“Silence in the face of evil is evil itself: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
July 18 - 21, 2016is the Republican Convention in Cleveland. Once a time for back room deals and real decision making, the modern party conventions are little more than well orchestrated coronations and choreographed media manipulation. Things are different for the Republicans this year, not because their nominee is in doubt, but rather will Republican political leaders stand with Donald Trump and make the obligatory ringing endorsement. It may play well to Trump supporters at the convention, but history has a way of tracking down politics of expediency.
The dilemma is to what extent does Donald Trump mean what he says? Does he really want increased patrols of Muslim American citizens? Does he really want to spend $10 - 12 billion building a wall on the border? Will he try to force Mexico to pay for it? Was he just joking when during a prepared speech a plane flew over and he said “that could be a Mexican plane, they’re ready to attack”? Sorry, not funny, and not a little bit scary. What is the compulsion that is so powerful that allows a man who aspires to win the presidency to let such a statement slip from his lips?
History has taught us something about self proscribed strongman leaders that scapegoat religious or ethnic groups of people as the primary cause of a nation’s struggles. The strongman picks a readily identifiable group of people whose language and culture are different from the majority, and of course, they are too weak to defend themselves against the focused anger of the great leader in the making.
The most extreme example of this phenomenon is pre-World War II Germany, Adolf Hitler and the Jewish people. Hitler revealed his intentions in Mein Kampf, disavowed them when running for Chancellor, and carried them out as Führer. President Paul von Hindenburg despised Hitler, but embraced him when his Nazi party won a plurality in the election, and then swore him in as Chancellor.
Any of this sound familiar? “Illegals” are human beings whose existence in our country makes them “illegal” and thus subject to imprisonment as something sub-human, or better stated “alien”. They are different from “us” and therefore inherently dangerous. They must be removed from our presence so as to restore order and prevent them from stealing our jobs and committing crimes. Muslim Americans are facing an even greater threat. They may be American citizens, but that will not matter should the war on terror continue unabated. They are readily identifiable due to their surnames and ethnicity. Should they actually practice their religion, and in doing so dress differently than the rest of “us” the need to protect them from angry citizens will become the rationale for “internment”. Special camps built just for imprisoning an entire group of people until the “war” is over. That’s what happened during World War II to Japanese Americans.
The emergency circumstances of the continuing war on terror will become the rationale for an executive order issued by our newly elected Commander in Chief, Donald Trump. What he needs is a few more major terrorist events on American soil to produce enough fear and anger to get elected. Who would dare oppose the President at that juncture? Punishing the innocent will simply be the price we have to pay for protecting the rest of “us” from the threat that “they” inherently embody. After all “their religion is evil, they don’t think like us, and they don’t have the same respect for human life that we have”. Suicide bombers are all the proof that “we” need that they are different, they are alien, they are sub-human, and thus the prospect of a racist history repeating itself looms before us once again. The time to stand up to this escalating evil is now; silence is no longer an option. Particularly for those best positioned to put an end to it. That’s right, Republican leaders of good will and moral courage. Will they refuse to endorse the increasingly dark tactics of Donald Trump?
This is not to say Donald Trump is Adolf Hitler, but the political strategy that has brought him this far is gaining momentum and it is likely to continue to do so. Blaming someone else for all of our problems has worked in the past and is working for Donald Trump now. Let us see just how many Republican leaders are prepared to become the von Hindenburg’s of their time.