Sorry for neglecting this thread for so long.
New development. I just saw a trailer for a recent propaganda film that uses the return of Nazism as a scare tactic...and it's from the right wing, directed, produced and co-written by Trump strategist Steve Bannon. It's called "Torchbearer", and it stars Phil Robertson of "Duck Dynasty" fame/infamy. I'd post a link, but some of it is actually a bit graphic. Half of the trailer attempts to scare the viewer with random footage of Nazis, Islamic terrorists, a French Revolution guillotine* re-enactment, "In God We Trust" disappearing from a dollar bill, and Miley Cyrus "twerking", with the implication that these are all more-or-less the same thing. "In the absence of God," Robertson's voice-over claims, "the man with the biggest stick determines your worth." (Ironically, on the poster, Robertson poses with two HUGE "sticks" - a rifle and a machine gun. And of course, a Bible). Then, the second half of the trailer shows Robertson walking around in the woods, intercut with triumphant footage, like soldiers storming the beach on D-Day. In the most hilarious/sad/weird/crazy moment, they cut directly from a shot of Civil Rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr., to one of Robertson - a man who was quoted as saying "They were happy, they were Godly; nobody was singing the blues," regarding blacks in the pre-civil rights South. The point is that none of this has to make sense. All that's required is that the "good" imagery is associated with your side, and the "bad" imagery associated with your opponents. This is why I have a problem with the constant Nazi comparisons from both sides.
(*Over 200 years ago, some people believed that if "Atheist" Thomas Jefferson was elected president, they would have to "hide their Bibles." They also believed that he would throw out the constitution and lead a French-style revolution in America, complete with guillotines. Neither of these things happened.)
Meanwhile, on the liberal side...Just now, one of my facebook friends, a brilliant artist, posted a quote from the son of a mayor under the Nazi regime, predicting that the Nazi culture would repeat itself. The implication is that because he said this, that means it's repeating itself right now. This is the same kind of logic used to claim that all manner of vague prophecies are coming true. My facebook friend added, "only this time we might not recover." No reason why listed. The traditional chorus of agreements followed in the comments.
It was over a year ago when I heard someone address some students who thought it clever to lable as Nazis anyone they disagreed with. Under the Nazis--if you followed their rules, they pretty much left you alone. Under the Communists--One could be a party member and they would kill you anyway.
I don't understand this. The concept of living in Nazi Germany
or any totalitarian Communist government are both unappealing to me. "If you followed the rules?" The rules included, "don't be Jewish," "don't be a Gypsy," "don't be gay," and so on. How were you supposed to follow those rules, if you were any of those things?