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In reply to the discussion: Do you yearn for the good old days when hating NAZIS was a bipartisan affair? [View all]Caliman73
(11,767 posts)I think at the end of the day, Republicans know that their ideology is doomed because the natural state of people is to progress. Values and traditions change constantly in society. Conservatism may hold on to some values (and that is not necessarily a bad thing), but modern Republicans (after the 1920's) staked their political fortunes to the idea of supporting unfettered capitalism. When that failed miserably in the 1930's and FDR popularized the idea of Keynesian economics and a more centralized role for the federal government, Republicans found themselves in a losing battle. People (as disenchanted as they may be with government at times) saw government as a way to keep the playing field as even as possible, reigning in the excesses of capitalism.
Republicans, knowing that we are a nation of immigrants and that demographics change, were left to go after groups that naturally direct themselves to authoritarian and conservative politics (fundamentalists and White Supremacists). When the Democrats realized that restricting rights was not the future, and began fighting for integration in the 40's and 50's after the War (at least Northern Democrats), the Republicans saw the writing on the wall which is why They started courting the religious right and racists in the South.
Why is that relevant to Nazis? Because Nazism and White Supremacy go hand in hand, and that is at this point a major part of the Republican coalition. They can always break of small pieces of the Democratic coalition. People who are disaffected by the inefficiencies of government, but never to the extent where they can dominate in the area of ideas and win straight up in an election. We simply have more numbers, hence they cheat by suppressing the vote and other dirty tactics. They married White Supremacy and Religious fanaticism hoping that they could use the groups to maintain a level of power, but now those groups want their due, so Republicans have to put up or shut up. Republicans in leadership cannot forcefully condemn Nazis because they courted those people to help them get elected.
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