Hitler's Enabling Act

[kentuck]

Our country is in a very precarious position at this moment. Our leaders are threatening other nations at the United Nations and the Republican Party is enabling the autocrat Trump at every turn.
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http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/enabling.htm

<snip>
On March 23, 1933, the newly elected members of the German Parliament (the Reichstag) met in the Kroll Opera House in Berlin to consider passing Hitler's Enabling Act. It was officially called the 'Law for Removing the Distress of the People and the Reich.' If passed, it would effectively mean the end of democracy in Germany and establish the legal dictatorship of Adolf Hitler.

The 'distress' had been secretly caused by the Nazis themselves in order to create a crisis atmosphere that would make the law seem necessary to restore order. On February 27, 1933, they had burned the Reichstag building, seat of the German government, causing panic and outrage. The Nazis successfully blamed the fire on the Communists and claimed it marked the beginning of a widespread uprising.

On the day of the vote, Nazi storm troopers gathered in a show of force around the opera house chanting, "Full powers - or else! We want the bill - or fire and murder!!" They also stood inside in the hallways, and even lined the aisles where the vote would take place, glaring menacingly at anyone who might oppose Hitler's will.

Just before the vote, Hitler made a speech to the Reichstag in which he pledged to use restraint.

"The government will make use of these powers only insofar as they are essential for carrying out vitally necessary measures...The number of cases in which an internal necessity exists for having recourse to such a law is in itself a limited one." - Hitler told the Reichstag.

[brooklynite]

1. Congress can't pass a bill to negate the Constitution

Even this Supreme Court would block them if they did...


and there's no equivalent to Nazi stormtroopers that will be showing up en masse without police intervention.

[Ferrets are Cool]

2. I've stopped saying what they can and cant do...They already step

all over the constitution...that isn't much different than negating it.

[kentuck]

5. The Republicans are "enabling" him...

As with their vote on the Trump tax cut yesterday.

[treestar]

3. Donald has tried to de-legitimize the courts.

In reaction to their first actions regarding his first travel ban.

[brooklynite]

4. ...and that hasn't stopped the Courts from continuing to act.

[kentuck]

6. They could take those Justices out in cuffs...

If they tried to interfere with the Fuhrer.

[brooklynite]

8. Specifically, who is "they"?

The FBI?

The DC Police?

The Army?

Who are you assuming will act this irresponsibly?

[kentuck]

10. Oh no! "They" have already threatened to take out the FBI in cuffs.

The right-wingers.

First, they convince the people of the necessity.

[brooklynite]

11. Which right-wingers are going to walk up to the doors of Supreme Court...

...and force their way in without being shot by Court Officers.

[kentuck]

13. That is a question you might ask Jeanine Perro when she said....

that the FBI should be marched out in "cuffs" for investigating Trump.

"They" stir the shit pot and the people follow like sheep.

[brooklynite]

17. Yes, I always plan my life around Fox News pundits

[kentuck]

18. So does the autocrat.

That is threatening our democracy.

[egold2604]

28. The same type of people who shot up a Pizza Parlor looking for Hillary's Pedophile ring

[brooklynite]

31. Remind us how that worked out for him?

[LanternWaste]

41. It's adorably naive you believe violence and force are necessary.

It's adorably naive you believe violence and force are necessary to ignore a court. President Jackson ignored the supreme court's ruling against GA's takeover of Indian land. Lincoln, against the express order of the court, announced Habeus Corpus. Jefferson ignored the court's ruling of McCulloch v. Maryland.

An in none of those cases did "right-wingers walk up to the doors of the Supreme Court and force their way in..."

Bless your heart.

[atreides1]

14. Why not?

I don't have the same confidence in those organizations that you seem to have! If those organizations can be convinced that they are acting under "legal" standards, do you actually believe they will question any orders or warrants they are given?

There aren't a lot of wave makers in law enforcement or the military, and somewhere along the way, they'll be reminded about how they're doing this to keep their families and the country safe...with a lot of emphasis on their families!!!

