Insights Into Tomorrow: Episode 22 "No More Yesterdays"

Speaker 1: 0:03

Insightful Podcasts by Informative Hosts. Insights into Things a podcast network. Welcome to Insights into Tomorrow, where we take a deeper look into how the issues of today will impact the world of tomorrow, from politics and world news to media and technology. We discuss how today's headlines are becoming tomorrow's reality Music.

Speaker 2: 1:02

Welcome to Insights into Tomorrow. This is Episode 22,. No More Yesterdays. I'm your host, Joseph Whalen, and my informed and concerned co-host, Michelle Whalen. Hi everyone how are you doing today, sweetheart?

Speaker 1: 1:19

Doing okay. How are you?

Speaker 2: 1:21

I'm doing wonderful. Anything exciting going on other than flip-flop of hosts on the shows recently?

Speaker 1: 1:29

No, I think we're all trying to get into the swing of things, I guess.

Speaker 2: 1:35

Indeed, we have kicked off our holiday with Thanksgiving and mad rush up until the end of December. Now.

Speaker 1: 1:44

Yeah, yeah, now it's all downhill.

Speaker 2: 1:47

Yeah, pretty much. Pretty much so. In this episode of Insights into Tomorrow, we delve into the alarming parallels and stark differences between the nationalism and anti-Semitism of the Nazi era in today's world. We explore how both periods are marked by ideologies of exclusion and economic turmoil fueling nationalist sentiments alongside the dangerous tendency of scapegoating minorities. The Nazi regime's systematic, state-sponsored anti-Semitism and its sophisticated propaganda machine is in a stark contrast to today's more decentralized, internet-driven spread of anti-Semitic ideology.

Speaker 2: 2:37

And I thought this was kind of poignant because we have, and we have had for several years now in the United States, one entire political movement that focuses on the past, this whole idea of make America great again. But they never tell you when they're referring to Right and the time that they're referring to goes back to some of these darker days during a time period of exclusion, of civil rights not being a priority, of individual rights not being a priority, and the people that want to go back to that time are the ones who were in power and advantaged at that time, and that was a very small number of people at the time. So the fact that you have a large segment of the population pushing for that now and completely ignoring the parallels that they're shooting for now, compared to what happened in the 1930s and 40s, with the rise of other nationalist movements, socialism and fascism, is disturbing, and that's why I titled this podcast no More Yesterdays. Now we don't want to go back. We've, over the last hundred years, we as a country, we as a civilization and the human race in general have evolved considerably in that time, and there's a segment of the population who desperately wants to drag us back to those dark times. So we're going to take a look at some of the comparisons on that and offer some insights and side-by-side looks at what it was like then, what it is today, and hopefully have enough wisdom to not go down that dark path again. But before we do that, though, I want to take a moment to remind our listening and viewing audience to if you don't already do so, subscribe to the podcast.

Speaker 2: 5:02

You can find audio versions of this podcast listed as Insights Into Tomorrow. You can also find audio and video versions of all the network's podcasts listed as Insights Into Things. Pretty much anywhere you can get a podcast these days. I would also invite you to write in, give us your feedback, disagree with us, tell me your point of view. You can email us at comments at insightsintothingscom. You can find us on x at insights underscore things. Or you can find links to all those and more on our official website at wwwinsightsintothingscom. Shall we get going?

Speaker 1: 5:44

Oh, let's the fun, be gay. Here we go.

Speaker 2: 5:56

The comparison of nationalism and anti-Semitism during the rise of the Nazi Party in the first half of the 20th century with today's political climate reveals some notable similarities as well as significant differences. From a similarity standpoint, you have an ideology of exclusion. Both errors witness ideologies that define the nation in exclusionary terms, which is really contrary to what this country was ever built on. The Nazi Party's version of nationalism was grounded in racial purity and the exclusion of Jews, among others, Despite the fact that there's Jewish ancestry on Hitler's side and Hitler wasn't even German to begin with. So purity, Modern nationalism, while not typically as extreme, often similarly hinges on defining insiders and outsiders, sometimes marginalizing certain groups. There's also significant similarities in economic factors. The economic uncertainty played a significant role in the rise of the Nazi Party, as it capitalized on the economic lows of post-World War I Germany to gain support. Today, the economic uncertainty, particularly in the wake of globalization and economic crises, also fuels nationalist sentiments.

