Nazis and the Neoconservative Movement

A recent commentary on lewrockwell.com regarding the subject of the government's aversion to seeing the Bush Administration compared to Nazis, while they apparently have no trouble comparing other heads of state to Nazis. This got me thinking about the disturbing similarities I have noticed, and got me wondering if I could get into trouble doing the same. Mind you, I only have about five readers I know about (and I doubt even they are consistant), so I'm hardly a threat. But, you never know. Someone might decide to make me famous.

I would prefer to pepper this with links to quotes demonstrating the points I wish to make, but unfortunately, I am a slave, and only have time to do this on my lunch hour. So, instead I provide you with anecdotes from the top of my head.

So, without further ado, Neocons and Nazis.

Nationalism

I see traditional American Conservatism as having the following features. It has a mistrust for big government and high taxes, preferring smaller government and lower taxes. However, it also has a mistrust for people in, and from, other countries, and so it supports a large military. This military is meant to be used for defensive purposes, to deter those that would otherwise attack. It is not to be used for "nation building" or any other such nonsense. It prefers the lowest possible spending on social programs and foreign aid--none, if at all possible. And it has a great love for America, and American Freedoms.

The only portion of this the Neocons seem to honor is the nationalism part, but they change the message associated with it. For while both a traditional conservative and a neocon will stand and wave the flag with entusiasm, they do so for different reasons.

The traditional conservative sees America as the land of the free, a place with unique freedoms--the Consitution, the Declaration of Independence, and all that. American Nationalism and American Freedom go hand-in-hand; a true conservative would not sacrifice freedom for security.

For the Neocon, America is defined not by her internal traits of individual freedom, but by her external trait of international leadership. America is seen as a unique force for peace and justice in the world, never before seen on the stage of history. To them, ours is a God-granted destiny, to extend our holy system of government to every corner of the world. No cost in either treasure or freedom to our own people is too great to realize this destiny, and anything can be justified in the name of this destiny.

Nazi Germany was also founded on the notion that Germany was a nation superior to all others, destined to reign over the nations.

Socialism

Recall that "Nazi" is a shortening of a longer party name that translates "National Socialism." Their greatest supporters were the middling majority. Ensuring the welfare of their people (Germans) was a prime concern for the German government of that period.

Traditional conservatives would end welfare if they could. Traditional conservatives have long called for the abolishment of the Department of Education.

Compare that to the Bush Administration, which, I have read, has increased spending on Medicare more than any president in years, and has extended the power of the Department of Education farther than any electable Democrat would have dared. Wheras traditional conservatives believe in a limited federal government, the new conservatives are engaged in an unprecedented expansion of federal power, to ensure the welfare of our citizens--something traditional conservatives don't see government as being particularly good at.

Government spending hasn't expanded so much since the Johnson administration, and the War isn't even the principal expansion (Medicare is).

Anti-Semetism

Newsflash! Arabs are Semites! Muslims claim to worship the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, since he was Ishmael's God, too. And the problem old-line anti-semites had with Jews wasn't restricted to Jews; true anti-semites are opposed to any alien, invasive culture stemming from the Middle East, including both Islam and Christianity.

If you look at the rhetoric of the typical Neo-Conservative, there seems to be far greater reverance for the symbols of our Nation (the "Constitution", the flag, the dollar, etc.) than there is for the Cross. They claim the sanction of God, but which god? Jesus said "Love your enemy, and pray for those who persecute you," but the typical Bush supporter obviously follows the older dictate Jesus was responding to, "Love your Neighbor and Hate your Enemy." Love America, hate any nation that does not bow to it. Regard with suspcian any country that does not share our political systems and does not alter any and all foreign and domestic policy when Americans come to call. Hate, in particular, the French, whose nationalists are continually trying to distinguish themselves from us.

There are those who preach that our war is a great War, a Clash of Civilizations, between Islam and... something else. It depends on who you ask, but there are those who claim the opponent is Christianity, to which I say "No." Jesus preached that we should love our enemies. If a man slap us on the check, we are to turn the other to him. If a man forces us to go a mile with him, we are to go two! If a man demands our coat, we are also to give him our cloak! And I do not believe the mandate of a Christian changes any when he takes the reigns of government. For this reason, I do not believe it is possible for a genuine Christian to posess the power of the sword; few would vote for a man who would, on their behalf, turn the other cheek.

No, it is not the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob they worship, but rather the great old God of the State. In Rome, it was the Cult of The Emperor (highest of all gods). In the US, it can be seen in the idol we call the Flag, to whom the state requires we Pledge Alliegence. In the Neoconservative movement, the Cult of State, begun sometime around World War 2, reaches fruition.

The Muslims are opposed by these people with the vigour they do not because they kill in the name of their ideology (our own government does that with great frequency), but because their ideology, like that of Jews and Christians, does not regard the State in general, and America in particular, as supreme. They may be severely misguided in their assessment of the will of God (or perhaps they are not?), but that is not the reason they are opposed.


Okay, so I got it written. Understand that this is worse drivel than usual--I really had to stretch for the Anti-Semetic part. I simply don't have time to write good stuff. :( But it was fun, nonetheless. :p