I was a big student of Weimar Germany growing up, and as a psychology buff was fascinated with how the people "let" Hitler rise to power and get as far as he did so quickly. A large part of it was that no one believed that a "civilized person" would actually do the things he did, but we've seen in the last four years how fast a "civilized country" can be deceived. At least Hitler did not do it under the guise of religion, but instead preyed on the anger and frustration of a once proud country who had gotten their asses kicked in WWI and were now destitute and had been forcibly humbled by the winners. So Hitler promised, pride, prosperity and power to the embittered German people. Then when he got the ball rolling, he relied on fear and threats to keep people in line.

My parents had lived in Germany while my dad was in the service during the occupation after WWII and I grew up with their stories of the people (and bitter cold, frozen toilets). And for the last 40 or so years there has been a picture frame collage full of discarded Nazi coins hanging in my parents den over the TV. They picked them up literally out of the streets because they were worthless after the war and had been discarded in disgust by the German people.

A really well known psychic once told me (without knowing my fascination with WWII era Europe) that my last past life ended in the 1930's in France when the Nazis invaded and I was targeted because I was a loud-mouthed opponent of the Nazi party who worked somewhere in the entertainment or media field and apparently people listened to me so I was one of the first to be taken out. (The Randi Rhodes of WWII, perhaps ;-) I don't know if I believe it, but when she told me it made me cry because it really rang true. And I've spent a large portion of my life trying to protect and warn people, and honestly speak my mind. Now I just do it from the internet instead of in a uniform with a patrol car...

When I was studying German language in high school, our teacher also worked a lot of history into the lessons. One of the things that stuck in my mind was a short verse by Martin Niemoller, which seems really appropriate for this bizarre mindset we're sinking even deeper into now. I was worried that after the election (and a Kerry victory) that the country would go back to being apathetic instead of vigilent, but we don't have that luxury anymore...

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a communist; Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a socialist; Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist; Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew; Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak out for me.