This is pretty insane. It feels like US institutions are crumbling
Mark Kelly just sued Hegseth for retaliating against him. Powell should do the same thing to Trump. So should EVERYONE they’ve slandered and libeled.
Admittedly, I always wondered what Nazi Germany would be like. You always hear the stories of executions, torture, violence etc.
But never the stories about the “acceptable” public.
Plumbers, electricians, weapon factory supervisors, miners, grocery store managers.
And I’m learning it by experiencing it now.
Hitler was elected with only 35 percent of the popular vote. Within one year, he had established absolute rule.
But never the stories about the “acceptable” public.
Plumbers, electricians, weapon factory supervisors, miners, grocery store managers.
And I’m learning it by experiencing it now.
Yes, clearly that happened. But it tells me fuck all about what daily life was like.
I have often thought about this too. 6m jews and I think a similar number of various other vulnerable people died in Germany between '33 and’45, but how many normal people who were in the vicinity not participating but just trying to survive and keep their kids alive were there? A large percentage of them lived somewhat normal lives considering it grew to be a war zone, and if they didn’t like what was happening they just had to keep quiet. The Nazis couldn’t kill or imprison everyone, they still wanted/ needed people to serve them, and for that it was enough if you just didn’t fight back. Most everyone I love is planning to stay and survive and resist. One said they will join ICE and throw sand in the gears. Another said they will keep their heads down. Both have kids, and are people who are being pretty realistic with what is happening. Im getting my family out while I still can and I wish they would too but I know it’s not how things work.
Hannah Arendt touched on that subject when coining the phrase “The banality of evil”.
But that’s the thing. The conformance to what social norms? How did a plumber know he was conforming to everything expected of him?
He was white? He was employed? He didn’t speak out or help? Otherwise he just accepted that the Gestapo were going to beat his neighbor across the street nearly to death?
There was no written law regarding how two people greet each other, but it was magically determined to be the heil Hitler thing? What happened to already divorced women? What happened to already divorced men? Existing and new couples were forbidden from divorce. Women were the ones allowed to take care of children. They surely must have realized that one false step meant the end of their road? Did no one talk to each other?
To a great extent, yes. Chris Browning’s Ordinary Men could just have been about a plumber joining ICE for the pay.
While there was an obvious amount of policy and design about the movement, even more so in Germany, the design of the rallies and uniforms in the current USA suck in comparison.
But for the confirming to the new norm, people don’t need much instruction to do that. Only small amounts of direction is needed. Take the actions against people speaking out against Kirk. Or the republican statements about Mrs Good. Dissenters will have their life made hell or even shot.
People pick up on those really quickly. I many people will respond by immediately broadcasting submissive behavior, to assure them being seen as friendly to the regime. I wouldn’t be surprised if people are already ratting out relatives to the regime as we speak.
So the plumber would be like part time gestapo for money and power and the be a plumber too?
I guess that kind of makes sense. I was all stressing over what happens to the people we need to do shit for us. But I guess thinking through that lens - I would have to be doing something for the regime wouldn’t I?
I do know “aryan professionals” were only eligible for better pay and promotion if they were active party members. Engineers and professors could only work on State projects if they were a party member. I assume the same applied to electricians and plumbers - people wouldn’t hire you unless you were a party member as that was “safer”.
18.2m were conscripted into the Whermact for 2 year obligations. Almost a quarter of the population in 1930s?
So life was really “war” or “assist the war effort.” I guess part of that war effort would be the service jobs. Fuck.
Not just crumbling. They’re being actively attacked and simultaneously dismantled by the country’s own leadership, and at the behest of the country’s wealthiest. If they succeed, this will be a lesson in history akin to the fall of the Roman Empire.
Marvin and Thiel? Someone somewhere mentioned them and if you have reading material to offer, I will appreciate linking.
They are not crumbling, they are being destroyed, purposefully.
Props to Powell for standing firm. So many other people in places of trust have just crumbled or resigned, only to be replaced by Trump’s yes men.
This is what intense corruption and greed on the highest levels produces…
Soon the family trump will literally own the dollar, be it crypto, digital or the cash printing machines…
It’s like we’re in a strange, speed run, crossover episode of the fall of Rome meets WW2 Germany. Once the AI and housing bubbles pop, elements of the great depression will be mixed in. That will be the final tipping point. People are protesting now, but many more are held back by needing to keep a job and a place to live. If a large percentage of the population - as in great depression level percentages - don’t have those anymore… it’s a terrifying prospect.
Lowering interest rates let’s the bubbles continue, and worsen, while also cutting the safety net for when they do pop. This is the time to keep or slowly raise rates to deflate the bubble. Prop up single family home ownership, redduce landlords and rent gouging. Prevent company cross investment. Split large companies to soften the fall. Invest in energy infrastructure to ensure it doesn’t fail next.
Economic policy is going to be what either saves or breaks us. Unfortunately, the current administration is running in the opposite direction of sensible solutions.
I know the stock market lives in a different dimension but it will be unreal again to see today how the markets shrug off this train wreck.
That actually makes a lot of sense. A conventional crash is sooo 20th century.
bailouts started in December. Its like Wily E Coyote
That is a very based statement.
