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06 June 2011

Hitler Redux: common enemies, patsies, Israel, and Palestine

Have you noticed how the Arab Spring includes angry mobs screaming for violence and death to Jews?  Have you noticed that Palestine keeps popping up, too?  See, they're not screaming out against the Jews, they're not fighting against the Jews.  They're fighting for Palestine.  And if thousands or millions of Jews are killed in the process, well, that's what they really wanted an unfortunate consequence of fighting the good fight.

I've gotten ahead of myself, so let's back up and start with the master propagandist himself.

Hitler was a master at using communication to unite a people.  Propaganda?  Yes.  Uniting a people for a larger, nefarious goal?  Of course.  But nonetheless, he masterfully communicated to (with) the Germans and united them.  His root message: blaming everything on an Other.  I'm talking about the Jews, of course.

The "common enemy" message is among the strongest unifying messages.  Just consider the way sports fans unite.  It's not that the Bears are the best team in the history of the world.  It's not even that the Bears are better than all of those other teams... It's that the Bears are better than the Packers, the Vikings, etc.  And the Bears fans are never more united than when they play those damn cheeseheads.  (Hell, during the last big Bears/Packers game, the governors of each state had a highly publicized bet.)

Implied within the common enemy argument is that the opponent is "evil".  [A note about the term evil.  I use the term as an atheist, and I view evil in an amoral manner.  Personally, I have a difficult time with people who discuss good and evil in black and white terms; I find that usually dilutes the intellectual base of their message. The term good has equally difficult problems.  But I think we can all agree on some things being more/less preferable, more/less positive/negative.  On that style of spectrum, imagine it running from black through gray to white.  One end is Good.  The other is Evil.  'Nough said?]

Also implied within the common enemy argument is that, as opposed to the enemy, the in-group is "good".  Fighting against the enemy promotes the well-being of the better group, but the act of fighting is, on its own, not only promoting good, but good all on its own.

That was then.  That was a time when Hitler published Mein Kampf in 1925 and made it available all over the world.  By 1938, it had been published multiple times in multiple translations in America.  But the media was different then.  People didin't listen to news while they drove to work.  People didn't have news available 24/7.  There was no social media.  Now people are much more careful with their words.

Now, people have to consider not only how to influence their target audience, but they must consider how their message will be perceived by the rest of the world.  The message must be interwoven.  Outright demonization is dangerous, because others could denounce your message and influence your audience.

I've often thought about how a modern day Hitler would have to function.  I contend that the common enemy tactic is still very strong, but a new component must be added for full efficacy in the modern technoworld.  It's not enough to have "the good" = you, your fight, the action of fighting.  You must also have a "good cause" for which you fight: a cause that is separate from your own goals and ideology.

Looking at the Tea Party, as an example, let's be honest.  This group came about as a reaction to/against Obama and the Democrat party.  It wasn't enough to just find a common enemy and unite under anti-Obama/pro-conservative fiscal values.  They also have a "good cause": liberty.  They fight their fight not just for their own betterment, not just for lower taxes and smaller government, but to promote founding American principles like liberty.

I'm not a Tea Party hater, and I do not mean to imply that some nefarious group within the Tea Party plotted out these actions.  Hitler, too, did not take Burke's thoughts about the common enemy and plot out a power grab based on Burkean ideology.  (He couldn't have; Burke noted the effects of the common enemy usage after reading Mein Kampf.)  What I am saying: using these techniques are powerful and effective.

On a world scale and with Hitler on the brain, I've often wondered what a modern Hitler would look like.  What rhetorical techniques would be used?  How would he accomplish his goals while the whole world watches?  How does one unite a people against a common enemy and dodge worldwide spanking for demonizing a people?

Bin Laden tried to rally a people ala Hitler, but his approach only went so far.  The foundation was faulty.  What could he have done differently?  What were his mistakes?  What did others learn to do and not do?

Here's what I think.

The common enemy method employs a scapegoat.  The modern day Hitler needs to pair the scapegoat with a patsy: a people or cause, other than the main group, who is "good".  Fighting for them is good.  It's fighting the good fight.

Thus, I present to you, Israel and Palestine.  You have extremist Muslims with the common enemy of Israel ("Little Satan") and America ("Great Satan").  Bin Laden showed how difficult it is to take down America, so it would make sense to first focus attention on Israel.  Wouldn't ya know it, there also happens to be far too many people who hate the Jews.  There ya go, a scapegoat.  A common enemy.  But the world won't sit back and allow another holocaust to happen.  (Or so you would think.)  How to use the scapegoat while hiding your motives?  Find a patsy.  The enemy of the enemy is my friend.  Hello, Palestine.

The "New Hitler" may indeed be using old school communication (propaganda) tactics while adding a new twist: the patsy, Palestine.

