Walter's great post touching on what pre WWII "appeasement" was really about inspired me to put this together.

Fascism has had a serious brand problem since WWII. The German version of fascism has tainted it with the Holocaust.

Fascism didn't start out this way originally; the Italian version featured thugs beating up on political opponents, sure, and all sorts of alliances between corporate big shots and Mussolini's inner circle. Yeah, there was the entire militarism thing, but that was cool with the capitalist types; profits are profits, after all, and profits from arms sales are always healthy.

When Germany's fascist movement picked up steam, it wasn't any cause for alarm; it was felt that a firm alliance could be forged with the Nazis as easily as it was forged with Mussolini's Fascists. The thing is though, the European capitalist establishment didn't know that the Nazis really meant all that anti-semitism stuff. The ruling elites DID like the hatred of the communists and socialists, though, which is why they so enthusiastically supported Hitler. Giving away chunks of Czechosolvakia was a small price to pay to keep the feared Bolsheviks at bay.

The problem was that the elites in Britain and France got the word from their German counterparts too late: "it's a trap!" Kristallnacht happened; the German capitalists discovered they were in nearly as much trouble as the Trade Unions they hated. The Nazis were calling the shots, not them.

So, Britain and France (both ruled by conservative regimes) discovered that the attack dog they thought they were training to go after Stalin was inclined to go after them, instead.

Consequently "appeasement" is not quite the creature that our right wingers here would hope for us to take it as; the notion was created after WWII as a cautionary tale for dealing with the remaining totalitarian menace that Hitler failed to eliminate and indeed made stronger than ever.

Needless to say, applying it to the current situation in Gaza as a rationale to slaughter Palestinians to stop "terrorist" Hamas is just another rhetorical diversion from the real issues.

Confronting narrow obstinance.

Scary how low the brow of belligerence falls.

Like preaching to a robot.

Maybe the audience benefited.

Hard work, peace..

Inspired by Israel's apparent success in blaming the IDF's decimation of Gaza on Hamas, Russia has apparently taken a page from their book:

"The Russian gas monopoly, on Monday reduced deliveries of gas for transit through Ukraine to Western European customers, saying that it was seeking to make up for gas stolen by Ukraine. Gazprom, which had already cut off all fuel supplies to Ukraine in a dispute over pricing, said any countries that suffered shortages as a result should blame Ukraine for not paying a fair price for Russia’s natural gas.

The Russian announcement was, in essence, a partial Russian fuel embargo of Europe."

I thought this particular tactic went out of vogue in grade school, i.e., "why are you hitting yourself", but it seems an oldy but a goody.

Chris
One dead Jew is as good as another. Well you're in good company with that. I bet you say that to all your black friends about the civil rights movement too. Damn uppity types? -- Wallaby

Sinnard neither said nor implied that "one dead Jew is as good as another."

as 'mooser' says, we're all secret mole agents bent on world domination. Things to do, banks to own, media to control, babies to eat. TTFN. -- Wallaby

Mooser did not say these things, although he's willing to parody those that do.

You are welcome to continue to lie about other commenters here, unless and until Glenn chooses to stop you.

I will continue to point out your lies, as concisely as possible, until some change of this sort occurs.

Goodnight Mooser.

Shorter Greenwald....

Hamas shouldn't shoot rockets at Israel, but Israel is criminal to protect itself. Pretzel logic based on prejudice and fantasy.

Shorter LondonLad...

The I.R.A. shouldn't bomb London, but Britain is criminal to bomb the crap out of Ireland. Pretzel logic based on prejudice and and fantasy.

Shorter Greenwald....

Hamas shouldn't shoot rockets at Israel, but Israel is criminal to protect itself. Pretzel logic based on prejudice and fantasy.

Shorter LondonLad...

The I.R.A. bomb London, but Britain is criminal to bomb the crap out of Ireland. Pretzel logic based on prejudice and fantasy.

The Wog has been updated.

There is a particularly good video abour Gaza on page 4.

link at sig

Shorter Greenwald....

Hamas shouldn't shoot rockets at Israel, but Israel is criminal to protect itself. Pretzel logic based on prejudice and fantasy.

Shorter LondonLad...

The I.R.A. shouldn't bomb London, but Britain is criminal to bomb the crap out of Ireland. Pretzel logic based on prejudice and fantasy.

Shortest shooter: "I'm an angry, belligerant, armchair tough guy who lives under his covers in fear and constantly misrepresents what my enlightened, peacemaking betters express."

Short me: "I've just finished 31 pages of art meeting a deadline and my poetic faculties are as drunk as I am so all I can do is parody those least able to defend themselves rationally."

Sorry, Shooter.

I read the transcript and couldn't agree more emphatically. I found it especially irksome that Hewitt kept bringing up Hitler as if this were an historic example that would make his case, when actually, Hitler demonstrates the correctness of what you were arguing.

Hitler did not rise to power in a vacuum. He did so in a country that was politically and economically unstable and which was being punished disproportionately to its blame for WW I. An acquaintance who lived through that time once commented that after Hitler came to power, there were at least no more shootings in the streets. It was a chaotic country. In other words: extreme situations foster extremists.

If the victors of WW I had been smart instead of vengeful and tried to stabilize Germany instead of punishing it - a lot of "if's", yes, but less than Hewitt's - Hitler may very well have spent his life in obscurity, babbling and ranting from within the confines of a mental asylum somewhere in Bavaria.