Remembering The Lessons Of Germany's Past

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Sat, 18 Jun 2005 12:15:50 -0700 (PDT)

Remembering The Lessons Of Germany's Past

 

 

 

http://www.theconservativevoice.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=6342

 

 

 

The Conservative Voice

 

 

 

Remembering The Lessons Of Germany's Past

Posted by Senior Editor Chuck Baldwin on 2005/6/18 6:25:00

 

 

For years, I struggled to comprehend how the good people of

Germany could allow someone such as Adolph Hitler to lead them

into what became World War II. After all, before Hitler's rise to

power, Germany had a rich Christian heritage. The Reformation

out of the Dark Ages had its roots deeply imbedded in Germany

and surrounding countries.

 

Furthermore, Germany has long produced some of the most

intelligent and creative people on the planet! Many of the world's

greatest engineers and scientists have come from Germany and

Austria. When it comes to knowledge and education, the Germanic

people take a back seat to no one.

 

How, then, could the good, intelligent people of Germany follow

and support someone such as Hitler? For years I struggled to find

the answer to that puzzle. Now, I believe I understand.

 

Obviously, one does not gain the trust and confidence of people by

portraying himself as a monster. Does anyone truly believe that

the German people would have supported Hitler if they had

thought he was some kind of ogre? As with most leaders, Hitler

preached faith, family, and patriotism. His speeches were laced

with references to God. He personally claimed Christ to be his

Savior. Even his adopted Nazi symbol was created around the

Christian cross. As far as the German people were concerned,

Adolph Hitler was loyal to historic, conservative Christian values.

Why should they have thought otherwise?

 

However, it did not take long for Hitler to begin turning Germany

from an independent, peaceful republic into an aggressive global

empire. And it is at this point that the German people, and

especially the German church, must share culpability for Hitler's

sins.

 

First, On March 23, 1933, the newly elected members of the

Reichstag (the German Parliament) met in the Kroll Opera House

in Berlin to consider passing Hitler's " Ermächtigungsgesetz " or,

The " Enabling Act. " This Act was officially called the " Law for

Removing the Distress of the People and the Reich. "

 

Opponents of the " Enabling Act " rightly warned that, if adopted,

the Act would make Hitler a de facto dictator. They worried that

the Act would dismantle constitutional liberties. History would

prove that their worries were valid.

 

At the time, however, it was anything but certain that Hitler would

prevail in convincing German lawmakers to pass his " Enabling

Act. " Then, suddenly, terrorists struck the Reichstag building.

 

After the Reichstag was burned on February 28, 1933, President

Hindenburg and Hitler invoked Article 48 of the Weimar

Constitution, which permitted the suspension of civil liberties

during national emergencies. As a result, freedom of the press, free

_expression of opinion, individual property rights, right of assembly

and association, right to privacy of postal and electronic

communications, states' rights of self-government, and protection

against unlawful searches and seizures were suspended. Shortly

afterward, the " Enabling Act " was passed, and the rest, as they say,

is history.

 

Of course, historians have widely speculated that it was Nazis,

themselves, that had set the fire in order to facilitate passage

of the

" Enabling Act " and ensconce Hitler as Germany's Fuhrer. No one

knows for sure who burned the Reichstag, but what we do know is

that Hitler used that act of terrorism to gain the support of the

people as a " wartime president. "

 

The German people were convinced that their country was under

attack and that Hitler was the leader who could protect them.

Consider the statement of one of Hitler's most trusted cabinet

members, Hermann Goering, " The people can always be brought

to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is

tell

them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of

patriotism and exposing the country to danger. " (Source:

Transcript of Nuremberg Trials)

 

Compare Goering's statement to former Attorney General John

Ashcroft who, in defending the USA Patriot Act (which does much

the same thing as Hitler's " Enabling Act " ) said, " To those who

scare peace-loving people with phantoms of lost liberty, my

message is this: Your tactics only aid terrorists, for they erode our

national unity and diminish our resolve. " (Source: Press Report,

Center for Public Integrity)

 

Is it only a coincidence (or a repeat of history) that Republicans

have introduced a bill in Congress to nullify the 22nd Amendment

thereby opening the door for President George W. Bush to become

permanent president? (Source: U.S. House of Representatives, H.J.

