In 1932 German unemployment hit a peak of six million people, or roughly 33% of the labor force. Hitler used a campaign slogan of “Work and Bread”, and by 1939 unemployment had been virtually eliminated. Some of that came through what amounted to accounting tricks, but much of the reduction came from actual work.
As the U.S. would learn a decade later, preparing for and waging war can create economic miracles.
However, how often have you heard someone say, “The Holocaust really bothered me…but the German economy was doing terribly, and they needed an outsider.”
“You know, to really shake things up.”
Never.
I have never, ever heard anyone excuse Hitler’s monstrosities in the name of economic recovery.
That’s something I think about when I hear people I know and respect?—?or people I don’t know and once respected?—?gently set aside or outright ignore the fact that Donald Trump has built a significant part of his message around bigotry.
Bigotry toward Mexicans. Bigotry toward Muslims. Bigotry toward women.
Despite what anyone reading this may think, I am not a fire-breathing liberal. Personally, I believe the government has little to no role in regulating private behavior, including who we marry and how we choose to live our lives, so long as we are not harming others. But I am also a small businessperson, and I personally do without to make sure my employees get paid. As a result, I am very well aware of the possible impact of a $15 minimum wage.
However, there are times in history when a political debate stops being about politics or policy, and becomes about who you are as a society and who you are as a person.
This is one of those times.
I felt that most recently, in my own home. My wife’s grandfather emigrated from Mexico, and both her mother and father grew up just a few miles from the border in Southern Arizona.
My wife is proud of her heritage, and my three kids are proud of their heritage. My 10 year-old son is particularly proud of his Mexican heritage, and frequently holds his arm next to mine to see whose skin is darker. Given that my great-grandparents emigrated from Sweden around the time my wife’s grandparents emigrated from Mexico, the “Whose skin is darker” competition is a no-contest.
My son, in addition to being proud of his heritage, is also an obsessive news watcher (and aspiring space entrepreneur).
The other week, after Donald Trump’s comments about the “Mexican” judge, he asked my wife and I a series of questions?—?questions that I thought would never be asked because of statements made by a major party candidate for President.
My son asked questions about race, heritage, and even whether or not being a “Mexican” disqualified someone from being a judge.
Later that night, before bed, my wife started crying. This was a moment that you only think other people in other places (and other times) live through.
Donald Trump obviously did not introduce racism and bigotry. There are millions of people who experience persecution and bigotry on a daily basis, and have experienced it for years.
That’s not new. What is new, at least in recent history, is that an openly bigoted candidate is going to represent one of the two major political parties in a presidential race.
What is also not new is the apparent inability of many major political figures to stand up in the face of bigotry, racism, and religious persecution. On a societal level, we should all be grateful that Paul Ryan showed his true colors when he called Trump’s comments “the textbook definition of a racist comment”, yet still stated that he supports the presumptive nominee.
If we hadn’t had that chance to see Ryan’s true nature, otherwise future voters might have mistook him for a leader in 2020. Because while Ryan may convince himself that he can run and win the Republican primary, he has written the opposition’s commercial for them?—?you know, the commercial that will combine “Textbook definition of racist” and “I still support him” into one message that will doom Mr. Ryan with a diverse general electorate.
As it should.
Because no one ever says, “Hitler was great for the German economy.”
And for those members of the GOP who scoff at the comparison, it’s important to remember that Hitler wasn’t born with a sign saying, “History’s Greatest Villain in Waiting” around his neck. At one point he was just a candidate, campaigning to a population who felt left behind, and were willing to listen to a candidate who could assign blame to a specific portion of the population that looked, acted, and worshipped differently.
And then, as in now, the problem wasn’t that there were “textbook” racists and aspiring demagogues.
The problem was that there were too few people willing to stand up to them.