Show me one police officer, FBI agent, or military member, who would be willing to sacrifice their family to stand up for the US Constitution???

[Stargazer99]

35. The answer is Republicans with excessive power

[atreides1]

9. Okay, what about Martial Law?

Martial law on the national level may be declared by Congress or the president. Under Article I, Section 8, Clause 15, of the Constitution, Congress has the power "[t]o provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress insurrections and repel Invasions." Article II, Section 2, Clause 1, of the Constitution declares that "[t]he President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States." Neither constitutional provision includes a direct reference to martial law. However, the Supreme Court has interpreted both to allow the declaration of martial law by the president or Congress.

[brooklynite]

12. Remember when Nixon tried to do that?

Right. He didn't.

[kentuck]

15. Do you believe Nixon and Watergate were more of a threat to our democracy?

than the present bunch in power?

[atreides1]

19. Trump isn't Nixon

So far the Republicans in Congress have basically done his bidding! Now that rat fucker Sessions is reopening a case that was closed, at Trump's bidding, and Goodlatte and Gowdy, two more rat fuckers are trying their best to shut down Muller's investigation by making specious claims based on the statement of an FBI agent, who didn't think much of Trump!

This is a different time and the Republicans don't want to give up power, these are not the same Republicans in Nixon's time! These men and women, I believe will do almost anything to maintain their grasp on power!!!

[uponit7771]

33. Nixon didn't shit on himself in public either

[VMA131Marine]

26. Don't you remember the ones who showed up during the 2000 Florida recount

and stopped the counting of votes.

[EarnestPutz]

45. The Brooks Brothers Riot......

.....they were called at the time. Florida was undecided and dealing
with hanging chads and James Baker had a bunch of Republican congressional
aides flown down to Miami to act as professional protestors for the television
cameras. They pushed and shoved and chanted as only prep school assholes
could, demanding that the ballot counting stop.

[unblock]

30. i wouldn't be so quick to assume our institutions will serve us.

if the supremes don't deliver for donnie, even if by a vote of 9-0, congress could pass, and the president could sign, a law adding 10 more justices to the supreme court. donnie could appoint, and the senate could confirm (using the nuclear option to evade any democratic filibuster), all insane donnie loyalists, who could then outvote the 9 current justices.

[Stargazer99]

34. You wanna bet? Already Trump wants his private (storm troopers, I call them)

Here in Tacoma WA a few of us have found out about a detention center in Tacoma that when they put you in there literally disappear from existence. I also understand the government has made structures to contain the people if some major thing happens. With all the lying I"ve seen come from the Republican party I have a tendancy not to disbelieve anything happening and that detention camp I am talking about is NOT the illegal persons detention center....keep on sleeping at the switch

[Kablooie]

36. No but they could ignore the Constitution and say they were following it.

Sure, honest people would protest but if they have enough control over government nothing would be done to correct the situation.

That's what they are aiming for and they are getting close.

[sofa king]

43. Pretty sure you're wrong on that second part.

Tiki-torch sales are through the roof. You can't expect American rednecks to be as industrious as the Nazis, but they're at least as violent, hateful, and ignorant. And they are legion.

[peggysue2]

7. And the Rest is History . . .

as they say. Also, History has a nauseating way of repeating itself, particularly when people are unaware and/or asleep.

There was a time when the very mention of Hitler's name and/or references to the era ended all reasonable discussion because comparisons were considered ridiculous hyperbole.

Sadly, we're not living in that time.

The Reichstag fire has been mentioned before and deserves repeating because there's nothing normal in what we're witnessing. Eerily, Trump's rise to power does smack of a hideous antecedent.

We must never forget. Ever.

[bluestarone]

16. sorry to say but

i feel the only end to this will be COMPLETE CIVIL WAR! at this point if and or Mueller is stopped, WE NO LONGER HAVE A CHOICE!! we are being overtaken from the inside with Russian help (and congress's blessing) it will be up to all of us here (this site) and across America. Will it be North verses South all over again? Time will tell.

