Fascism 1945
ELECTION INFORMATION: Minnesota related; and National information.
Just this morning I learned of the Army Talk #64 referenced in the photo below. The entire 8-page Fact Sheet is here: Fascism US Army 24 Mar 1945. The source is Heather Cox Richardson, who summarizes the below here. I would strongly recommend reading the entire eight page fact sheet. It is very enlightening.
Putting Facism on the table at this time is extraordinarily timely and pertinent. Our WWII adversaries were Fascist regimes. WWII was extraordinarily deadly including for the people of Germany, Italy and Japan.
The Fact Sheet was for soldiers. It was apparently the 64th in a series which began in 1943. The Fact Sheet publication date was about a month before Hitler ended his life (at age 56, April 30 1945); and just before Germany surrendered (May 7, 1945).
Mussolini, 61 years old, was executed Apr 28, 1945. Italy surrendered Sep 8, 1943. Japan surrendered Sep 2, 1945. Leader Tojo was hung Dec 23, 1948. He was 63. Hirohito, Emperor, was 44 at Wars end and not tried for crimes and died at 88.
For the U.S., Franklin Delano Roosevelt died of cerebral hemorrhage at age 63, April 12, 1945; and was replaced by newly inaugurated Vice-President Harry Truman, age 61.
The authors of the Fact Sheet, and the U.S. Army which published it in March, 1945, obviously had no idea whatsoever about 2024. But they knew very well the environment of WWII and days preceding. You will note in the booklet that they don’t come down hard on Russia or Communism or Stalin. That is because Russia was an ally, and had itself been brutalized by Germany. Russia and the U.S. were on the same side.
Today, people who know have sounded the alarm about the danger DJT promises if elected, and supported by Congress and Senate. What Fact Sheet 64 enumerates about 1945 is the same as what we can envision after 2024 if the Fascist candidate is elected.
Be forewarned.
Comments welcome. (I purposely include ages of the main actors above. It is surprising to me that they were all roughy the same age as the current major candidates for office in the U.S.)
POSTNOTE: Recommendation – not related to this post, but thought some of you might be interested. Saturday, we saw the new film Conclave. about the selection of the Pope. It is based on a novel, thus fictional, but as a lifelong Catholic I could identify with most every wiggle in the plot. It is food for thought. There was a good house, and everybody was paying attention. At least check it out. Suggestion: don’t try to find out how it ends till you see it for yourself. Novels aren’t real, but often are pretty reflective of reality.
COMMENTS (more at end):
from Molly: Dick, this is downright creepy/scary… arghh!
from Claude: Thanks, Dick. That attachment was so amazing that I shared it.
from Carole: Thank you. Heather Cox Richardson’s Letter is my morning go-to.
from SAK: What a coincidence your email arrived as I was about to listen to [this] BBC adaptation. It Can’t Happen Here – “based on Sinclair Lewis’ prescient 1936 satirical novel . . .” The picture on that page was taken during the “Pro-American Rally” held at Madison Square Garden, 1939. Using a search engine one can find many more pictures from that event & that time . . .
from Lois: Hi Dick – the article on Fascism was interesting – down to earth. It made me think about our democracy, lead to the Constitution and three rights – life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Thus, I pursued the meaning of the third and found this article in Emory U site. Good read for me and hope for you.
from Flo: Where we live, fascism is too often most promoted! It’s sickening, at the very least!
from Kathy: Thanks Dick. I heard Heather discuss. Definition sure fits today for what Trump seems to have in mind.
from Brian, some more film from New York City: Today we visited my niece Cally, and her brother, my nephew, Ben in NYC. He was up from Austin, Texas, visiting her. They had an arrangement to visit the United Nations building this afternoon. We offered to drive them there, and since we were there I decided to fly Simple Mavie the drone by the fascinating UN building! Here’s what the drone saw.
Re, the “Rally” at Madison Square Garden
Dick, Monday Oct. 28, 2024: The only portion of the Madison Square Garden “rally” I heard yesterday was a portion of Dr. Phil, on the TV downstairs, and that for only a short time (I didn’t watch any of it). At the same time, my spouse was meeting with our 98 year old friend who grew up in Nazi Germany and was near 19 when the Nazis surrendered. She has often recalled a 75 mile walk home, near starving, when she was finally released from her work. Her father, who refused to become a Nazi Party member, had been drafted – he was a road engineer – and if I recall they had last seen him around Christmas 1944. They believe he died somewhere in Russia, but this has never been confirmed. Our friend came to the United States in 1947 to marry her Gentleman Soldier who had been one of those who liberated her town. They were married 51 years. He died in 1998. I doubt that our friend watched the “rally”. I gave her an enlarged copy of the Army Talk 64 and may see her later today. Wednesday, Oct. 30: our friend read the Army Talk 64 and totally agreed with it. It precisely described Germany as she remembered it in growing up (WWII) years.
from Heather Cox Richardson, here.
from Joyce Vance, here.
from Just Above Sunset, here.
the Weekly Sift, here.
