American Perspective, 2024
Speaker: Karen, a white suburban voter in Virginia, November 2024, speaking with a friend expressing concern over Trump’s re-election.
“Look, I get that people are worried about Trump’s re-election, but I think a lot of it is overblown. Yes, he talks about ‘taking back America’ and ‘stopping the radical left,’ but he’s just trying to restore order after all the chaos we’ve had in recent years. People are fed up with crime, inflation, and weak borders. Trump’s rhetoric may be strong, but I don’t think he actually plans to harm anyone. He just wants to protect Americans, especially from criminals and illegal immigrants.
“Remember when he deployed federal agents to Portland in 2020? People said it was tyrannical, but it was just to stop the riots and looting. It wasn’t about punishing people who disagree with him. And when he talked about sending in the National Guard to other cities, he was only talking about places that were out of control. Do you think he’d do that now unless absolutely necessary?
“And yes, there’s talk of Project 2025 where he wants to reform the federal government. But honestly, he’s right about the ‘deep state’—there are career bureaucrats who block everything he tries to do. They’re unelected, unaccountable, and seem more loyal to their own agendas than to the voters. Trump is just trying to get things done. He’s not going to fire everyone. He’s going to replace those who are undermining him. Look at his plan to bring in loyal officials; it’s just to make sure his administration can actually function without sabotage.
“Some people worry he’s going to target minorities, especially immigrants, but if you look back, he’s always focused on criminal offenders, not innocent people. He had ICE target MS-13 and other gangs, not regular families. The wall he wanted to build wasn’t about locking people out; it was about securing our borders. And when he imposed travel bans, he said it was about security, not religion or race. This is all about protecting the country, not targeting groups unfairly.
“People also get hung up on his attacks against the media, calling them the ‘enemy of the people.’ Sure, he’s got his issues with CNN and the Washington Post, but he’s just venting. We know he won’t actually shut down the press. If he really wanted to, he would’ve done it during his first term. He’s not a dictator; he’s just a guy who doesn’t like the way the media treats him. And honestly, the press hasn’t exactly been fair to him.
“He’s a strong personality, and I get why that worries some people. But he’s a businessman, not a tyrant. He loves this country, and he doesn’t want to destroy it. People said similar things back in 2016, that he’d be dangerous, and here we are eight years later. We’re still a democracy, and he’s just trying to make it work better for the average American. If he really wanted to impose his will on everyone, wouldn’t he have done it already?
“I think people just need to calm down. He might shake things up, but that’s because Washington is broken. Let’s see what he accomplishes before we start worrying about him turning into some kind of dictator. People said Biden was going to endanger our freedoms, too, and he didn’t. It’s all politics.”
German Perspective, 1933
Speaker: Johann, a German shopkeeper, March 1933, speaking with a friend who expresses concerns about the Nazis.
“Listen, I understand that Hitler and his people make some harsh statements, and I know their speeches can seem intense. But you need to see the bigger picture here. Germany has been in turmoil since the Treaty of Versailles; our economy’s in ruins, and people are desperate. The Nazis might be tough on certain groups, like Communists or, yes, Jews, but that’s because they’re just trying to get the country back on its feet. They want a strong Germany again. Don’t you remember how they promised full employment, stability, and a return to greatness? That’s what the people need right now, not endless divisions and poverty.
“And as for violence—well, sure, we’ve seen the SA, those Brownshirts, beating up Communists and causing trouble. But remember, it’s the Communists who have been fighting them in the streets for years! The Nazis are simply responding. Look, Hitler himself has said he doesn’t want violence in Germany. I remember reading that in Der Angriff; they said his goal is a disciplined, orderly nation. Even Goebbels writes that violence is only to protect German unity and strength. They’re just trying to keep radicals from disrupting our society.
“Think about the Reichstag fire just last month. That was clearly a Communist plot to tear down Germany. The Nazis were right to respond swiftly with the emergency decree—if they hadn’t, the Communists would’ve been all over us. You say, ‘What if the Nazis use this emergency to hurt others,’ but they’re only targeting people who actually pose a threat to Germany. Just today, they arrested several Communist leaders, and they found evidence, I’m told, of plans to overthrow the government. Can you blame them for acting decisively?
“Yes, they have strong words about Jews and others they see as outsiders. But it’s all just words to rally people, isn’t it? Hitler says these things to get support, to show he’ll put Germans first. He’s not actually going to harm people just for being Jewish or different. After all, he’s a politician, not a madman. Mein Kampf may talk about racial purity, but most people don’t take that as a literal threat. Surely, he doesn’t mean every single thing he says to the letter.
“And I’m sure you’ve noticed, the Nazis have been getting more seats in the Reichstag. People wouldn’t be voting for them if they really believed they were a danger to the country. The Nazis are now part of the government, alongside conservatives like von Papen, who will keep them in check. Even President Hindenburg, a national hero, trusts Hitler enough to appoint him Chancellor, so there must be something good in him. If it were really about dictatorship and brutality, do you think Hindenburg would allow it?
“Mark my words: in a few years, we’ll see Germany thriving again. The Nazis are here to restore order and dignity, not to terrorize. Yes, they talk big, but that’s politics. We need to give them a chance and judge them by their results, not by these rumors and fears.”
Make up your own mind. But be brutally honest about what’s happening right now—no sugarcoating it, no turning away. History has shown us exactly what happens in situations like this. Fascism doesn’t rise overnight, and it doesn’t start with obvious brutality. Mussolini was in power for over a decade before the world even began to grasp the threat he posed. By then, he’d already invaded Ethiopia without facing real consequences, while other nations looked away, distracted or indifferent.
Don’t let history repeat itself because we failed to see the signs—or worse, chose to ignore them.