[kentuck]

20. That would only happen if...

...for some reason, we were not permitted to vote in the next couple of elections. If for some reason, elections were cancelled, all hell would break loose. Short of that, I don't see much happening until the next election.

[bluestarone]

22. and i'm

not sure it would happen then really.

[kentuck]

21. I only post this to remind people...

That eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

23. If Trump passed his own Enabling Act mayhem would ensue.

[kentuck]

24. The "Trump tax cut" yesterday was like the first step...

It was a piece of crap but the Republicans passed it mostly to "enable" Trump and to strengthen their own positions with his "base".

[DemocratSinceBirth]

25. It's one of the crappiest pieces of legislation I have ever seen but it was lawful.

Trump making himself Fuhrer wouldn't be.

[kentuck]

29. He's already made himself Fuhrer...

He's just waiting for the Republicans to validate it.

[notdarkyet]

46. Exactly. The table of acolytes sitting around the table yesterday and thanking

And praising him for his “leadership” was sickening, and hitler like. A crappy bills, a horrible man, demanding his followers fealty. Made me want to puke. Hope you all are learning Russian. I’m heading for the hills.

[KatyMan]

27. Several things in our favor though

One, a pretty stable government. Germany had gone through several cabinets and governments since WWI, so there was no real governmental stability. No matter what we think of our current group of congressfolks, this isn't the Papen or Schleicher cabinets that were able to rule by decree.
Second, a pretty stable economy. Germany was feeling the same effects from the Depression that we did here, and that led to a lot of instability.
And as someone mentioned above, there aren't armed bands of SA men roaming the country causing disorder.
We're a much larger and far less homogeneous group than the Germany of 1933 and I dare say a much more mature society.

I agree with the idea of the 'steps toward facism' etc and find the new book by Thomas Childers on Nazi Germany makes one think of how similar certain situations are to today (the Trumps and Republicans really are using the rise of the Nazis as a playbook), but we have the power in 2018 to change that, and if we all vote (and avoid dumbassery like protest votes), we can harness this beast because America is bigger than that. WE are bigger than that.

[groundloop]

32. Sorry, we've already fallen victim to dumbassery protest votes - that's how we got 45*

I do respect your optimism though, I certainly hope it's well placed.

[Toorich]

37. Remember the Golden Rule...

"He who has the gold rules."
Every day in courts across this country we see illegally obtained evidence used against accused citizens.
Every day coerced confessions or the false claim of a confession are used in evidence against our fellow citizens.
Every day lying jail house snitches testify against our falsely accused neighbor or her child.
Every day police and prosecutors hide or destroy evidence which shows the accused person is innocent.
Every day certain judges, who are afraid of being labeled "soft on crime," allow this trampling of the Constitution.
Every day politicians who are afraid of being thought of as "soft on crime" pass laws which ignore constitutional safeguards.
Every day we sit on juries and play along because we don't want anyone to think we like robbers, rapists, or molesters.
So long as we elect these people to the legislature and courts and prosecutors offices and city halls and police stations and sheriffs offices, and we look the other way, then this nightmare can and probably will happen.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

38. Judicial and law enforcement misconduct preceded Trump.

[Nitram]

40. What "Judicial misconduct" are you referring to?

[Nitram]

39. There are some big differences. Hitler was enormously popular.

the German people had suffered economic devastation under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and had to pay France and England huge reparations for WWI. The Depression hit and made things even worse. Inflation ravaged the economy. Hitler had organized the paramilitary Brownshirts and the SS, who took advantage of a lawlessness that reigned throughout Germany at the time. Finally, Germany was a country that had experienced only 14 years of democracy when Hitler became chancellor and quickly took over as dictator.

[Kablooie]

42. Whenever you hear them say they will only use their new powers where absolutely necessary...

it means a coup has taken place and your government is gone.

If the government wants new powers but promises to use them with restraint, always look at what would happen if they were used with total unrestraint because history shows that's how they will be used.

[colorado_ufo]

44. Beware of the midterm elections.

They already suspect that they are going to lose, and if opinion closer to the election dates materializes this as true, something will be devised to change, postpone, or corrupt the election in order to keep them in power.