There's been talk from many different people about how Trump is like Adolf Hitler. Don't believe it? I can hear all of his supporters groaning and complaining at full blast now, so calm down all. Again, I deal in reality and facts....so let's take a look at this doing fact checking. Now I've tried my best to get websites from Trump and the presidency where facts are about the wall. Unfortunately its not that easy.
The Wall:
Hitler
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| Credit - The yellow is Hitler's Border wall |
What was the Atlantic Wall? It was an extensive system of coastal defense and fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the coast of continental Europe and Scandinavia as a defense against an anticipated Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe from the United Kingdom during World War II.
Hitler's rationale was in "ordering additional men to the Islands and having decided the defences were inadequate, lacking tanks and coastal artillery, the Organisation Todt (OT) was instructed to undertake the building of 200-250 strongpoints in each of the larger islands." Take from the Atlantic Wall website.
Trump
While Trump isn't planning, or his public reasoning anyway, to build his wall for anything other than "national security of the United States. Aliens who illegally enter the United States without inspection or admission present a significant threat to national security and public safety." People are probably going to say these aren't the same things. Fine, then how would to take the next statement in the same document?
"Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the executive branch to:
(a) secure the southern border of the United States through the immediate construction of a physical wall on the southern border, monitored and supported by adequate personnel so as to prevent illegal immigration, drug and human trafficking, and acts of terrorism;"
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| Credit The wall being considers and temporarily put up is the black line |
This document is off the White House's website from an executive order folks. If you don't believe me then click on the links above and see where they go. I hate to tell you, they are both using the same reasoning for a wall but its just along very different borders.
Its a Match: Trump's rationale is very much like Hitler's if you take a look at each of these statements. Its for the defense in either regard.
Press Restrictions and Freedom of the Press
Hitler
There are more than one website which goes into how Hitler controlled the newspapers and radio. Before he was in power, he had controlled about 3 percent of the media. When he got into power, he decided what was to be written and by whom. One history museum puts it like this:
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| Credit - The last paragraph is almost the same as Trump's fake news comments |
It continues:
"...The Nazi regime deployed the radio, press, and newsreels to stoke fears of a pending “Communist uprising,” then channeled popular anxieties into political measures that eradicated civil liberties and democracy. SA (storm troopers) and members of the Nazi elite paramilitary formation, the SS, took to the streets to brutalize or arrest political opponents and incarcerate them in hastily established detention centers and concentration camps. Nazi thugs broke into opposing political party offices, destroying printing presses and newspapers."
Trump
Almost since the start of Trump's nomination, he's gone around bad mouthing reporters and the press. However, since he's took his oath as president where he gave his allegiance to protect our constitution, he's come right out and said "Fake News" that many times, its all you heard for MONTHS. Journalism is taking facts, putting some information around it and telling it how you see it. What the information is, is dependent on how the person or organisation see's what they are writing. This being said, there's always something that it factual about the news no matter what.
This being said, if you take a look at the first amendment, it says:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."
I can hear people now saying "It says Congress NOT President get your facts right." I am looking for factual information but as you can imagine its tough. One article I found says: "As Thomas Jefferson wrote to a friend in 1789, “Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.” and this is why so many are concerned about this step Trump has been taking and balancing on. In fact, many other presidents, starting with George Washington, have used the press to communicate to the people and a good reason why its there. This is the reason why there is a Press Secretary, so the president can get out his message. It is normal for one side to be upset what others write about it. I know I've watched over many different administrations and that's normal and the reason why the first amendment is there.
Now getting back to "It says Congress NOT President" comment. If you remember the President takes an oath that states "Before he enter on the execution of his office, he shall take the following oath or affirmation:--"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." and is part of Article II Section 1 of the US Constitution. It says preserve, protect and defend the Constitution not go after people who try and use this freedom.
It does say "He shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur;" and "He shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in case of disagreement between them, with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper; he shall receive ambassadors and other public ministers; he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed, and shall commission all the officers of the United States."
And according to Article 2, Section 1 of the US constitution, he cannot get rid of or cancel out our first amendment rights. Nice try. And he has tried to limit and get rid of the free press. Trump "suggestion that the FBI should “consider putting reporters in prison” has been decried as a dangerous new assault on press freedom and prompted a call to action by American journalists who have been jailed in the US for their work." which is trying to limit the press by jailing them for doing their jobs within their rights. Note: This isn't exactly what I had in mind but it does cover Trump's Tweet about the fake news and controlling the news.
In fact, Nixon tried the same tack. |
| Credit |
Its a Match:
If you look at what Hitler did when he controlled the newspapers and what Trump says in the video above, its the same thing just different words. The problem is Trump doesn't have control of the media (meaning newspapers, radio and TV) but if he could, the way he's talking it would be the same thing as what Hitler did and what Trump has been trying to do - control what's being shown on TV. From cancelling the Press Secretary's briefings, to calling everything in site "fake media" he's trying to control what's going on with what's being released. However, the people who follow him do not see this as the same thing. If you can't believe this then look at what he's been doing - rejecting all news media to have a sit down interview with him; however, only one channel he does this for - Fox News. Talk about control and I'm wondering if he's got stock or some other investment within this company to give them unprecedented access to the President. Its something worth thinking about.
Part 1 Conclusion
As you can see, by using facts, there IS an eerie parallel between them. I'm not saying they are the same, but if we're not careful the US has serious reasons to be concerned because we could end up having the same problem as Germany back in the 1930's and 1940s.
