Is America on the Verge of Following in Nazi Germany’s Footsteps?

Monday, May 6th was Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day). This somber day was marked in Israel by citizens pausing  to acknowledge a 2 minute siren that marked a moment of silence held for all those murdered during the Holocaust. This year, however, was different as concerns have begun to rise in relation to the rising tide of  antisemitism and hostility against Israel. 

Why Were the Germans So Susceptible to Hitler’s Ideology?

Following the First World War, Germany was politically and emotionally unstable. The war had left the country in shambles and its people were disheartened. This disheartenment allowed them to become susceptible to new ideas. One could say this political and emotional instability shows a strong resemblance to the state of America that the world saw following the COVID pandemic in 2020. As riots, theorized election fraud, and extreme isolation took place across the country, the nation became very disheartened, thus, once again, causing the citizens to be open to new ideology.

This ideology, however, wasn’t an entirely new concept, neither in Germany or in America today. There had been antisemitic undertones prior to Hitler’s rule, just as there have been in America for the last 50 years. It is far easier to blame the Jews for all of your country’s issues when they “run” Hollywood, isn’t it?

One of the main ways that the Nazi regime was able to convince its citizens of their antisemitic policies was through propaganda. Propaganda is often looked at as a factor, but is generally underappreciated for the sheer amount of power it holds in regards to the manipulation of naive people groups. Similar to how  Nazis’ propaganda spread rapidly and resulted in harsh consequences for the Jewish people, we’re seeing a similar situation in America today. Across news networks throughout the world, the propaganda that is being displayed is accusing Israel of commiting genocide, when the truth could not be more different. The Gaza Health Ministry has admitted to lying about the numbers of casualties in Gaza, the IDF regularly drops advisory leaflets across Gaza and provides passage for civilians out of the zones they plan to infiltrate next, has provided aid for Gaza’s citizens, and has only targeted terrorists during their operations. The masses of American citizens appear to be unable to acknowledge this truth due to the fierce propaganda that is being distributed.

In addition to the propaganda, Hitler also began to indoctrinate the German population in their everyday lives. Through his programs, such as the Hitler Youth and the League of German Girls, he was able to provide children with enjoyable activities while also teaching them about the National Socialist Ideology, instilling deep antisemitism within these young and malleable minds. Typical school life was soon changed for these boys and girls as is seen in this excerpt in the Holocaust Explained:

“The Nazis first focused on changing what students learned. They changed the core curriculum to emphasize sports, history and racial science as the most important subjects… subjects such as religion became less important, and were eventually removed from the curriculum altogether.”

This nearly mimics the curriculum changes that have been and are being instituted in American schools today. Pew Research Center’s data displays the decline of religion in public schools across America in this statement:

“The Supreme Court has pushed forward, from banning organized Bible reading for religious and moral instruction in 1963 to prohibiting school-sponsored prayers at high school football games in 2000.”

Additionally, racial studies are being strongly pushed in the current public education system. This can be seen in the quote from The Committee on Education and the Workforce’s website:

“According to journalist John Murawski, lesson plans, school curricula, teacher surveys, and public statements by educators prove that CRT (Critical Race Theory) “is not only taught in class, but is also heavily promoted by the K-12 education establishment.” 

The Nazi regime also placed an emphasis on who would be allowed to teach in school, “all Jewish teachers, and teachers with undesirable political beliefs (such as communists), were dismissed.” This act was exhibited at Columbia University, when an Israeli assistant professor was denied entry onto the campus of which he was employed.

Once again, throughout history, the way to access a large following is to begin conforming the minds of a young and naive group, such as school age and college age children.

After the Germans Believed the Lies, They Began to Act

“One of the defining features of the Nazis’ regime was their apparatus of terror.”

This quote from The Holocaust Explained bears a frightening connection to what has begun to happen in modern America. On April 25th, four police officers were injured while clearing an encampment at Emerson University in Boston.

On April 28th, UCLA was forced to increase its security measures following an outbreak of physical altercations during a protest.

On April 29th, protesters and police clashed at UT in Austin, TX.

On April 30th, following the police officers’ actions to regain control of multiple campus buildings, many protesters were charged with: unlawful assembly, vandalism, conspiracy, and assault of police officers. While Colombia was regaining control of its campus, on the opposite side of the country, the protests at UCLA led to 15 injuries and one hospitalization. Each of these events can be found on this ABC’s article which notes that many have been arrested “despite many protests largely being peaceful”. The terror that has left many injured and colleges nearly unrecognizable has not even been acknowledged due to the sheer degree of propaganda that has infiltrated the minds of the people.

History Reveals What Happens Next

All of these small, yet significant changes led to the atrocities that took place during the Holocaust. All of these changes in day-to-day life led millions of people to accept and encourage the murder of six million Jews. HIstory tells the tale that soon after these small switches took place, then came the ghettos, concentration camps, and death marches. This time, however, no one is ignorant as to where this antisemetic story leads, everyone can understand and recognize that the end of this story results in the death of the Jewish people en masse. However, with this knowledge that wasn’t available 90 years ago, we have the ability to see the haunting signs of repetition and put a stop to it. We have the choice, just as many did in Nazi Germany, to either try to save the Jewish people from this horrific fate or to bear more innocent Jewish blood in our own hands. We cannot be idle viewers of this story, we have to be engaged and active in prohibiting the propaganda, the antisemitism, and the potential escalation of violence against the Jewish people. 

The words, “never again,” have been echoed by the masses since the Holocaust, but this year, these words appeared to be hushed by shouts for the abolition of the only Jewish state. It is clear that the antisemitic propaganda, teachings, and terror have taken a firm hold on the minds of many people, but we must hold fast to the truth and reject every form of antisemitism that has once again reared its ugly head. We must take a stand and fight for the sake of Israel and in an attempt to prevent another Holocaust.