Speaker 1: 7:25

Now we'll talk about scapegoating. So the Nazi regime notoriously used Jews as a scapegoat for Germany's problems. In contemporary politics, while not as extreme or widespread, there is still a tendency in some nationalist narratives to scapegoat immigrants or ethnic minorities for social and economic issues. The use of propaganda the Nazis were adept at using propaganda to spread their ideologies and today, while the methods have evolved, the use of social media sorry, the use of media, and particularly social media to dismantle nationalist and anti-Semitic sentiments echoes this aspect of the past. The rise of the term fake news to discredit credible sources that point out the lies and crimes of one political organization over another has threatened to undermine any source of truth.

Speaker 2: 8:30

So while there's a number of similarities, there's also differences. So the first one we look at is the institutional framework. The current global institutional framework, including organizations like the United Nations and various human rights conventions, acts as a significant barrier against the rise of extremist ideologies akin to those of the Nazi era. So, even though the United Nations has proven time and again to be ineffective against even mildly concerted efforts by a few obstructionist members to undermine the basic principles of its existence, the other is public awareness and education. Again, you would think by now we would have a better understanding of these things, having lived through it once. There is a higher level of public awareness and education about the dangers of extreme nationalism and anti-Semitism today, largely as a result of the lessons learned from World War II and the Holocaust. However, with active efforts to distort history, ban books and curricula, teaching about the atrocities and culture of denial has arised that threatens the basic defense against a repeat of the atrocities of the Nazis.

Speaker 1: 9:50

Then there's the extent and nature of anti-Semitism. The anti-Semitism of the Nazi era was state-sponsored, systematic and led to the Holocaust. Modern anti-Semitism, while a serious concern, typically does not manifest with the same intensity or state-level endorsement. This less intensive approach in and of itself may actually be more dangerous, and it makes the concept of anti-Semitism more appealing to the less radicalized members of society and thus threatens to make the practice even more widespread. Modern digital connectivity so now we have the contemporary world, which is more interconnected now than it was in the 1930s and the 1940s. This globalization and digital connectivity can both fuel nationalist sentiments, but also provide means for counter-narratives and global solidarity against extremism. This history has shown how easily social media can be manipulated to propagate hate and violence more so than prevent it throughout.

Speaker 2: 11:12

So just on what we talked about here. Do you think the technological advantages of communication today makes it more or less likelihood for something like this nationalist movement to propagate or be defended against?

Speaker 1: 11:34

Honestly, I would have to say kind of a little bit of both. It's definitely easier for the word to get out, for this propaganda to be spread. You have so many people that as soon as they see a post about something, a tweet about something, a picture about something, they forward it to everybody that they know without even checking to see if it's factual. But then, on the other hand, you have real-time news, real-time events that are happening that people are being informed about pretty much right as it happens, as opposed to back in the day where it could be weeks before somebody heard about something, months before, somebody heard something hours before. Now it's almost instantaneous that the other side of things is getting out there. So I think it's a little bit of both with it.

Speaker 2: 12:39

What about the level of anonymity that you could have starting a movement on the Internet now, where you're insulated, you don't have to put yourself out there? When you had the Nazis were starting their movements, they were going out, putting themselves in public beer halls and riling up the people directly and exposing themselves at that point in time to prosecution and persecution and stuff like that. Do you think it's more likely that you'll get we'll call them rabble-rousers when they can hide behind the anonymity of a Twitter or something like that?

Speaker 1: 13:19

Oh, absolutely. Because now and you see that just in general with the trolls that are out there that somebody posts a picture of Dolly Parton from this past few days ago. She performed a halftime show and all these trolls came out. She wasn't really singing, she was lip-syncing and just. Is it something where they would have actually ever said that to her face? Probably not, they would never have done that. But now because you can hide behind it and you don't have that fear of persecution. And especially now there are so many things out there where before if you commented or posted something it would have your name. If you've been granted, most people would change their usernames and things like that. Now there's so many areas to post or comment where you can do it anonymously. Now They've added that feature, so now it gives you. Oh well, now I can be more of a rebel-rouser and go out there and say what I have to say and nobody will ever find out that it's me.

