939 and the present day.

[maxximus]

all excellent points vic.

[PhilBy]

I think you will find that the the Sunday Dispatch and the Daily Mail, both owned by Lord Rothermere, had in the 1930s openly supported Hitler, Mussolini and Oswald Mosley as �bulwarks� against Bolshevism.

(For 'bulwarks' read 'defenders')

[PhilBy]

I thought they were brothers, but never mind.

Whilst on the subject I have come across a couple of quotations attributed to Lord Alfred Harmsworth which I find rather topical ......

Journalism: A profession whose business it is to explain to others what it personally does not understand.

The power of the press is very great, but not so great as the power of suppress.

[jonnythebosh]

Why are the same old names prattling on about the tired old bulls**t about us,the Yanks and the Israelis being the reason for the present situation.
Lets not forget that all the present problems stem from 9/11,
An unprovoked attack on America.
I know all the lefties are desperate to display their credentials by repeating this rubbish but face facts. Even if there was no invasion of Iraq/Afghanistan the Muslim extremists would just find another excuse to attack.
What it boils down to is they hate the West, our freedom, our values and everything we stand for.
P.S. Oneeyedvic was the Guardian a good read today?

[Oneeyedvic]

johnnythebosh - have never read the guardian in my life. I have always voted conservative and liked a lot of Thatcher's politics.

That said, on sites like these and listening to ultra right wing view points, I have turned far more liberal in the last few years (though I still cannot bring myslef to vote for the libdem come election time).

Just for your information, the only paper I buy is the EDP (a local paper). I also have a subscription to Private Eye.

WM - The Daily Mail supported Nazism unitl 1939 and the invasion of Prague. It then withdrew its support - it is / was the only Bitish paper to support the Nazis.

[Pippa68]

Oneeyedvic has said what I have been saying for a while ~ It is Bush & Blair I conpare to Hitler.

Remember, if people are told something over & over again they will start to believe it. Bush made millions believe 9/11 was the work of terrorists...I don't!