Trump, Hitler parallels 'uncanny'

To the Editor: Reading Volker Ullrich's recent bio, "HITLER'S ASCENT: 1889-1939," several uncanny parallels exist between the lives of the fuhrer and POTUS 45. Both: Younger sons, coddled by mothers and overly disciplined by fathers; Bright yet difficult, lazy, trouble-making students; natural leaders of gangs, like Ralph in "Lord of the Flies;" Bigots, as in South Pacific's "You've got to be carefully taught," Hitler by the army, Trump by his father; Stylized selves as "outsiders" — Hitler imitating Karl May's Indian hero Winnetou; Trump, the Queenian, excluded from Manhattan; Found innate talent for histrionic hyperbolic demagoguery, applied to politics; From adolescence, fostering solipsistic delusions of having extraordinary artistic skills; Becoming notorious and financially successful using the media to publish works of distorted reality — Hitler, "Mein Kampf," Trump, "The Apprentice:" Stylized themselves as great "pharaonic" builders of public buildings, and grandiose vacation homes; Dysfunctional with women — Hitler holding his "as hostages," Trump like Henry VIII securing them in his tower. Launched open verbal warfare on selected minorities — Hitler Jew and Bolshevik hating, Trump Muslim and Mexican hating; Elected to lead their democracies by a minority of the voters, in open, fair elections; Had no prior experience as an elected political leader; Elected on platform of class, economic, and nationalistic resentment with promises to make their country "great again;" Launched open verbal warfare to jail or ban opposing politicians and political parties, and encouraged violence against rival factions while paying lip-service to nonviolence; Launched open warfare on the mass media using disinformation, phony statistics, outright lies, and employed professional propagandist as a top henchman; Expressed a fondness for concentration camps and border closures; Hitler encamping Jews and political liberals, Trump enlarging Guantanamo and opening "safe-zones" to entrap Syrians in Syria; Instantaneously purged the bureaucracy of experienced staffers and re-staffed the government with partisan loyalists and opportunistic fellow-travelers, while ignoring laws, tradition, and decorum; Quickly created disputes with neighboring states and major trading partners; Hitler claiming part of Czechoslovakia and threatening France, Trump annoying Mexico and threatening China; Immediately took actions to suppress opposition voters in future elections; Hitler had five weeks (Jan. 30 - March 5, 1933) to destroy the center and left to gain a de facto majority in the Reichstag; Trump has already rolled out a phony voter-fraud investigation, threatened "Sanctuary Cities", and plans to occupy Chicago with Federal troops, all policies aimed at Democratic strongholds. OUR "GREAT" FUTURE: Martial law to suppress alleged imaginary riots in major cities, shoot-to-kill orders to police to suppress political demonstrations, federal revision of voter registration rolls to "enforce voting rights;" World war — Hitler needed six years to arm Germany, Trump's ready already, with a rusting stockpile of nukes; Apocalyptic defeat — this took Hitler another six years to achieve, now it'll take Trump merely six hours; Suicide in the bunker — Hitler blew his brains out under Berlin. Where should Donald stage his exit? NYC, Mar-a-Lago, D.C., Hollywood? Dr. Anthony G. Lawrence Lake Placid

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Trump, Hitler parallels 'uncanny'

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