Every day there is another red flag that pops up in the press about some action taken by Trump that is either alarming or meant to take away attention from elsewhere. We've talked in this thread and elsewhere about Project 2025, the fact he's doing what he said he would, facism, etc. I wonder whether a specific thread should be created to look much more at the really big picture of what is happening with our current government. This thread gets bogged down in daily shock theater, and I worry that there is a much broader and more concerning plan being implemented than some or most people realize.
It may not make sense to separate out the conversation, but here is where my thoughts are headed. It had been years since I studied Hitler's rise to power. I went back and looked at via some readings and documentaries, not because I believe this administration is truly trying to implement a dictatorship or facism in the classical sense. We could all debate that. I wanted to understand how Hitler got into power with such tight control for over ten years, so that I could view this current extraordinary government situation through the eyes of a historical reference.
What's really concerning is how the Republican party and Trump have implemented over many years what I would term a "modern day version" of violence and actions to gain greater control over our country and government. We are all familiar with what they've done, but when you look at it in it's totality (Something About Mary reference), it makes you really wonder where this is headed. I feel like there is a massive surprise coming that is far bigger than Project 2025.
A few of the parallels between Trump and Hitler's rise to power:
1. Propaganda, misinformation - both have used it extensively to dumb down the public. Some forget that the people voted Hitler into office. Trump's modern equivalent is Fox News and other conservative media, Elon taking over Twitter, his deal with Facebook, etc.
2. Violence and Convenient Partnerships - Hitler used the SA, SS, and SD organizations, which over time became more violent, to exert control and intimidate. He also partnered closely with the Conservative party to gain control. Trump uses MAGA and his technique of deny, deny, deny, double down, triple down, quaduple down, combined with misinformation and propaganda to quiet opposition. He also partners with the Conservatives, Proud Boys and other fringe organizations, just as Hitler did.
3. Consolidation of Power - Once in power, Hitler immediately took actions to consolidate power in the government, eliminating freedom of the press, and other actions. The banning of AP, one of the few true news organizations, from the White House is one tiny example of Trump trying to consolidate power. Trump's executive orders and public communications also are geared toward consolidation of power. We see something new every day.
4. Elimination of Rivals - This is where the conversation really gets interesting and why I think a standalone thread might have some value. In the Night of the Long Knives, Hitler eliminated and assassinated any and all opposition. The Army could have stopped Hitler, but he made them complicit in cutting down SA and his rivals. He then eliminated the conservatives. The only person left standing was Hitler, and he forced the military to vow allegiance to him and not the Constituion. Similarly, yesterday we saw Trump start making references to the President making all decisions for the Executive branch. And he put highly loyal morons in charge of critical government functions. Elon Musk and his billions are the modern day equivalent of the violent muscle. Trump doesn't have to assasinate anyone. He just uses Elon's muscle to silence all opposition, with politicians getting primaried. Note that once Hitler got what he needed from the SA and its leader Rohm, his close friend, he assasinated him, so that Rohm could not seize power from him.
5. Radical Agenda - The SA wanted a revolution. Hitler wanted to exterminate races and invade countries. He used the SS, the reformed SA after the assassinations, and the military as his protection. Trump wants to get people out of the country and take over Greenland, Canada, Gaza, and the Panama canal. He also wants to grift as mch money as possible. What else is he really aiming for?
So the grand master questions in all this are the following:
1. What is the end game for Trump in all this? Is he a useful idiot and someone else has a much more sinister and hidden agenda?
2. Does Trump eliminate Elon, or vice versa? Because it will happen.
3. Are the radical right billionaires trying to implement something even more sinister than Project 2025?
4. What really are we headed for?
I'm starting to believe there is something much bigger at play than we've even seen to date. I know many people will say "duh" and shout about facism and dictatorship. I've considered that alarmist talk premature. However, is there some sort of plan to eliminate freedoms and opportunity for the people in a much more opaque way so that by the time people wake up it's too far along to stop? Will the third term conversation start to become real? Will a Supreme Court rubber stamp all of these illegal actions? The same happened with Hitler. The legal community justified his murdering of his opposition on the basis of it being a national emergency. Their Congress then passed laws to make it all legal, a Congress that had been intimidated into compliance. Sound familiar?