Mea Culpa

I recently posted a slide show comparing Obama to Hitler on my Facebook page. Shortly thereafter, an old friend chastised me, suggesting that the comparison is poor and does not contribute to the debate. I believe he was half-right. Most of those who oppose Obama's policies will raucously cheer the comparison (many just because it attacks our current president). Those who laud his person or goals will rage against the comparison and call it hate speech. The undecideds will most likely look at it on its surface and reject it as did my old army pal. Thus, the slides do not contribute to the debate and for that I heartily apologize.

However, I think it should be stated that there ARE legitimate comparisons between Adolf Hitler and Barack Obama. Both men appealed to a fearful populace and promised hope and change. Both men were quite clear in their stated goals and aspirations, yet people who voted for each man claim they had no idea he was going to take the path he went down (or is traveling now).

To be clear, Hitler's party-- the National Socialist German Workers Party -- was, as stated socialist, but it's foreign policy stance was obviously focused on Germany's interest to the detriment of others. Obama's foreign policy is internalist, which is keeping with most socialist thinking. This is a focus on the world community, even to the detriment of one's one country.

Domestically, however Obama's politics line up quite closely with Hitler's because both believed that the state was the solution to every problem a citizen might face. Obviously Obama is not about to try and kill off American (or Canadian and Mexican) Jews, nor do I suggest he will initiate a war for Lebensraum.

Yet, the blatant evils of Hitler have allowed too many of us to turn a blind eye to the darkness that gave him the power to accomplish his most despicable acts. Hitler appealed to fear of "others" to unite "good Germans" against the enemies he identified, but to gather the power to conduct his pogrom he had to also appeal to the German people's economic insecurities. He promised a government that would provide jobs, health care, even wellness centers and workers' resorts for vacations. Obama is doing the same thing and if he is not stopped he will accomplish the same goal -- the consolidation and centralization of power in the hands of a few, hand-picked elites. This is evil, avarice and greed in its purest form. This must be stopped, BEFORE the power grab is complete.