Editor,
I recently picked up an old used bargain book titled ‘The Tyrants - 2,500 Years of Absolute Power And Corruption.’ “Only true tyrants can display the iron will, bombastic ego and ruthless abuse of power necessary to achieve whatever they wish, no matter how outrageous.” It is a terrifying and horrifying book about man’s inhumanity toward man. #NeverAgain
Tyrant - A ruler who breaks the rules, goes beyond the limits imposed by laws and traditions to take arbitrary power, often with cruelty and oppression...enormously rich ruler who exercises unlimited power...rulers who go too far.
The book ends with Slobodan Milosevic (1989-2000), who was put on trial for ethnic cleansing. “Borders are always dictated by the strong, never by the weak.” Sound familiar? Anyone? New Mexico Republicans? Councilor Lewis? Rep. Pearce?
“Ethnic cleansing” has been defined as “the attempt to get rid of (through DEPORTATION, displacement or even mass killing) members of an unwanted ethnic group in order to establish an ethnically homogeneous geographic area. Though ‘cleansing’ campaigns for ethnic or religious reasons have existed throughout history, the rise of extreme nationalist movements during the 20th century led to an unprecedented level of ethnically motivated brutality.”
Donald Trump tried almost every strategy possible over the past two weeks to spin his deportation positions. He said he was “softening” and then “hardening” and then “softening again.” It’s like an erection ad, not an election ad! #SMH
Some people are saying Trump is like Hitler, but I believe the Donald has more in common with Benito Mussolini. Mussolini surrounded himself with sycophants and encouraged adulation. His image was everywhere, his title DUCE (LEADER) had to be PRINTED IN CAPITAL LETTERS, and his favorite slogan was ‘Mussolini ha sempre ragione’ (Mussolini is always right!). He modeled himself on Caesar and Augustus and embarked on a grandiose rebuilding plan for Rome. Flattery and the concentration of power in his hands made Mussolini even more isolated from reality. Officials told him what he wanted to hear, and the government was often paralyzed, waiting for the dictator to give an order, which was often so vague that anyone but himself could be blamed if things went wrong. Hmm. Sound familiar? It can’t happen here, right?
“Hitler worked incessantly giving vague but powerful speeches that played on the emotions of his audience. He also built practical support in the form of Storm Troopers, thugs in brown shirts who spread party propaganda.” “Hitler directed his venom against Communists, homosexuals, the handicapped, and especially the Jews.”
“Hitler’s (Trump’s) stress on ‘traditional’ German (American) values and denunciation of Jews (Muslims) and Communists (Communists) brought him increasing support, especially as the Great Depression (Great Recession) struck Germany (United States).”
The book mentions Mao Zedong, the communist leader of China. “He demanded total loyalty from his subordinates, none of whom ever became his friends. He played them off against each other and arbitrarily promoted or demoted officials for no apparent reason, everyone was anxious to please.”
Nicolae Ceausescu ruled Romania from 1965-1989. “Ceausescu had little consistent ideology, but many erratic ideas, notably that Romania needed a greater population. In 1966 he banned abortion and divorce, with no regard for the consequences - a dramatic increase in infant mortality and countless unwanted children. Many wound up starving in orphanages. Ceausescu’s policy during these years has been described as “rule by frenzy: he was constantly shuffling the government and rushing around the country in unproductive tours where he would receive the staged acclimation of thousands” Hmm! “Ever intolerant and distrustful, he surrounded himself with sycophants and basked in a cult of personality...Huge staged rallies greeted him where ever that he went.” Anyone out there?
Any rational and educated American should vote for Hillary Clinton for President! This election cannot be close. A vote for Jill Stein or Gary Johnson is a vote for Fascism! Trump and the Alt-Right need to be relegated to the dustbin of human history!
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Say what you will about President Obama or the Clintons, but they are pragmatic and moderate centrists! It’s remarkable that the only two Presidents in modern times, Obama and Clinton (42) who came in and cleaned up Reagan and Bush’s voodoo economics, slashed unemployment, while raising taxes on the wealthy, causing massive deficits to plummet, and the stock markets to soar, even while expanding health coverage for children and adults, are so despised by so many Americans as sell-outs and failures. I have a great faith in the pragmatism of American youth, Young Republicans, and millennial Christians who overwhelmingly support bipartisan immigration reforms, climate actions, LGBTQ equality, religious freedom, and racial justice, along with the individual rights and freedoms of all Americans as opposed to ethnic cleansing, Fascism, and human suicide.
Brian Fejer
UNM alumnus
