Similarities between the current political climate in the United States and 1930s Germany include the use of rhetoric and propaganda, the rise of a particular t

Similarities between the current political climate in the United States and 1930s Germany include the use of rhetoric and propaganda, the rise of a particular type of leader, and the appeal to a specific type of follower. The idea promulgated by the Right that the United States is an "occupied territory" and needs to be "liberated" is used in rallies, similar to the Nazi rhetoric that "Germany is for the Germans", who needed to free themselves of "Jewish Bolshevism." This type of rhetoric promotes a sense of nationalism and exclusion. The rhetoric used by some American politicians and media personalities includes baffling old school racism, such as referring to Kamala Harris as a "Samoan Malaysian low IQ" individual. This is similar to the racism and eugenics used by the Nazis, who framed certain groups as inferior and a danger to the purity of the nation. There is a narrative that the government no longer prioritizes Americans, but rather seeks to "replace Americans with people who will be reliable voters". This is comparable to the Nazi ideology of a pure race and the exclusion of those deemed "unreliable" or "disloyal". Some American politicians have used language about immigrants "poisoning the blood" of the country, which is reminiscent of the "blood framing" and eugenics used by Hitler and the Nazis. The use of "us vs. them" rhetoric to divide the population is a common theme on the Right. In the US, immigrants, political opponents, and other groups—including literal Jews!—are portrayed as enemies, much like how the Nazis portrayed Jews and other minorities as enemies of the state. The spread of misinformation and the creation of false narratives is another point of comparison. One example is the false tale of an apartment building in Chicago being taken over by immigrant gangs, which was spread by Libs of Tik Tok and Elon Musk. This kind of propaganda was also a tool used by the Nazis to demonize minority groups. Central to MAGA ideology there's an idea of a "harsh father whose love is replaced with fearful authority," and America is framed as a "bad girl" needing domination. This concept ties into Freudian theories about the psychology of fascism, eg people show a "passive masochistic attitude," displaying a deep urge for submission to a leader like Trump. The leader is not always present but continues to be followed by supporters. This is an aspect of fascist states in which the leader's policies can have serious negative effects, but the followers believe that if only the leader knew, they would stop it. The leader's supporters are often very dedicated, making the leader the center of their lives in a way that is similar to how a cult leader is followed. Some MAGA people seem to want to be forced to be right, even if reality disagrees with their beliefs, and they are enraged by those who point out their errors. This is similar to how people supported Nazi policies even when they had negative consequences. There is an urge to replace individual identity with the group ideal embodied by the leader. Racism is used as a tool to create a sense of belonging, a sort of "a poor man's snobbery". By treating the Jew or others as inferior, people can feel a sense of belonging to an elite. This feeling is not based on merit or labor, but rather on an inherited or given sense of superiority: hate can unify people through a shared anger, leading to a collective that does not require any specialized functions of its members. This arrangement facilitates a desire to "melt suddenly into the group and be carried away by the collective torrent" which is a longing for a "primitive community" where the individual is lost in the group. All of this was present in Weimar Germany, and all are present in today's America.