Res. 24 " Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the

United States to repeal the 22nd amendment to the Constitution "

introduced February 17, 2005.)

 

Add to H.J. Res. 24 the World Net Daily report that " A former

Bush team member during his first administration is now voicing

serious doubts about the collapse of the World Trade Center on

Sept. 11, 2001.

 

" Morgan Reynolds, former chief economist for the Department of

Labor during President George W. Bush's first term, says the

official story about the collapse of the Twin Towers is 'bogus' and

that it is more likely that a controlled demolition destroyed them

and adjacent Building No. 7. "

 

WND quotes Reynolds as stating further, " Only professional

demolition appears to account for the full range of facts associated

with the collapse of the three buildings. "

 

Whether the Twin Towers and Building 7 were brought down via

" an inside job " or not, one thing is certain: the attacks of

September 11, 2001 became the catalyst that propelled

Congressmen to quickly pass the USA Patriot Act even though

none of them had read it.

 

Much is being made over the fact that on Wednesday of this week,

the House of Representatives removed some " sneak and peek "

features regarding public libraries from the Patriot Act. Of course,

President Bush is livid and is threatening to veto the bill without

that segment of the Act included. However, what few people seem

to notice is that a host of egregiously unconstitutional abridgments

of freedom remain intact in the Patriot Act.

 

Under the Patriot Act, government agents can conduct searches in

your home or business and search your belongings without

informing you and without a court order. Government agents are

permitted to arrest and detain individuals and to hold them

indefinitely, without being charged with a crime, and without

being allowed access to an attorney. In other words, the Patriot Act

(like Hitler's " Enabling Act " ) expunges our Fourth Amendment

protections against illegal searches and seizures and our right to be

secure in our persons, houses, papers, and effects.

 

Furthermore, the Patriot Act (like Hitler's " Enabling Act " )

destroys our Fifth Amendment right to be held for a capital, or

otherwise infamous crime, without an indictment of a grand jury.

The Patriot Act also eviscerates a citizen's constitutional right of

Habeas Corpus.

 

The point is, as with Hitler's Germany, so, too, the American

people, and especially America's churches, are willingly and

enthusiastically surrendering constitutional liberties in order to

accommodate President Bush's desires for authoritarian power as a

" wartime president. "

 

Consider, too, Hitler's invasion of Germany's neighbors. People

cheered as German troops attacked other nations. And even though

those nations had not participated in any attack against Germany,

Hitler had convinced people that preemptive attacks against those

nations were necessary as they would make Germany " more

secure. " Does this or does this not sound just like President Bush's

justification for invading Iraq?

 

Once again, please remember that the German people believed

Hitler to be a patriotic, Christian man. As a result, Hitler had the

unflinching support of Germany's conservative Christian

ministers. How else would they be persuaded to follow Hitler into

the nightmare of the Nazi regime?

 

Remember, also, that to most German ministers, the Nazi Party

was " God's Party. " They really believed they were being faithful

to God by being faithful to Hitler. Therefore, should we not be

concerned today when we hear of Christian ministers

excommunicating church members who do not support President

Bush or the Republican Party? Should not " red flags " go up in our

minds when we hear Christian ministers excuse Bush's

unconstitutional conduct by proclaiming, " Bush is God's man for

America, therefore, we cannot criticize him! " ?

 

Yes, my friends, it is now obvious to me how Adolph Hitler seized

power in Germany, because the same principles that Hitler used in

the 1930's are being used by America's leaders today.

 

Am I saying that I believe President Bush is another Hitler? Of

course not. I am saying, however, that the same tactics and

strategies being used by President Bush are eerily similar to those

of the former German leader's. Certainly, we all pray for a fate far

better than that of Hitler's Germany. But to obtain a better future

for America, it is obligatory that we remember the lessons of

Germany's past.

 

© Chuck Baldwin