Conservatives Borrow a Page from the History Books: A Glimpse into the Echoes of Nazism
Examining conservative “anti-woke” tactics as a tool for sociopolitical distraction and authoritarian control
In early September, I returned from a trip to Berlin, where I had the opportunity to delve deeper into the history of Hitler, Nazism, and their devastating impact on the Jewish community. I visited both the Typography of Terror and the Jewish Museum which gave further context to how a democratic republic swiftly became a fascist dictatorship in a matter of 15 years.
This resulted from a strategic shift in a far-right government that was propped up by a small elite class exploiting the economic turmoil following Germany’s loss in WWI and the 1929 Wall Street Crash to preserve their personal economic interests, domination, and power. On top of that, they had a charismatic, unhinged leader who was a racist, and an antisemite, with little regard for the law. Through propaganda and falsehoods, Hitler was able to rise to power using Jewish people as scapegoats to take the fall for this economic crisis rather than fully addressing the reasons for it in the first place.
Sound familiar…
This deep and direct dive into German history, got me thinking about what is currently taking place in the United States. It is not simply the parallels one could make with the Republican Party and its unwavering support for former President Donald Trump, who, some would consider charismatic in his ability to rally his unquestioning and devoted base. He, like Hitler, has also publicly used numerous racist and antisemitic epitaphs and rhetoric which would give evidence to his biases; and seems to have little regard for the law as he is currently being charged with 91 federal felony counts in four states. Similarly, he currently faces charges by the Justice Department for his alleged role in the January 6 treasonous insurrection aimed at undermining a democratic government, echoing another one of Hitler’s antics.
But just like the strategies employed by the Nazi Party, conservatives are actively instigating a culture war. They are doing so by framing policies, aimed at advancing diversity and inclusion initiatives, geared to make good on the rights in the Declaration of Independence, as the scapegoats for the lack of progress for the rest of the country.
When really, it comes down to the same methodology as the Nazi Party: conservatives only seek to protect the interests of a minority elite class, relying on their funding in order to sustain an authoritarian grip on power. Meanwhile, they continue to distract the broader population’s attention towards a useless culture war, while their overall quality of life continues to dwindle due to an unresolved cost of living crisis.
Modern-day American Conservatism
“Conservative leaders have mastered the art of manufacturing crises to divert the public’s attention from the real crisis of our era- the siphoning of income, wealth, and power from most Americans by a small group at the top.” Robert Reich
If anyone turns on Fox News or listens to conservative leaders and lawmakers, you would get a sense that there needs to be this “war on woke,” coined by Republican Presidential candidate and Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis. This war is about eradicating any belief that there are systemic injustices in American society; and that it would indeed be advantageous for all to address them.
Let’s set aside the irony for a minute that the term “woke” was actually birthed from the Black Lives Matter Movement in 2014 after the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson. The term was meant, at the time, to imply that many Americans, not just people of color, were becoming more aware of police brutality and systemic racism that had been alive and well in the country since its inception.
Instead, “woke” turned into a misappropriated propaganda term now being used by conservatives to deflect and distract their followers with “anti-woke” policies that really don’t affect them on a day-to-day basis.
What does affect them, however, is the fact that a small group of economic elite in the United States give multi-millions of dollars to fund these conservatives’ campaigns, which then drives them to make laws where they give their rich donors substantial tax breaks or deregulate industries that would allow them to make higher profit margins in their corporations. Meanwhile, Americans with less than five-figure incomes pay about 14x more taxes than those with seven-figure incomes. Not to mention, due to high inflation and a growing cost of living crisis, 61% of Americans are currently living paycheck to paycheck. The main factors attributed to this cost of living crisis include: the pandemic, which caused enormous supply chain disruptions, corporate greed, and the Russia and Ukraine War. None of these factors, however, are because the country is getting too “woke”.
Yet, Conservatives will tell their constituents and whoever is open to listening, otherwise; and have begun to implement propaganda and policy tactics similar to the Nazis. Even creating a simple slogan like “war on woke” is similar to how in the 1930s Nazis would broadcast, “Free Germany from the Jews.”
It creates a fictional boogeyman in “woke culture or leftism” and encompasses a particular group of individuals who could potentially benefit from progressive policies as the enemy. Much like how the Nazis depicted the Jewish community as the supposed enemy of Germany, diverting attention from the dodgy dealings of their authoritarian regime and the very real economic turmoil of the era.
Conservative authoritarian policies for political survival
In the states and nationwide, Conservatives are essentially rigging both state and federal legislation to benefit wealthy campaign donors, allowing them to exploit corporate tax cuts and policy alterations for their exclusive economic gain. Simultaneously, these affluent backers support Conservatives who divert public attention with the “threat” of “wokeness”, all the while amassing profits while ordinary Americans endure financial hardships, intentionally hoping the manipulation goes unnoticed.
If conservatives are lucky, they can continue to exploit a divisive cultural conflict to influence everyday Americans into voting against their own self-interest, achieving a swift ascent to political power, reminiscent of the Nazi Party’s rise in the 1930s and 1940s. This could potentially lead to the implementation of authoritarian policies aimed at perpetuating their rule.
In fact, it can be argued they’ve already begun down this path in conservative-led states with an increase in redistricting, drawing up new district maps that split left-leaning voters into heavily conservative districts and enacting racist voter suppression laws. Thanks to the conservative-leaning Supreme Court back in 2013, the 1965 Voting Rights Act preclearance provision was successfully gutted by their ruling in Shelby County v Holder. As a result, in the states, changes to voting laws can occur without effective oversight to address potential discriminatory practices, allowing keen conservative-led states to actively target Black and Hispanic voters, who typically lean left, and segregate them into predominantly white-majority districts, effectively diminishing their voting influence.
Conservatives and their driving force
Conservatives’ adoption of an authoritarian approach is primarily driven by their determined effort to maintain relevance within the evolving power dynamics of the nation, as a last-ditch effort for enduring political relevance. Looking ahead to 2024, Republicans will have endured two decades of presidential elections in which they failed to secure the popular vote. Moreover, traditional strongholds in various states are slipping away, as they hemorrhage both popular and electoral support. The changing tides are particularly evident in the diverse Gen Z and Millennial generations, who exhibit a pronounced left-leaning political preference. It appears that they find themselves at a pivotal juncture. Only time will tell whether enough Americans will rally behind this strategy, echoing historical instances where such tactics paved the way to securing authoritarian control, as seen in Germany.