They're not fighting against the Jews.  They're fighting for Palestine.  And if thousands or millions of Jews are killed in the process, well, that's what they really wanted an unfortunate consequence of fighting the good fight.

The Glenn Beck Program, June 6 LIVEBLOG

hello, america. I'm reading the Weiner transcript. he said it was a hugely regrettable mistake. uh huh i bet your wife is laughing.

look into camaera: anthony, have you loooked at yourself? Noobody really wants to see...

Shouldn't we question the man's judgement based on that? He thinks he's hot.

He's not going to step down because it wasn't a big deal.

He only lied because he was embarrased and it was

6 women, more photos. a bad day for me to not be blind yet

Chris Lee, do you have a picture of chris lee? (on the screen) that guy was out fright away.

new pic -- remember him? we used to have tickle fights when we were in the navy. that guy, at least he had the common decency to know when the jib was up and resign. i have more respedt for him than anthony weiner.

arrogance.

you know when the doctor says to finish your antibiotics? if not it just makes the bug stronger, and nothing stops it. if THIS doesn't stop weiner, if he doesn't leave washington, nothing will. you're looking at the replacement for charlie wrangle. and oh my, imagine the monster this is creating.

good luck with that one, new york. who wants to move to texas with me?

DUN DUN DEHN DUN

Hello America

Oooph. That was the guy who was holding congressional hearings calling me unethical.

How are you? I'm great. The world makes no sense whatsoever.

Let's catch up with last week -- borders. Video of what he said: they are going to flood the borders, provoking Israel to defend themselves and act out.

Accompanying video showing that this happened with syria border.

video of beck saying they will take lots of pics & the world will react.

shows pics of the photos.

how doews Beck know? Planning it? [up close to camera] I"M JUST LISTENING.

Syria, now claims that 25 killed, many wounded. The UN -- glad they're involved -- they're trying to conform the facts surroundind the incident. No word if UN is looiking in to the hassad regime... 1000 flooding borders (missed the specs)

Up to 70 Syrian protesters killed by govt.

chalkboard.
syrian border -- 25 dead
syrain govt -- 70 protesters killed. they've got tanks in the street, but don't worry, china does that, and we'll all be like china soon.

Obama saying we should side with Syria, because they want peace and change.

Naksa Day. Set Back day. (Nakba = catastprohe). Nakba day -- tear gas, etc. The day of the great catastrophe, the day Israel was foudned.

Nksa - the day the 1967 lines were draw. set back. so, that was a set back to... destroy Israel and kill all of the Jews? NOOOO. that couldn't be it.

The intellectuals, like -- Rashid Khalidi, columbia college prof with maybe ties to PLO -- helped raised gaza funds for "the audacity of hope". (rashed somthingili.) Where have i heard that name before, the audacity of hope? oh yeah, this guy (pic), and something with this guy(pic) who also hates the jews. (beck holding up hand pics). this guy has raised cash for the hope boat to float with flotilla 2.

obama was there when bill ayers launched --- and with bernadine dahrn are also doing a flotilla.

showing that they're all friends, and all surround obama.

the LA times has video tape of the event (which?), but they'renot gonna release it. whny? unless you're trying to protect obama, why else would you not release it. yay, journalism!

one of my assistants had a class with first guy. "there is a nothing that the middle east is deprived of democ and freedom, and that's not true." "every place on earth is supportive of Palestine except US and Israel, but that doesn't matter because we are a superpower"

a lot of our administration is pushing bigotry. that's what this is.

last week i talked about the proposed circumcision ban in san francisco. they say it's about health care. [weiner joke.] i still remember when i was 3 days old... sometimes i wake up in horror... i still cry a lot, but that' s different story.

the ban -- video of what he said last week, it's evil. matthew hees, the guy who wrote the bill, is also writing comicbooks. Foreskin man. "Nothing excites the Monster Moil more than cutting into the foreskin..."

Beck has comic book, flips thru it. shows jewish people being "evil" while aryan looking people are good. Evil Moil stealing babies, forces circumcision. This is Nazi propaganda. Moil is scary, evil eyes, long dark fingernails...

Then they take the jewish child, "we will raise him as our own". bonfire with menorah set on fire... menorah "made" of people. holocaust reference? (me: like the statue in the min of magic in HP 7)

they say they're nto TRYING to be anti-semitic, but don't matter. they are.

the movement is picking up steam. we must not put our heads in the sand.

we mist demand that anthony weiner resign. we must be able to trust people.

COMMERCIAL
link for foreskin man pdf. http://www.foreskinman.com/ it's not loading for me right now, but maybe it will work for you... random images of foreskin man

BACK!
see comic at glennbeck.com
three are three things we're trying to be separated from: god, capitalism, and each other.

missed a minute of stuff.

