My Daddy told me...

[PCIntern]

that this was going to happen.

He was a brilliant man, a civil sevant who held two full-time jobs, and while doing that received no fewer than 7 masters degrees from various institutions in fields ranging from English Poetry to European history to Lingusitics to a Masters in Hebrew Letters. He was a 4 year veteran of the Pacific Theater, a Purple Heart recipient, and enlisted on December 8, 1941. He was a pragmatic liberal Democrat who understood the vagaries of politics and could ratiionalize the ascent of Reagan as a natural outcome of market forces predisposed against Carter and the Watergate anomalies.

He used to say that the only difference between the US and Germany pre WWII was that the Germans were more intellectual, more cultured, better read, and more capable. Thus could Americans fall for the idiocy that is this new fascism here in the United States. In my house, Mein Kampf was required reading and learning of the ascent of totalitarianism of whatever stripe was absolutely mandatory.

He said it was only a matter of time - the decision to change from a titular democracy to an obviously repressive society required only two things. Panic and stupidity.

Well, we have both in great quantity.

[Grateful for Hope]

1. Your father was right

And, I am speechless at the person that he was!

You have an amazing heritage.

[JuniperLea]

2. Good for your dad!

Around here, reading Mein Kampf will get you called a Nazi... reading, buying or checking it out of the local library... if they even have a copy.

I'm firmly in the "know thy enemy" and "remember your history so you don't repeat it" camp.

Mein Kampf is difficult reading for most... there should be a Cliff Notes version... or Reader's Digest at the very least.

[PCIntern]

3. When I was in college

you DARE not be seen reading The Little Red Book. Not that ANY of us wanted Communism, believe me.

"You can keep your Marxist ways, 'cause it's only just a phase, 'cause it's money money money makes the world go 'round." - Monty Python's Flying Circus