NEW: Heather Cox Richardson Letters from an American October 30, 2024
I’m now reading Robert Paxton’s “The Anatomy of Fascism.” Highly recommend.
Excellent post, Dick, and I really appreciate the printed document on fascism. The Republican Presidential candidate is personifying the fascism of Adolf Hitler. The Hitler’s fascism is eloquently described in a classic book by William Shirer: “The Rise & Fall of the Third Reich.” I am re-reading it on my Kindle. Years ago, when my wife and I were in Germany, I brought along a paperback copy of Shirer’s carefully researched and personally experienced narrative. In fact, because of jet lag, I was reading it in the middle of the night, turning to his description of the Concentration camp at Dachau, located only a dozen miles from where we were trying to sleep. We were in the college community of Dachau, Germany. Today, instead of attacking persons of the Jewish religion, Mr. Trump is going after Mexicans, Haitians or any immigrant that doesn’t happen to be of his skin color. Hitler went after Poland, the Sudetenland, and Czechoslovakia. For starters. If a military general disagreed with Hitler, he was shot. Trump’s expressed idea of turning the military against American citizens who don’t agree with him is, at least, unconstitutional. The court martialing of military advisors who disagree with him is unprecedented, downright illegal, and just plain wrong. Calling veterans who died for our country “losers” is shameful and a man or woman who feels that way has no right to be “commander-in-chief.” But throughout Shirer’s book, you’ll hear the worst dictator of all time talking and acting that way. “Only I know how to make Germany great” was Hitler’s expressed attitude. Mr. Trump is a modern-day example of fascism, something one normally find in third world countries. Not here. Not in our America. Please, God, don’t let this moronic bully become President once again!
Thanks, Dick
Unfortunately, as indicated by Trump’s heavy support, many people seem to think that an authoritarian form of government would be better than our current democracy. If Trump wins the election, we will have to assume that is what the majority of voters per the EC clearly want!
To some extent I agree with you – in the end analysis we will get what we deserve, even the ones who didn’t vote for the result they got. Unfortunately, too many in the electorate are very casual and very sloppy about what their vote or non-vote means. They aren’t interested even in information that doesn’t confirm their bias. I try not to even think about the final vote as it will appear sometime after Nov. 5. None of us really have any way of knowing what the future holds. When we know what the results are, we can then act. I aam sure that people are gaming scenarios one way or another – from both sides. In the interim I just keep on keeping on, as I know you do as well.
Dick, thanks again, as always. 1. I am thankful that John Kelly and others are speaking the word “Fascism” now, as it must be said. I hope people are listening and warned and make decisions accordingly. 2. I too saw “Concave” this weekend and had the novel; as Dick indicated, don’t let anyone tell you the ending; see it yourself. 3. And, last but not least, if you get a chance to see the spoof/farce based on Saturday Night Live, I hear it is good and intend to see it here in Tacoma; one needs some non-cynical laughter in these times.
Thanks Dick. Coming soon, I think November 22, to a theater near you. A new movie about Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Pacifist leader of the German Resistance church (note, many churches went along with and/or supported Hitler) who became part of an effort to assassinate Hitler. This effort included soldiers in the Military. Sadly, they were caught and imprisoned (something the former President has threatened to do with those who differ or have opposed him) and executed before the Nazis surrendered. I was deeply influenced by Bonhoeffer years ago, and still have deep respect for him. Totally understand how he could become part of an effort believing that ending Hitler’s life was the best thing they could do to save the country. However, I also understand the complexity, even more so today when people on all sides of the issues have been calling the other side Fascst or “just like Hitler”.. Who gets to decide it is right to take the life of another person or leader? Meanwhile, I dread the possibility that Mr. Trump could be legitimately or illegititmately re-elected and eliminate the possibility of being totally prosecuted and sentenced for all the illegal and harmful activity he has been a part of.
Thanks so much, Dick. This was the most eye-opening thing I’ve read during the election campaign. We study history so we are not doomed to repeat it. However, I’m sure Trump supporters don’t think what happened in Germany can happen in the U.S. It can and is!
“Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it!”
—Winston Churchill