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The Germans 1933-45

Each act, each occasion, is worse than the last, but only a little worse. You wait for the next and the next. You wait for one great shocking occasion, thinking that others, when such a shock comes, will join with you in resisting somehow. You don’t want to act, or even talk alone; you don’t want to “go out of your way to make trouble.” Why not?—Well, you are not in the habit of doing it. And it is not just fear, fear of standing alone, that restrains you; it is also genuine uncertainty. Uncertainty is a very important factor, and, instead of decreasing as time goes on, it grows. Outside, in the streets, in the general community, “everyone” is happy. One hears no protest, and certainly sees none. You speak privately to your colleagues, some of whom certainly feel as you do; but what do they say? They say, “It’s not so bad” or “You’re seeing things” or “You’re an alarmist.” And you are an alarmist. You are saying that this must lead to this, and you can’t prove it. These are the beginni...
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On the Role of Government

It's been a while since the last time I posted, and a lot has happened that was worthy of a post. The number of things I never thought would be acceptable in politics but now seem to happen on a daily basis is mind-boggling, and worse, they have a numbing effect. My biggest fear is how we're dropping our bar as a nation and getting used to this new "junior high" governing style. So I took time off from the blog, as I often do when I feel myself falling into a more tribal state. Now here I am again to extend a hand to anyone willing to read with an open mind, and since there are many people more qualified than I am to dissect the pros and cons of legislation, I will not focus on that. What I want to write about is something that doesn't require you to be a scholar or an expert and that is human decency, ethics, leadership and all the ancient bits that are at the heart of politics. Let's call this Politics 101. I actually hold politics in high regard and conside...
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The Rally At Charlottesville

The year is 2017 and I am writing a day after the rally "Unite the Right" at Charlotesville, VA. If you do not follow the news you may not know that hundreds of white supremacists carrying citronella torches marched last night at the University of Virginia. Some of their chants, which were filmed on video, include "white lives matter", "you (sometimes heard as Jews) will not replace us", and "blood and soil", the last one being an allusion to "Blut und Boden" from Nazi Germany. Perhaps the news I consume and the people I follow influence my perception of the gravity of the situation. I'm aware that the KKK and other groups with similar views have always existed and marched in the US. Despite that, I can't help feeling genuine shock at the events, and my perception of these groups is that they have become more confident and brazen in their views. They have reason to feel confident. David Duke, Andrew Anglin, Rocky Suhaida, Alex...
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