Speaker 2: 14:38

That's a very good point. So how do you think the rise of social media and the concept of fake news has affected the way Americans understand and discuss political issues, including topics like nationalism and anti-Semitism? Can people have a logical, civilized discussion or we're seeing extremism on both sides Just because one side says one thing? You could have one side that finds secure for cancer, finds a magical pill that solves world hunger and creates world peace all at one time, and the other side would oppose it because the opposition came up with it.

Speaker 2: 15:24

What are your thoughts on that?

Speaker 1: 15:29

It's tough because, especially now with what is going on in current events, as of today, with the events of 10.7 that are still fresh, you have hostages that are just starting to be released, almost 50 days later. There are people obviously on both sides and it's very hard to have that sit down with somebody that's so passionate. You almost need to find somebody who's I don't want to say sensible, but you know, because everybody is passionate about their stance, no matter which stance they take. But sometimes when you're so passionate about something, you can't even allow the other side to even educate you on how they feel. Why do you feel the way you feel what has been done to you? But you need to hear me as well and that's, I think, the problem that when you get into these situations, the person that's you know from both sides they're just so passionate they don't even have that moment to just let me sit back and take it in.

Speaker 2: 17:14

There's an overall lack of objectivity. When the passions run that high and when you lack the ability to be objective, you also can't make a logical, objective argument for your point of view either. And I think that's the problem, Like if somebody questions, if you feel passionate about something, that's wonderful and if somebody questions you about that, you should be passionate enough but knowledgeable enough to defend your point of view. And when you resort to insults, which is used in the first direction, that it goes.

Speaker 2: 17:54

It's first they start to insult you and then they attack your position without providing any support for their own position. And when you go to those tactics you kind of lose all your credibility at that point in time.

Speaker 2: 18:08

And that's, I think, what we tend to run into. So we're going to take a quick break and when we come back we're going to dig in a little bit deeper into some of the anti-Semitism of the Nazi era. We'll be right back. For over seven years, the Second Sith Empire has been the premier community guild in the online game Star Wars, the old Republic, with hundreds of friendly and helpful active members, a weekly schedule of nightly events, annual guild meet and greets and an active community both on the web and on discord. The Second Sith Empire is more than your typical gaming group. We're family. Join us on the Star Forge server for nightly events such as operations, flashpoints, world Boss Hunts, star Wars trivia, guild lottery and much more. Visit us on the web today at wwwthesecondsithempirecom.

Speaker 1: 19:34

And we're back.

Speaker 1: 19:35

So the comparison of anti-Semitism in the Nazi era and its manifestation in the contemporary world underscores both continuity continuity, sorry impregnance and a significant shift in how it is expressed and dismantled. So anti-Semitism in the Nazi era you had state sponsored policies, and the most striking aspect of Nazi era anti-Semitism was its systematic state sponsorship. The Nazi regime under Hitler embedded anti-Semitic ideology into government policy, which led to the progressive isolation, dehumanization and eventual mass extermination of Jews in the Holocaust. This involved legislation like the Nuremberg laws and the organization of state sponsored pogroms such as Kristallnacht, which actually had their 85th, I believe. No, trying to remember how many, I think it was 85 years. They recently it was the anniversary of Kristallnacht, actually not that long ago.

Speaker 1: 20:55

So then we also have the propaganda machine. The Nazis effectively used state controlled media, including newspapers, films and radio broadcasts, to spread this anti-Semitic propaganda. This propaganda was sophisticated and persuasive, shaping public opinion by depicting Jews as the source of Germany's economic problems and social decay. This constant bombardment of anti-Semitic messaging was a key tool in desensitizing the German public to the escalating persecution of the Jewish people.

