Politics rule number one is to never draw comparisons to Nazi Germany. Just refrain.
The third-ranking Democrat in the House, Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, breached this rule over the weekend during an appearance with Fox News.
Clyburn’s remarks from last week that the US “is on pace to duplicate what happened in Germany” were brought up during the conversation.
On “Fox News Sunday,” Clyburn stated that “the facts are quite apparent.” “I’ve spent my entire life studying history. I’ve instructed history. And I’m telling you, I see similarities between this situation and the history of this region in the 1930s, particularly in Italy and Germany.
Clyburn continued by pointing out that supporting “election deniers” and “lairs” entails backing the same kinds of institutions that helped fascist regimes emerge in Germany and Italy.
Another recent remark made by Clyburn, who stated that “losing our democracy very well could be the end of the world,” was also brought up.
“No one is declaring the end of the world. If those who rejected the 2020 results win an election, Clyburn continued, “democracy will be destroyed.” “The world would keep on going. The world existed before Hitler and it continues to exist today.
which is a significant statement.
Clyburn said he “misspoke” when pressed further over his “end of the world” comment.
Before we continue, it is important to note that it is incorrect to compare anything to the Nazi regime, which resulted in the systematic extermination of more than 6 million Jews. It simply is. Nothing about the situation we are in right now implies that we are even close to it.
That doesn’t mean, though, that there isn’t a genuine threat to democracy. It is. There are candidates for high office in states including Arizona, Michigan, and Pennsylvania who dispute that the 2020 election was free and fair.
Some of them won’t succeed. Still, some probably will. And it’s difficult to believe that, if the 2024 election doesn’t go their way, the same people who vehemently disputed the fairness of the 2020 election will not do the same.
Our way of life is being threatened by that. After all, it’s difficult to conceive how we can expect anyone to effectively govern if we can’t trust that our leaders were legitimately elected and have faith in the system.
That’s not good! Very poor! But it’s also important to keep in mind that, despite Donald Trump and his henchmen’s relentless attacks, democracy survived in 2020.
We must keep an eye out for the potential rise of autocratic leaders who would destroy the rule of law in order to advance their own political objectives.
But let’s refrain from drawing comparisons to Nazi Germany. for the benefit of us all.
