By John Leo
Nancy Pelosi is shocked by the presence of some swastikas at protests against Obamacare. Who ever heard of such a thing? Well, any mildly alert American old enough to remember the anti-war protests of 2003-2007. Images of George Bush with a Hitler mustache and a Nazi uniform was everywhere at swastika-choked marches and rallies. "Stop the Fourth Reich-Visualize Nuremburg," said one sign at a Hollywood march. "The Fuhrer already in his bunker," said another. Lots of Nazi regalia appeared at protests in Pelosi's San Francisco as well.
On far-left Internet sites, where basic Bush-Is-Hitler commentary became too familiar to attract attention, Bush aides were quickly assigned Nazi roles; Tom Ridge was the new Himmler and Colin Powell became Nazi Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop; Ari Fleisher, Karen Hughes and Karl Rove were all Josef Goebbels figures. Some thought Vice President Cheney was the most important Hitler figure - he commands "storm-trooper legions," said famous crackpot Lyndon LaRouche.
One fevered lefty connected Bush to Nero as well as Hitler, saying "Nero burned Rome, Hitler burned the Reichstag and Bush burned the World Trade Center."
An even more inventive commenter managed to link Rove to Josef Mengele, the depraved Nazi doctor nicknamed the Angel of Death: "Bush made up stories about John McCain, just as Josef Mengele conducted medical experiments on children in Auschwitz." What?
Donald Rumsfeld was the new Rommel. The Action Coalition of Taos, New Mexico, however, thought Rumsfeld was the real Hitler, since, like Adolf, he had a mountain retreat. In an op-ed published in Florida, Air Force veteran Douglas Herman, disagreed, saying Rumsfeld was more like Goering, because both men had been fighter pilots.
Mainstream commentary featured Nazi references too. Both Senator Robert Byrd and billionaire Democrat George Soros said Bush reminded them of Herman Goering.
During the 2004 presidential campaign, Al Gore used the term "brownshirts" (Nazi street thugs) to refer to Republican computer teams assigned to respond to criticism of Bush and the Iraq war.
Vanity Fair magazine nominated Richard Perle for the Goebbels role, running photos of both men under the headline "Separated at Birth?"
New York Times columnist Frank Rich managed to work in a reference to a famous Nazi filmmaker. He said a Showtime program on 9/11 was so favorable to Bush that it is "best viewed as a fitting memorial to Leni Riefenstahl."
The Rev. Andrew Greeley, sociologist and novelist, depicted Bush as a Hitler figure who carried American over to "the dark side."
Federal appeals judge Guido Calabresi offered a comparatively mild Nazi reference, saying the Bush's rise to power was reminiscent of the rise of Hitler and Mussolini, with the Supreme Court pushing him into the presidency with the Bush v. Gore decision.
Bush reminded the left of non-Nazi villains as well. He was depicted as Attila the Hun, serial killer Ted Bundy, Mussolini, Ahab, Hannibal Lecter, the Anti-Christ and Frankenstein's monster (on the cover of the British edition of book by New York Times columnist Paul Krugman).
As far as we know, Nancy Pelosi never complained about any of this. Maybe she didn't notice.
John Leo is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. He edits Minding the Campus, the Institute's web site on America's universities, and is a contributing editor to the City Journal.
8 comments:
Pelosi And Hoyer have an Op-Ed piece today that declares anyone opposing the plan is "UnAmerican" --that drowning out the oppostition is The average hardworking taxpaying citizens of this country are the enemy of our own Government. EVERYTHING the Democrats accused Bush of doing --THEY are doing the same if not worse! We are getting mired down in Afghanistan, Obama is stealthily escalating this conflict and NOONE cares. Record deficits because of bailing out Unions and Bankers, trillions of dollars MISSING--our country is being killed and we stand idly by.
Unfortunately, by now most citizens should realize that extreme liberals desparage and malaign their political opponents. They are unable to debate and discuss goals and ideas in an objective arena.
Their language is hateful and I believe is a reflection of their inward feelings about themselves.
In addition, to the points made in your article, there are examples again and again where the use of such dispicable and horrible descriptions, many believe embolden our enemies and disparage our Country overall.
It is hard for me to believe the politicians that spew such vile language, truly have our Country's best interest at heart, but merely want to appeal to the worst in man to perpetuate their own political careers. Sad indeed, sad indeed.
8:24 and 8:55, this same crap comes from wackos on the right and the left. Both keep us from fully addressing the problems that we have at hand. Take for example the town hall meetings; you really do have plenty of citizens looking to get the facts, but you have loonies from both sides of the aisle who show up just to start a fight and maybe make the news. I would love to see the centrists from both parties step up and take back control of the current health care debate as well as the other issues addressing our nation.
To compare spirited debate and emotional outbursts at public forums, with the vile remarks of the extreme left, like those shared with us by John Leo, leads many to believe that those making such comparisons lack the intellectual honesty and capabibilty to see the difference.
It seems that "centrists" or "moderates" are the ideal for many. In my case, during the last forty years, I have yet to meet either that have demonstrated strong convictions and the traits and characteristics of leadership necessary to take a position and defend it in a respectful manner. Through respectful debate comes learning, from learning comes knowledge and from the knowledge wisdom.
The horrible name calling by some of our National politicians (too many to name here); although I am having a tough time coming up with some conservative names, (surely someone will assist in this area), does not contribute to civil discourse. It is simply a reflection of their shallowness and lack of self-worth.
9:40, oh yes, vile remarks and false accusations have never come from people on the extreme right.
Since the remarks quoted are coming from National Democrat politicians, all you have to do 9:54AM is to quote some National Republican politicians and your argument would have legitimacy. At this time it is sorely lacking.
But thats all they have as a rebuttal--Bush did it too, The right did it too, Nanny nanny boo boo, Where is the outrage about the escalation of troops in Afghanistan Code Pink? Cindy Sheehan? Anyone care that the Obama War will cost more money and American lives that Iraq? To protect the poppies for Chavez?
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