Speaker 2: 21:35

And I think that's really the key. There is the desensitization, because I think you're running into that now contemporary wise. So anti-Semitism in the contemporary world is a little bit different, but certainly still present. There's a resurgence in incidents. In recent times, there's been a noted increase in anti-Semitic incidents globally. These incidents range from vandalism and hate speech to violent attacks. Unlike the Nazi era, contemporary anti-Semitism is not typically part of an over government policy, but rather manifests at the level of individual actions and groups, some of which can be classified as extremists or terrorists in nature. The also have the role of digital platforms today, which we already talked about briefly. The proliferation of the internet and social media has radically changed the landscape. Without anti-Semitic ideologies or spread, these platforms often serve as echo chambers when harmful stereotypes and conspiracy theories about Jewish people can be circulated rapidly and without traditional filters or controls. Unlike the centralized state controlled propaganda of the Nazi era, modern anti-Semitic rhetoric is more decentralized, but can be just as pervasive and insidious in its reach.

Speaker 1: 23:02

So some key considerations. So you have the scale and intensity. While contemporary anti-Semitism is a serious concern, its scale and intensity differ from state orchestrated genocidal campaigns of the Nazis. The Holocaust remains a uniquely horrific manifestation of anti-Semitism. The global response. So today's world, informed by the lessons of the Holocaust, tends to have stronger institutional and societal responses against anti-Semitism. Numerous countries have laws criminalizing hate speech and Holocaust denial, and there are global efforts to combat and educate against anti-Semitism. Granted, there is also a push in some countries, including the United States, to manipulate the education system for political purpose, something anti-Semitism instruction could easily fall victim to. Then we also have the challenges of the digital age. The decentralized nature of the internet poses unique challenges in monitoring and encountering anti-Semitic content. Online hate speech can be more elusive and requires nuanced approach to balance freedom of speech with the need to prevent hate speech and violence.

Speaker 2: 24:37

While the form and expression of anti-Semitism have evolved from the state-driven, systematic approach of the Nazi era to the more fragmented and decentralized incidents of today, the underlying prejudices and stereotypes remain a concerning continuity.

Speaker 2: 24:54

The modern challenge lies in adapting the changing landscape of communication and globalization, in which these harmful ideologies persist and spread so clearly. There are differences between today's anti-Semitism and the Nazi era. One of the concerns that I have is what you're seeing today is more toned down in that it's not the same level of state-sponsored hatred that you're getting during the Nazis, which makes it more appealing to a larger group of people who would have been less inclined to support some of the policies of the Nazis. But it still strikes a note with the prejudices that they have where they might not want to take Jews and put them in concentration camps, but we're not going to let Jews have jobs in this sector, or we're not going to let them live in this neighborhood, or we're going to do the various violent things that we see now. And it makes it almost more palatable to a larger group of people because you're not catering to that extremist group. What are your thoughts on that?

Speaker 1: 26:17

Well, unfortunately, again right now, with what's going on. There is the violence going on. There are people that are out there that it's not the holocaust, it's not let's put you in a concentration camp, it's let's just kill the Jews. That's what is so scary is there are people who, in almost every country right now, people that are being attacked only because they are Jewish. You have a woman in France who a group of people broke into her house and beat her up and almost left her for dead only because she was Jewish. Unfortunately, from what I'm seeing, it's almost worse in a way.

Speaker 2: 27:13

That's my point.

Speaker 1: 27:15

That's exactly my point is because it's not that. It's not. Let's gather you up and put you someplace. We're just going to take care of you right now.

Speaker 2: 27:24

Right, but it's done almost on an individual basis.

Speaker 1: 27:31

Yes, there's nobody saying we're the Nazis.

Speaker 2: 27:35

You don't need to have that over obvious presence.

Speaker 1: 27:40

I just hate Jews, so I'm going and attacking you.

Speaker 2: 27:44

That's my point is that because it's being done less from a government policy standpoint and more from a grassroots standpoint. It brings more of those hatred filled people into the mix to take action that they wouldn't normally have taken.

Speaker 1: 28:02

There are people who would normally use Uber for rides or to get food, who have gone in and changed their profile so that they don't have a Jewish sounding name or, if they're going and getting a ride, don't put in their actual home address. They're going two blocks away to pick up a ride because they don't know who's coming to pick them up.

Speaker 2: 28:32

This is very similar to the 1970s when you had the various terrorist organizations that were anti-Jew that were going out there and kidnapping people and hijacking planes. When people would travel, they would travel with dual passports and they would present a passport from another country, not from Israel, or they'd remove a jewelry that they had on that would signify their faith and stuff like that, where they were forced to hide their faith just to not be targets and were back into that situation. This is just the 1970s that this had happened.

