The Tea Party, Hitler, and the German People
The more people demonize Hitler, the more they forget about the individual responsibility of the German citizens and churches. Who will we blame if the radicals at the base of the Tea Party gain political power and have their way?
So often in the world of political punditry there are comparisons drawn between political personalities and their policies, to those of Hitler’s National Socialism. We should put that in our pocket for a moment and draw our attention to the German population. What was the psychological condition of a people who knowingly elected despots as their leaders? How did that happen?
In one of the most gripping and honest books that I have read on the history of the Nazi era, Eric Voegelin, the premier political philosopher of the past century, in his Hitler and the Germans, draws the following conclusion:
“So, the conclusion [referring to a letter of Wilfried Wiegand who was looking for an out]: If Hitler was stupid or a criminal, and the people voted for him in droves, then they too must have been stupid and criminal. But this is not possible [according to Wiegand], so Hitler was not stupid and no criminal. The other possibility, the point that is being resisted, is that perhaps a very great number of Germans, perhaps the overwhelming majority, were in fact extraordinarily stupid, that in political matters a very great number still are, and that what we see here is a situation of intellectual and ethical rottenness, which in fact supported the rise of the phenomenon of Hitler.” [1]
In my opinion, Eric Voegelin conducted the most thorough investigation into what we call the “Western crisis.” Voegelin drew heavily from both Plato and Aristotle, and made the greatest contribution to awakening us to the reality that, in a democracy, the government is only a reflection of the population. As Voegelin stated in his three-volume work, Order and History, we have the false idea that political change can come from electing new political leaders or political parties, when in reality this new leader or party will be recruited “from the very people whose moral confusion is the source of disorder.” [2]
There are distinct differences between the Obama brand socialistic agenda that seeks to gain control of economics, public safety, and the environment, and the agenda of Christian political movements such as Dominionism, Reconstructionalism, and Christian Nationalism. These distinctions are extremely important. The movements at the base of the Tea Party are far more dangerous to life and liberty. Leaders within each of the movements mentioned above, have openly stated that they will oppress and persecute minority groups whom they have deemed to be unworthy of civil liberties (homosexuals and Muslims being on the top of their target list). They have stated this openly, repeatedly, and boldly. Other Tea Party people have continually turned a blind eye, and even rationalized, minimized, justified, and often employed outright denial of the existence of their radical base.
Without many people realizing it, the Glenn Beck show was the biggest propagator of Christian Nationalism and Dominionism. David Barton, who still serves as the official historian at Glenn Beck’s Beck-U, is not only a Christian Nationalist, but heavily influenced by both Reconstructionism and Dominionism. GOP frontrunner for the Presidential nomination, Rick Perry, has surrounded himself with the top leadership of the Seven Mountains Campaign, a political movement that seeks to control the seven key aspects of society. As well, Michelle Bachmann, Sarah Palin, and Herman Cain all have connections with these Christian political movements, and are influenced by Dominion theology.
One need only visit Glenn Beck’s Blaze, or WorldNetDaily to find disturbing comments that call for murder and genocide, such as this Beck fan who stated, “time to take out Islam for good, take them all out once and for all, they are nothing but animals.” De-humanization was a key element in the rise of National Socialism and the atrocities that followed. I wish that I could say that the sentiments expressed in the above comment were just an isolated incident, but this is not the case. This is reflective of a vicious and wide-spread mindset that feels justified through their religious beliefs. In fact, I received the following comment in response to an article I posted on the influence anti-Muslim bloggers, such as Pam Geller, had on Anders Breivik, who opened fire at a youth camp in Norway killing 69 young adults:
“Anyone who takes a stand against Marxist scum is a hero and a patriot. He didn’t kill innocent children as the media would have you believe. He killed members of the radical left wing Labour party, who supported Hamas and wanted Norway to bomb Israel.Calls to criminalize homosexuals and ban Muslims have also come from the religious right.”
Glenn Beck compared the political youth camp on Utoya Island – to a Hitler Youth camp.
