How democracy produced a monster

[kentuck]

This an old article from 2008 but it is more timely today.
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(By IAN KERSHAW FEB. 3, 2008)

<snip>
SHEFFIELD, England — Could something like it happen again? That is invariably the first question that comes to mind when recalling that Hitler was given power in Germany 75 years ago last week.

With the world now facing such great instability, the question seems more obvious than ever.

Hitler came to power in a democracy with a highly liberal constitution, and in part by using democratic freedoms to undermine and then destroy democracy itself. That democracy, established in 1919, was a product of defeat in war and revolution and was never accepted by most of the German elites, notably the military, large landholders and big industry.

Troubled by irreconcilable political, social and cultural divisions from the beginning, the new democracy survived serious threats in the early postwar years and found a semblance of stability from 1924 to 1928, only to be submerged by the collapse of the economy after the Wall Street crash of 1929.

more... https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/opinion/03iht-edkershaw.1.9700744.html

[smirkymonkey]

1. Kick!

[democratisphere]

2. So here we are.

[AncientGeezer]

3. Wouldn't that be an arguement for our method...Electoral College? Rep.Republic?

That we aren't a "Democracy" should be a good thing right?

[Farmer-Rick]

4. It isn't democracy that gives power to Hitlers and Trumps, it is capitalism

It is capitalism and all its evils that corrupt democracies. You can Not have a feudal type economic system yet expect a democratic government. You have to democratize the economy to keep it from corrupting the government...even a democratic government.

This article never mentions Hitler's bankers. It never mentions how money influenced everything. It's almost as if the writer thinks economic systems have marginal impacts on the societies they play havoc with. As if feudalism and slavery, kings and masters, had no impact on governance either.

[guillaumeb]

5. Excellent response.

[Ferrets are Cool]

6. So prescient. nt

[kairos12]

7. It's not hyperbole to say Drumpt is a budding Hitler. Same tactics.