Speaker 1: 29:14

Just this past weekend, one of the New York City libraries was defaced with anti-Semitic rhetoric. That's New York City. If any city is a melting pot, you would think it wouldn't be happening there, where you expect small town, whatever that maybe has only two Jewish people in the town if any that that would be the place where you'd have this huge outpour of anti-Semitic. But New York City, it just boggles my mind and just makes me sad and angry and mad and everything else. That that's what's out there.

Speaker 2: 30:04

So one of the things that we've certainly seen over the last five years, six years, has been this push in schools to change curriculum that I don't want to say it alters history, but it's certainly downplay certain aspects of history.

Speaker 1: 30:24

They want nice history, right yeah.

Speaker 2: 30:27

Given the historical context of the Holocaust, how important do you think it is to learn about and understand these events in today's education system and do you think it's happening?

Speaker 1: 30:40

Well, I know in our school system it was, it has been. They've done various things. I know she read the diary of Anne Frank and that was a very big push to learning it, and even younger than that. There were little hints of it. So I think it's it should be age appropriate. But I think, just with any other history lesson, it's something that needs to be taught. But I think it also is the same thing for Japanese Americans with the internment camps.

Speaker 1: 31:19

None of that when I was in school was ever taught. That was something that was kind of glossed over. So I don't want to say, yes, it should be just the Holocaust. No, I think we need to go back and learn all of these things that the country has done to its own people or other countries have done to their own people, because if you forget it and you don't teach it, you're going to relive it, and that's always been something you know.

Speaker 1: 31:52

I've known about the Holocaust since I was very young, going to Hebrew school, and that's where I learned it. I learned it in Hebrew school. I didn't learn it in school until high school. I think that was really the first time we ever talked about it, but I had already known all about it. I was I don't want to say I was desensitized to it, but I knew about it. So I was, I just okay. And I even remember being excused from one of the classes because I already knew the teacher didn't want to bore me with anything or upset me.

Speaker 1: 32:31

So if you want to go to the library, feel free. Okay, sure I'll go, but that's just always been something. Like I said, we've always been taught as a Jewish people we have to keep talking about it, we have to keep teaching about it, because the minute we stop it's going to happen again. And that's where I think so many people right now, with everything that's going on, we feel like, if we don't speak up and say something, that we're kind of going down that road again to being put into a concentration camp. How scary is it that people are posting on Facebook if something happens, will you hide me? And that people aren't responding to it, that people, or that people feel the need that they have to even put that out there because they're in such fear of their life Like that's no way for anybody to live, no matter what religion or background or race you are, to have that fear.

Speaker 2: 33:47

And that's one of the reasons why I went up to talk about it on the show today, because it is getting to that point. It's getting to the point where we're really threatening to go back down that path again. With the coming election and one of the major candidates in this election, it's a significant threat and the things that are being said by this candidate now tell you that that's the kind of world that he wants to live in, where he's the one that's in charge.

Speaker 2: 34:16

He's the guy that's picking and choosing who goes to the camp and who doesn't. So we're going to take another break and when we come back, we're going to take a look at the real risk of history repeating itself. We'll be right back.

Speaker 1: 34:39

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Speaker 1: 35:11

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Speaker 2: 35:39

My house died. So what is the risk of history repeating itself? So the question of whether history might repeat itself in the context of rising nationalism and anti-Semitism is both complex and crucial. While there are parallels, in rhetoric and sentiment, with the 1930s and 40s, significant changes in the global political landscape and institutional frameworks suggest a different trajectory, albeit not without its own set of risks. So what are the institutional safeguards? Since World War II, the establishment of international institutions like the UN and various human rights treaties, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, has created a global framework aimed at preventing the reoccurrence of mass atrocities. These institutions work towards promoting peace, security and human rights, offering a platform for international cooperation and intervention which was lacking in the Free World War II era. However, history over the last 30 years has proven that mass atrocities, ethnic cleansing and continued human rights violations still occur all too frequently.