Bryan Fischer, the Director of Issues Analysis for the political conservative group the American Family Association, has repeatedly stated that “the First Amendment was written by the Founders to protect the free exercise of Christianity. They were making no effort to give special protections to Islam. Islam has no fundamental First Amendment claims, for the simple reason that it was not written to protect the religion of Islam.” The American Family Association was also a major backer of the Rick Perry prayer rally last month. As well, Herman Cain has also stated that he would restrict Muslims from holding political office, and that states should have the right to vote away the religious liberty of Muslims.
When we hear people say that we are a nation built upon Christian principles, and that we need to return to the strong faith-based society that we once were, these are people who are confusing John Winthrop’s “city on a hill,” which served as a beacon for oppression and bigotry, with the post-revolutionary world designed by men such as James Madison and Thomas Jefferson. Even a casual reading of their writings, and the history of our founding, reveals the explicit intention for a strong separation between government and religion (I’m writing a book on this topic). To not know this, or to think otherwise, is to show the level of ignorance that dominates the thinking of our friends on the political right.
How have people acquire this historical and constitutional understanding? Is it though reading and studying works such as the complete correspondences between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, or the political writings of James Madison? Answer – no, they watched Glenn Beck and were indoctrinated into the history of Christian Reconstructionism as told by David Barton. These Theo-cons will actually argue against the direct writings from the Founders themselves, in an attempt to hold on to their historical narrative that squares with their religious beliefs – facts be damned.
Not only have the Tea Party and the right-wing news networks supported this radical evangelicalism, few left-wing outlets have made note of the deeper connection as well. My focus over the past several years has not been on politicians, but on our people. I see a mass epidemic of ignorance combined with a religious zeal that historically has never played out well. Nietzsche once said that “With thunder and heavenly fireworks must one speak to indolent and somnolent senses.” [3] I agree, and use words such as clodhopper, thumper, and theo-con with a bold voice in an attempt to shake what may be left of our societal, intellectual and ethical capabilities that, in my view, have fallen into a state of “rottenness.”
In my political engagements with the general public, both on the left and the right ends of the political spectrum, I have experienced the most vile and ignorant responses from those on the political right. I have been called every name in the book on a daily basis, and have had my person, and my life threatened on more than one occasion. The reason for this, as Voegelin states, is that “the philosopher’s questions represents an attempt to advance beyond opinion,” and that the “advocates of opinions who attack one another in daily politics are grouped together over and against their common adversary, the philosopher.”[4] When “opinions” are hard pressed by facts, opinions bite. And religious opinions bite the hardest.
Today the political climate is extra hot and dangerous, and could explain why I continually receive private inbox messages from people who thank and encourage me to continue challenging traditional narratives and commonly held opinions, but cannot comment on my wall for fear of reprisals from employers, family and friends.
Liberals want to take money from the wealthy and give healthcare to the poor. Conservatives want to exclude non-Christians from holding public office, make homosexuality a Felony, end all abortions, put pot-heads in prison, end public education, and exclude Muslims from building mosques. And these are only the things that they have stated publicly! Have you ever lived in a small redneck town? Give that a global vision and you’ll have the true Tea agenda – A Patrick Henry style America.
How did Hitler come to power? Massive ignorance within the population that found a nexus with an economic crisis. Mix in a little religious blind faith, find a scapegoat, shake well with some media propaganda, and wallah! One Holocaust coming up! Good Christian people tossing other people into ovens. That’s how it happens…
The Enemy Within
“A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and he carries his banners openly. But the traitor moves among those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not traitor, he speaks in the accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their garments, and he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of a city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to be feared.”
— Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman orator and statesman, circa 45 B.C.
1.Voegelin, Eric, Hitler and the Germans, p.56, lectures at the Arts Faculty of Munich University, 1964
2.Voegelin, Eric, Order and History, Volume III, 1957
3. Friedrich, Nietzsche, Thus Spake Zarathustra, The Virtuous, p.114
4. Voegelin,Eric, Science, Politics and Gnosticism, p.14, 1968
American Fascists
American Fascists from Cody’s Books and Cody’s Books on FORA.tv