Trump's 'America First' Has Nothing to Do with Hitlerism

[rangerrebew]

January 23, 2017
Trump's 'America First' Has Nothing to Do with Hitlerism
By Ned Barnett

As Winston Churchill famously said, history is written by the victors.  This was particularly true of the Second World War.  For instance, few Americans living today realize that Hitler declared war on the U.S.  Japan's attack at Pearl Harbor plunged us into a war in the Pacific, but that did not trigger U.S. involvement in the war in Europe.  Until Hitler's unilateral declaration of war, and as late as December 11, 1941 – after more than two years of war in Europe between Churchill's Great Britain and Hitler's Germany – tens of millions of Americans opposed our involvement on Churchill's side.  These loyal Americans remained content to sit out the war in Europe – to let the Europeans sort it out – even as we fought an unrelated battle to the death with the Japanese.

Though they remained confident in public, both Roosevelt and Churchill were quietly terrified that Hitler would not provide America with the excuse needed to enter the European war.  Those Americans who wanted to put America's best interests ahead of those of Britain, France, and the Soviet Union had good reason for opposing joining a land war in Europe.  That reason was twofold: first, the horrific cost of our involvement in the Great War, and second, our European allies' refusal to pay their war debts.  The memory of the Great War's hundreds of thousands of dead and maimed Americans, as well as an unpaid war debt worth nearly $200 billion dollars in today's currency were reason enough for those patriots to choose to put "America First."

Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2017/01/trumps_america_first_has_nothing_to_do_with_hitlerism.html#ixzz4WbO9gvQX
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[dfwgator]

It's a shame that it even had to be pointed out.

[HonestJohn]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_First_Committee
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Lindbergh#America_First_involvement
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Lindbergh#Thoughts_on_race_and_racism

Started in 1940.

---

Once again, another pile of blatant lies out of Trump and those supporting him.  And even more disgusting, now attempts to say that, maybe, we shouldn't have fought against Nazi Germany.  That staying out would has been a 'better' course.

From a supposedly reputable "conservative" site, no less. (the American Thinker)

[JustPassinThru]

Nobody serious is saying Trump is Hitler or Hitleresque.

But "Nationalism" is a buffed veneer for IMPERIALISM.  STATISM.

Which is an element of totalitarian socialism - they constantly need to seize neighboring lands to appropriate the wealth, since socialism and totalitarianism doesn't motivate persons to MAKE any wealth.

All the parades and goose-step marches and thousands of flags...no matter what logo or encryption is on them...those are pep rallies and circuses, designed to mask that the Cult of Personality running the dictatorship, is FAILING.

We never had that, because industrious persons making wealth, are too busy for that.

Now we do have them.  Trump isn't Hitler, but he's taking us a step closer to where a new Hitler can step in.

THIS is the kind of stuff we need to worry about.  Not Trump's imagined "misogyny" of forty years ago.

[dfwgator]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_First_Committee
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Lindbergh#America_First_involvement
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Lindbergh#Thoughts_on_race_and_racism

Started in 1940.

---

Once again, another pile of blatant lies out of Trump and those supporting him.  And even more disgusting, now attempts to say that, maybe, we shouldn't have fought against Nazi Germany.  That staying out would has been a 'better' course.

From a supposedly reputable "conservative" site, no less.

Hindsight is 20/20.  Did anyone foresee the Death Camps back then?    And many felt at the time Stalin was an even bigger threat than Hitler, and of course those fears were not completely unfounded.  And also note,  the most isolationist at the time were the Left, after Hitler and Stalin signed the Non-Aggression Pact, and that was AFTER public sentiment switched over to getting involved in the war....of course that was until Hitler invaded their beloved Soviet Union, then they screamed for us to get into the war.

And for FWIW, Lindbergh served honorably after Pearl Harbor, although FDR tried to stop him from serving.

[skeeter]

And for FWIW, Lindbergh served honorably after Pearl Harbor, although FDR tried to stop him from serving.

Lindbergh shot down a Japanese plane as a civilian 'field testing' P-38s.

[Cripplecreek]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_First_Committee
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Lindbergh#America_First_involvement
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Lindbergh#Thoughts_on_race_and_racism

Started in 1940.

---

Once again, another pile of blatant lies out of Trump and those supporting him.  And even more disgusting, now attempts to say that, maybe, we shouldn't have fought against Nazi Germany.  That staying out would has been a 'better' course.

From a supposedly reputable "conservative" site, no less.

You can make a case for saying we shouldn't have fought WWI but WWII was a clear moral imperative.

Funny note. Woodrow Wilson's campaign Slogan was "He kept us out of war" and then led us into WWI largely through propaganda efforts of the Creel Commission

[truth_seeker]

"The AFC was established on September 4, 1940, by Yale Law School student R. Douglas Stuart, Jr. (son of R. Douglas Stuart, co-founder of Quaker Oats), along with other students, including future President Gerald Ford, future Peace Corps director Sargent Shriver, and future U.S. Supreme Court justice Potter Stewart.[3] Future President John F. Kennedy contributed $100, along with a note saying "What you all are doing is vital."[4][5] At its peak, America First claimed 800,000 dues-paying members in 450 chapters, located mostly in a 300-mile radius of Chicago.[1]"

A bunch of little Hitlers, these dudes were. /s

My grandfather served in the trenches of France. In the interlude between wars, many Americans opposed joining in yet another war in Europe.

Serious students of history knew that Europe was a story of war, after war, after war. (Hundred Years War, Thirty Years War, War of Roses, etc)

The fact that many Americans opposed yet another war in Europe, was NOT support for Hitler. 