Speaker 1: 37:05

So what about the human rights norms? So there is now a stronger global consensus on human rights norms. The horrors of the Holocaust were a key catalyst in the formation of these norms, and they serve as a moral compass that guides international relations and national policies, although adherence varies by country. But rogue nations and even rogue politicians have proven their ability to avoid prosecution from world courts while still committing violations of basic human rights. Then we have the democratic resilience. So many countries have developed more robust democratic structures compared to the early 20th century. These structures are designed to safeguard against authoritarian authoritarianism through checks and balances, independent judicial systems, free press and regular, fair elections. Now even, however, even the bastion for demographic government, the United States, has proven that it is not immune to wavering these beliefs, wavering from these beliefs with the election of self-serving, corrupt politicians, more concerned with their own personal vendettas and agendas than what is right for the country as its people. I have no idea who you were talking about with that.

Speaker 1: 38:44

I just I can't put my finger on it.

Speaker 2: 38:47

So, despite all those ups and some downs, there are still persistent and emerging risks. Economic and social turmoil, for instance, economic uncertainty and rapid social changes remain potent catalysts for nationalist and anti-semitic sentiments. Public recessions, job insecurity and perceived threats to cultural identity can lead people to seek simplistic solutions and scapegoats, as we've seen in the 1930s and 40s, which really is perfect. That accused the Imperial March at that time. It's like, wow, that was not done in post, folks, our Star Wars game is now playing the Imperial March.

Speaker 2: 39:33

When I get to that point, human populism, the rise of populist leaders and the increased political polarization in many countries echo some aspects of the pre-World War II era.

Speaker 2: 39:48

Populist leaders often employ nationalistic rhetoric and may flirt with xenophobic and anti-semitic sentiments to galvanize their base, creating a divided and potentially volatile political landscape. So one of the things that Hitler did and did very well as a politician was tune into people's hate, and he used hate as a motivator. And there are politicians today not just in the United States, but primarily in the United States I'm referring to who do exactly the same thing. They can pinpoint exactly what people want to hate or what they're prone to hate, and then just open up a can of it for them and use that to lead them around. And then all of a sudden you have this rabid group of literally mindless followers that will do anything for you if you feed that hatred. They'll even try and overthrow the most successful democracy in the history of the human race, all because you're teaching them to hate. What are your thoughts on that? How dangerous do you think that is that the human mind can be that's acceptable to that kind of transparent manipulation?

Speaker 1: 41:12

I think it's very scary and that is just looking at the past few years how much more that it's become acceptable for that to happen and that there aren't more people out there going what are you nuts? That's not where. That's what just kind of blows my mind and these educated people that are just letting it happen, that aren't coming out and saying no, no, no, don't do that. That's wrong, because you still have these people saying no, come this way, this is the right way, we're the right people. Everything's been stolen from you, we're going to give it back to you, but yet they haven't done anything to make it better for those other people.

Speaker 1: 42:13

And some of them have woken up, but a lot of them are still drinking the Kool-Aid, I think, and there are days when it kind of makes you wonder maybe I should just drink the Kool-Aid, maybe then that's dangerous. No, and I get it. And that's where it almost makes you wonder am I the crazy one? Maybe I'm not in reality, everybody else is in the reality. How can people let this happen and everybody think it's okay and nobody's standing up to these people. It just makes you think, oh well, then it must be me if nobody else is standing up for them, or nobody else thinks this is wrong.

Speaker 2: 43:04

It's funny you put it that way because it reminds me of an old three Stooges skit, and it's, you know, a take off on Nazis and Hitler and stuff. And you know the mode declares himself a dictator, and one of the other Stooges says well, what's a dictator? He says, well, a dictator, he promises the people everything, gives them nothing than takes it all. And that's exactly what our politicians try to do on a regular basis to us. And this was, you know, a social commentary by comedians 80 years ago, and we still haven't learned from it. What is wrong with society?

Speaker 2: 43:44

That society allows us to keep happening.

Speaker 1: 43:46

Right and granted. Yes, there is good in the world, there are people out there who are trying to make a difference, but it just seems like you always knew there were still Nazis around. Yeah, they never went away, they were just kind of quiet. They were just kind of, you know, in the background. You knew when you traveled certain places, okay, we're going to bypass this area. You know, we're not going to go here if we're of a certain color or a certain race, or if we look a certain way, because of whatever when. Now it's out in the open, they're not ashamed at all to fly a flag, and that's the thing.

