The Right Conditions

Everyone knows that Hitler was an evil guy who killed 6-million Jews, but not everyone knows what was going on in Germany before his rise to power that created the perfect opportunity for Hitler and World War II. Weimar Germany was in a state of total financial crisis and was looking for a scapegoat. There was a long history of violence against Jews before Hitler ever arrived on the political scene. He told people what they wanted to hear... and he followed through, too.

This came up in conversation with a couple of ladies at work recently, one of whom is originally from Britain. She's been following closely what's been happening with the election there and she was telling me that because of the influx of immigrants (and the social stress that's causing) and the financial crisis, plus a charistmatic leader that the conditions are ripe for another Hitler-type leader. The question is, have we learned anything from history?

All it takes is the right conditions, for enough people to look the other way. How often do we stand up to a bully (our own or someone else's)? It's so much easier to 'go with the flow' than to take a stand, but it's not what will stop a bully ...or violence for that matter.