“As far as we are concerned, we have burned our bridges behind us. We will go down in history as the greatest statesmen or as the greatest criminals.”

Joseph Goebbels, diary, November 1943

"The journey to reclaim our republic has not been an easy one, that I can tell you. Those who wish to stop our cause have tried to take my freedom and, indeed, to take my life … I was saved by God to make America great again."

Donald Trump, inaugural address, January 2025

Susan Evans Susan Evans

How is America today similar to or dissimilar to Weimar Germany?

"It couldn't happen here -- or could it?"

  1. The U. S. operates under our Constitution, which in 200 years has acquired almost biblical authority -- note that when Trump suggested the election might be postponed because of the virus, Mitch McConnell said that for 200 years elections have been held every two years, in early November, and that's the way it will be. In contrast, the Weimar Republic’s Constitution was brand new and very unpopular -- as was its flag of black, red, gold (from the revolution of 1848). The Right said that the black stood for the Catholics (and their party), the red for the socialists, and the gold for the Jews (money-control).

  2. The U.S. has regular elections; in Germany the Chancellor could call an election when he thought it was advisable -- he was terribly wrong in 1932 when the Nazis won big. 

  3. The new cabinet headed by Hitler was limited in what he could do -- until he persuaded the Reichstag to pass the Enabling Act -- giving him total power. I don't think that could happen here, although I thought the Republican Convention's decision not to have a platform was pretty shocking (they said the 2016 platform was still viable).

    — A Professional Colleague

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