Speaker 2: 44:38

You make a very good point. They're not ashamed. There was a mark of shame to be a Nazi, and society wouldn't allow them to see light of day, so anything that they did had to be back room stuff away from society.

Speaker 1: 44:53

If you had a pin, you had it, you know, under your lapel and you know.

Speaker 2: 44:57

If you met somebody who you thought maybe you know, oh okay, and then it was the hell, hydra type stuff, right, you know, right Now, in the last 10 years, society has been dragged into the gutter to allow these people to see the light of day.

Speaker 1: 45:19

You go to Disney World and outside of Disney, outside of the gates of Disney World, you would have protesters walking around with big giant banners with swastikers all over them.

Speaker 2: 45:35

And it's because society normalized it, and not all of society, certain segments of society. You had four years in this country that normalized it. You had four years in this country when the Nazis neo-Nazis referred to as decent people. That's what normalized it. That's why we're here today and it has to stop. We have to not let history repeat itself. We're going to take our last break. We'll come back and then we'll wrap up. We'll be right back.

Speaker 1: 46:21

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Speaker 1: 47:24

And we are back. So, in conclusion, we're going to talk about some different contexts. So today's world differs significantly from that of the 1930s and 1940s in terms of international cooperation and the general global awareness of the dangers posed by extreme nationalist and racial ideologies. So this awareness acts as a bull whore Okay, sure against the repeat of history on the same scale as the Holocaust. Unfortunately, a select segment of the population seems intent on ignoring history or whitewashing it to their own ends, which could threaten any lesson from the past from being forgotten or simply ignored. Vigilance is definitely the key. However, the continued presence of nationalist and anti-Semitic sentiments, especially in times of crisis, requires constant vigilance. History may not repeat itself in the exact same manner, but the underlining human tendencies that lead to the past atrocities can resurface in new forms. Despite the horrific past that should never be forgotten, prejudice and hatred still remain and dominating influence over many people around the world, a fact that we can't lose sight of.

Speaker 2: 49:00

So there are certain proactive measures that we can take To mitigate these risks. Proactive measures are necessary. This includes maintaining strong democratic institutions, promoting inclusive economic policies and fostering educational programs that highlight the dangers of extreme ideologies. And I just want to take a quick aside about promoting democratic institutions. We have to not allow people who operate outside of the norms of a democratic institution from holding power. You cannot allow someone who refused to follow the laws and who tried to literally overthrow the country into a leadership position again. You cannot allow that person in the leadership. You cannot allow anyone who supported them or backed them, or even send sympathies to them during that time period. You have an individual who literally tried to overthrow the country and he's running for the same office again and somehow he's allowed to. That's a disgrace to everything that is democratic in nature.

Speaker 1: 50:20

While having how many indictments?

Speaker 2: 50:22

72, I think he's up to a mill I've lost count Twice impeached. We as a people need to do better and can do better than that Of all the possible candidates that are out there. Why is he up, is the question. It also means speaking out against those who would seek a return of the narrow-minded hatred of the past, much like we try to do on this show. We have only ourselves to blame if we allow another monster to come to power who is more interested in personal gain and punishing those who think or are different than themselves. While the risk of history repeating itself in the exact mold of the 1930s and 40s is mitigated by various factors, the underlying dangers of nationalism and anti-Semitism, especially in tumultuous times like now, remain relevant concerns. The lessons from history emphasize the need for constant defense of democratic values and human rights to prevent any slide back into the darkest chapters of human history. So, in your opinion, how well do you think our society today understands and remembers the dangers of extreme nationalist, radical racial ideologies like those that led to the Holocaust?

Speaker 1: 51:55

I don't know, because we're kind of going through a lot of that again with the recent events. I don't think there's enough people realize what they're doing is what started everything the first time around.

Speaker 2: 52:25

So, all right, let me ask you this Given society's apparent emphasis on proactive measures and speaking out against narrow-minded hatred, what do you think is the role of an individual in today's society in preventing the rise of extreme ideologies? What can the average person do?