Danny Danon, welcome to the program (by video)
D: good evening from Jerusalem
D: comic is distrubing, that guy needs mental support, but it's only the first wave.
B: this weekend, i said they were gonna send peoople across the border, force shootings. do you stand by that? what other option do you have as a coutry?
D: we have to defend out borders. they will try to do it again and again, and so will we
B: president has said 67 borders. most don't realize this is a play for the west
D: this is bad. i live in exact middle, and i am four miles from borders. my family will be in danger. israelis are confused. on the one hand, we salute you (for something), on the other hand you want to sit down with hamas, which is just like al queda.
B: what can american people do?
D: you have to speak up
B: you can't compromise with us president, and you've got to speak out. the dif between now and 40s is you have a state, you have an army, you have a place. if you don't have israel, the jews have nowhere to go
D: this is a threat for the american people,, too. iran. if american people make a mistake, you can correst it. if israel makes a mistake, they are done.

coming up, a guy who doesn't agree with beck on much. courageous man for coming on this program and doing what he's about to do. don't miss it, next.

COMMERCIAL
the Holocaust Survivors food box commercial is baa-aack!  www.ifcj.tv

Back!
Just can't get over Weiner.  we have a winner!

Yesterday I was walking from church to the office.  Forgot that there was a pro-Israel parade.  (Shows pic.)  I should have figured out that there was something going on.  Dumptrucks full of sand on every corner.  Also anti-Israel protests.  Now, I'm putting together the Restoring Courage event.  It is not a political event.  This is an event to teach us to stand up for what we believe in.  Protect people, be a shield.  Someone I reached out to right away is a man who I don't always agree with but I respect him.  He was played a role in my life for some time.  He helped me get into Yale university.  He has always been a man who deserved my respect, but we haven't talked much.  I reached out to him right away.  He'll be coming with us.

Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman.  (video conference)
L: we met way back in radio days... hjaven't agreed much of the time, but I've been proud of your remarkable rise over the years.
B: you said you woulld be there, mostly because the last rally you saw was not a political event, and  you trusted that this would be something dignified and good
L: absolutely.  this is important and good espeaciallly at a stime when stuff could be destructive for Israel and us.  I know you don't want this to be against anything, just for something. Last time, it wasn't partisan, wasn't divisive.  With that confidence -- and a little encouragement from clergy who have already committed to going -- I come on here to say that I will stand with you in standing for Israel.
B: I know you will get a lot of heat for this.  We've had a lot of people on the Left said who have hung up the phone and want nothing to do with this.  What can you say to help cross those lines so we can stand together regardless of other stuff?
L: we're at a time when if you don't 100% agree with someone's platform, you don't work with them.  for me, this is about shared values.  israel is the first line of defense for US.  Same stuff israel faces is faced by us at home.  So, you don't agree with beck on climate change or obama but agree on THIS, then why wouldn't you stand up and say so?  (and it's larger than just glenn beck.)  I saw this happen a couple weeks ago when netenyahu addressed congress.  the feeling in the room was so universal and unified, and in doing so, i think memebrs of congress were reflecting the beliefs of the people.  let's not let others divide us.

COMMERCIAL

So, Anthony Weiner DID send them.  Heh.  Man, I wouldn't have seen that one coming.

Here we are heading into the summer.  24% of teens unemplyed.  China dropped 97% of its holdings.  Meh.  Go back to sleep.

List of bad stuff happening, housing prices, food prices, unemplyment...

Greece protests.  "From Tahrir square to here, we support you."  Like they got swept up.  Spain is showing solidarity.  Heh.

Is anyone telling you to be prepared?  THe econ destruction is coming our way.  The world will look for places to put its money.  We will be first.  There's no long term thinking, and we will be a safe harbor.  DOn't be fooled, we're just the next domino.

What is the president thinking about all of this? Oh, Big Picture thinking from Toledo.  Next.

COMMERCIAL

The Press on the right is talking about an awkward Jeep Wrangler joke made by Obama.
video:  there are always gonna be bumps on the road, but even a wrangler can't handle that.

people booed in pride of wrangler, but what about the first part -- the bumps in the road.  the policies he can't blame on bush.

high taxes.  push for cap and trade.  make energy prices "necessarily skyrocket".  give drilling rights to brazil.

instability in ME.  these are from obama's policies.  rosa parks equated to guy who set himself on fire.  and he didn't even talk about the price of food.

throwing away food.  (huh?)  food prices will necessarily skyrocket.

there's also a clip of him blaming bush during that speech, but beck isn't going to show it.

COMMERCIAL

If Anthony Weiner decides to leave, he can always team up with Spitzer.  Weiner & Spitzer!  Only in America could this be possible.

DONE!