[HonestJohn]

Hindsight is 20/20.  Did anyone foresee the Death Camps back then?    And many felt at the time Stalin was an even bigger threat than Hitler, and of course those fears were not completely unfounded.  And also note,  the most isolationist at the time were the Left, after Hitler and Stalin signed the Non-Aggression Pact, and that was AFTER public sentiment switched over to getting involved in the war....of course that was until Hitler invaded their beloved Soviet Union, then they screamed for us to get into the war.

And for FWIW, Lindbergh served honorably after Pearl Harbor, although FDR tried to stop him from serving.

The concentration camps started up by 1934.  Six years beforehand.

And by 1940, the start of the mobile gas vans had already begun.

[ABX]

This is actually true.

America First was Woodrow Wilson's campaign slogan based on populism, nationalism, and his early isolationist tendencies.

The America First Committee, started in WWII to oppose going to war with Germany, was inspired by Wilson, was the second major populist movement and continued all the way through Gerald Ford when it died out.



In addition to Woodrow Wilson, notable members included Socialist Party leader Norman Thomas, Charles A. Lindbergh, Walt Disney, and Gore Vidal.


In many ways, it does mirror the mantra that Trump is speaking now. A tendency towards isolationism, high trade tariffs, nationalism over individualism, policies based on populism.

[r9etb]

And for FWIW, Lindbergh served honorably after Pearl Harbor, although FDR tried to stop him from serving.

That's all very nice, but it doesn't alter the fact that Lindbergh was a willing stooge for the Nazis before the war.  Here he is, getting a nice medal from Herr Goering.

[dfwgator]

Lindbergh shot down a Japanese plane as a civilian 'field testing' P-38s.

Also Lindbergh gathered intelligence on the Luftwaffe during his trips to Germany that he passed on.

[dfwgator]

That's all very nice, but it doesn't alter the fact that Lindbergh was a willing stooge for the Nazis before the war.  Here he is, getting a nice medal from Herr Goering.

We were still technically neutral then.  And most European states at that time were just as dictatorial as Germany was. If you're going to condemn Lindbergh, you'd better also condemn Henry Ford for having many of those same beliefs.   It took WWII and its' aftermath to wake a lot of people up,  and I'm sure Lindbergh realized he was wrong by the end of the war as well.

[dfwgator]

The concentration camps started up by 1934.  Six years beforehand.

And by 1940, the start of the mobile gas vans had already begun.

Yes, but who here could have known about it for sure?   During wars there are always rumors of atrocities, some true and some not.

I would also add that anti-semitism in Europe before the war certainly wasn't only limited to Nazi Germany.

[TomSea]

Some people present day like Putin and Duterte, I am sure many examples can be cited since World War II.

JFK had his sentiments per Hitler.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2329556/How-JFK-secretly-ADMIRED-Hitler-Explosive-book-reveals-Presidents-praise-Nazis-travelled-Germany-Second-World-War.html

[r9etb]

In many ways, it does mirror the mantra that Trump is speaking now. A tendency towards isolationism, high trade tariffs, nationalism over individualism, policies based on populism.

And the thing about Trump, is that he also seems to see himself as a "strongman" kind of leader.  When you combine that with your list, it's not unreasonable to think a certain authoritarianism might evolve.

[dfwgator]

And the thing about Trump, is that he also seems to see himself as a "strongman" kind of leader.  When you combine that with your list, it's not unreasonable to think a certain authoritarianism might evolve.

Only in terms of how Trump chooses to use his "Bully Pulpit" but he is going to have no more nor no less power than any President before him.

[endicom]

...nationalism over individualism...

If nationalism were antithetical to individualism then the United States would never have been individualistic.

[r9etb]

Only in terms of how Trump chooses to use his "Bully Pulpit" but he is going to have no more nor no less power than any President before him.

Well, maybe.  OTOH, I can see him as the head of a movement - populist, nationalist, isolationist, protectionist; that's a presidential dynamic we haven't seen for a long time. 

Could be that it leads to President Pence, and sooner rather than later....

[dfwgator]

Well, maybe.  OTOH, I can see him as the head of a movement - populist, nationalist, isolationist, protectionist; that's a presidential dynamic we haven't seen for a long time. 

Could be that it leads to President Pence, and sooner rather than later....

IMO I think Trump will wind up being more pragmatic than most expect.

[TomSea]

IMO I think Trump will wind up being more pragmatic than most expect.

I do too; I see him as being like Reagan and "delegating" decisions, Trump may have the final say but his advisors probably have some independence.

[EC]

I do too; I see him as being like Reagan and "delegating" decisions, Trump may have the final say but his advisors probably have some independence.

Figure you are right, but there is no harm in keeping a close eye, is there. Trump does have an strong authoritarian streak - and virtually every dictator and tyrant started out with good intentions.

[TomSea]

Figure you are right, but there is no harm in keeping a close eye, is there. Trump does have an strong authoritarian streak - and virtually every dictator and tyrant started out with good intentions.

What I see is someone who sees America going down the tubes and being bold in his saying what needs to be done. I really don't see that authoritarianism, leading by example with that "patriot day" thing, maybe.

[EC]

With the exception of that offensive stupidity (and the whole stupidity about "my crowd's bigger than your crowd" which has about as much meaning to running the country as hens eggs do) he's doing OK so far. Keeping some of his promises. Happy (and somewhat surprised) to admit that.

But - he's only on Day 2. 

[dfwgator]

With the exception of that offensive stupidity (and the whole stupidity about "my crowd's bigger than your crowd" which has about as much meaning to running the country as hens eggs do) he's doing OK so far. Keeping some of his promises. Happy (and somewhat surprised) to admit that.
 

I expect a few "rookie mistakes" in the first few months, but I think it will get smoothed out over time.