Speaker 1: 52:45

Try and get yourself informed. Go out there and be a support person, be an ally for someone that's being marginalized. Learn both sides of the story to be informed, because there are truths to both sides. And that's with everything. Thinking back to when COVID first happened and what are then, president, the China virus, and just saying that how much hatred there was and bigotry that was going on for Asian people, people that were being beat up in the street, that were just walking in the street weren't doing anything wrong and people were just going up and beating up on them because of this virus that came from China. They had nothing to do with it and that's what we're seeing now with this anti-Semitism.

Speaker 1: 54:09

And you look at the different protests that you have and the different marches that you have the pro-Israeli and the pro-Palestine and you can see the total difference between night and day. One is peaceful and one is not. I haven't seen, and I'm sure there are some pro-Palestinian marches that are peaceful, but all the ones that again the media has been showing or that you see, are all violent. There's.

Speaker 2: 54:49

Well, and if I'm gonna play devil's advocate, I would say that's the fake media that's trying to dictate the narrative.

Speaker 1: 54:55

I'm sure it is, but yet you're still seeing all of this hatred for Israelis, for Jewish people, and the thing is not every Israeli is Jewish.

Speaker 2: 55:11

And not every Jewish person is Israeli.

Speaker 1: 55:13

Right. So that's where people are kind of like. There's a good portion of Jewish people that can blend in with the white folk. We are not white, we just happen to be depending on where we went from. Israel, where our ancestors ended up, and who we mixed with or stayed with determined what we kind of look like. But with Jews we're all different shades, we're all different colors, so some of us aren't able to be spotted, I guess.

Speaker 2: 56:03

Well, and I think really what it boils down to is the methodology of riling people up with hatred. It's like taking a little tinkered toy, a wind-up tinkered toy, and you're just twisting that hatred wheel inside there and winding it up, setting it down and letting it go, and it's just gonna go.

Speaker 2: 56:21

And it just goes. You don't know, you have no control, you have no idea where it's going, but the chaos that it creates is what these people that are creating the hatred are looking for, because that's what drives their agenda. So if you've got somebody out there who's trying to get you to hate something or someone or to be violent or to protest or whatever, think about it. Think about who it is that they want you to target and think about how that person who's asking you to do that is gonna benefit from it, because if they're gonna benefit from it more than you are, you're just a pawn. At that point, think for yourself. Go out. There is fake news. News organizations are driven by ratings. They put the stuff out there that gets in the most ratings and gets in the most money.

Speaker 2: 57:12

Don't be afraid to go out there and cite your news from three, four, five, six different news organizations out there. If you take the time to educate yourself, you'll figure out. You're smart enough. I have faith in the people out there, the American people and human beings in general. If you wade through enough of that news, you'll figure out what the truth is. And when you get to the point where you figured out what the truth is, you'll realize how big you've been manipulated and how these people in power are the ones that are basically getting you to do their dirty work for them. So educate yourself.

Speaker 2: 57:51

There's no substitute for education, and I think that's really the bottom line. Here is the only way to combat hatred and anti-Semitism and all of nationalism is just a method of control. The only way to combat any of these manipulative practices is to educate yourselves, and that's where the internet comes into play. You have so many opportunities today to educate yourself. Be smart about it. Don't be intellectually lazy. Don't take your news from one source, whether it's Fox News or CNN or whoever. Don't take any single source of news on faith's value. Go out and do a little research. That's what we do when we put these shows together. I think that's it. Did we have anything else we want to talk about?

Speaker 1: 58:40

I think I'm good, all right.

Speaker 2: 58:43

Before we do go, though, I want to take one more opportunity to invite you to subscribe to the podcast. You can find audio versions of this podcast listed as insights into tomorrow. You can find video and audio versions of all the network's podcasts listed as insights into things, and we're anywhere you get a podcast Apple, Spotify, Google, iHeartRadio, etc. I would also write in. This is a great opportunity to write in with your hate mail and tell us how much you disagree with this or how much you agree with this. You can email us at comments at insightsintothingscom. We're on X at insights underscore things. We also stream five days a week on Twitch at twitchtv slash insights into things. We can get links to all those and more on our website at wwwinsightsintothingscom. That's it Another one of the books. Bye.

Speaker 1: 59:40

Bye everyone, Bye Bye.