When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn’t a Jew.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
— Martin Niemoller
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June 13, 2009 at 10:11 am
Survivor 030406
Great poem. That is a very important message.
June 14, 2009 at 8:48 am
duanesherry
NG,
Been taking the past couple of weeks off blogging, but read this famous quote, and wanted to respond.
Niemoller’s original speech (given in the 1940’s) did not have socialists in the quote. Several decades later, this was added in a speech he gave, while he was in his 80’s.
Anyway, there are several versions of this speech….Again, the original version (during Nazi occupation) did not have ‘socialists’ as one of the group….
The reason is that Hitler himself was a Socialist….In fact, the Nazi Party was the National Socialist Party…..Hitler was great at combining big business and big government at getting his nasty work done….a dangerous combination…..One we’re headed to in this country….In mortage lending, banking, automobile manufacturing, and soon….”medicine”….
I’m not implying for a moment that the current adminsitration and Congress, and industry have the evil behind them that Hitler had….only that the economic damage will be felt, if these partnerships are not held at bay….It’s not the federal government’s job to “partner” with industry.
This is a link from a historian on the original quote…..Your quote is fine…It was likely one he made in the 1970-s –
http://www.history.ucsb.edu/faculty/marcuse/niem.htm
Duane
June 14, 2009 at 9:14 am
duanesherry
Naturalgal,
Your recent post about Monsanto being “socialism” was right on the money….
The far left can do every bit as much damage as the far right….
If the feds were doing their jobs, they would be regulating banking, and chemical manufacturing, and pharma – major business – protecting consumers, and the general public…
They are not.
They are becoming “partners” – now, more than ever….
Obama’s most recent speech….in Saudi Arabia….where he implied that all countries are “equal”….I certainly would say that all people are equals, but not all countries….
I guess the women in Saudi Arabia, where he gave his speech didn’t get the memo….They can’t vote! They can’t even drive…..they’re treated like property!!!
All cultures, all countries are now to become “world citizens”…..as if Obama was elected “King of the world”….
His job is to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States…
His job is not to prounce around the world apolozing for this counry’s past….His job is to assure this country’s future….
He was elected left of center…not far left….He has allowed his own party to be hijacked, and he seems hell-bent on destroying capitalism…..
Hardly, slightly left of center….more like far left….
There are those of us who are not going to sit back and quietly watch this happen….I can assure you of that….
We will be called “raccists” and “homphobes”….and worse….
First, they came after the ‘religious’, and then the ‘libertarians’, and then the ‘conservatives’…..and we were not quiet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Duane
June 14, 2009 at 11:46 am
naturalgal
Hi Duane,
Well, I don’t know what to say. There are many Finnish, Swedish and Norweigen people in my neck of the woods and they are very proud of their heritage, which happens to include socialism.
I wish someone was watching the banking industry like a hawk, the same way they watch people on disability or people on some of the government programs. The amount of money these people recieve is a pitence compared to the amount of money the people in the banking industry got away with.
I think many people would get off of disability if we had a national health insurance system. The way it is now, if you try to better yourself…you have to REALLY better yourself. If you make more than $980.00, you better make $2,000.00. Otherwise you just lose your ssdi and within a few years you lose your health insurance.
I also think that we should invest in public mass transportant instead of the auto industry. Sure I like to be able to drive, but what if we retooled and built light rail between all of our cities? All of our cities?
Also, why do we measure our economy on how many new houses are built?
Socialism isn’t bad. Capitalism isn’t bad. But either one unchecked is not good. True socialism is okay….but when it becomes corrupt…it is not good.
In the last few years we let the capitalists become corrupt in our country.
June 14, 2009 at 1:02 pm
duanesherry
Naturalgal,
I have no bone to pick with all “socialism”….
My bone to pick is with the far left – not the left.
I appreciated JFK…and many other Dems along the way…
Socialism is necessary in many ways. In fact, I have not voted against a local bond election my entire life – I like public libraries, and parks…I think the states can do good things – Here in Texas, we have a pretty nice medical plan for low income people….
I brought up Hitler being a socialist for one reason. To point to the fact that the extreme is the problem. He was a tyrrant on the left – not the right…
The “right” (at least as it applies in this country) refers (at least in my mind) as those who are in favor of limited centralized govt. Of course, many such types are quickly called all kinds of names…..
I think the far right can cause enormous problems – look no further than Wall Street – unregulated trading and banking…..The far left is not immune from causing damage either……Socialism run amuck can lead to loss of freedom…..
The greatest danger is not big govt or big business…..It’s the “partnership”…..Take Pharma for instance….They pay almost a billion dollars to get a drug approved….The govt gets the fee….Then, the same federal govt (through NIMH) pays for research…..Where information is not published….sent to the FDA, but not made public….The FDA hides the data on injury and death…..And, the drug hits the market…..Where profits are made….until it is eventually recalled….Around and around we go…..
I am all for healthy debate…..Conservatives and liberals…..But, I don’t see it any longer…..Goose-step….That’s what I see lately…..How many Dems voted against the Mothers Act in Congress? Zero.
The Democratic Party of JFK has been hijacked by the far left….And, the far left has been bought off by Pharma and industry….just as the far right has….and, they’ve all joined in “partnership” with industry…..
Where are the voices of dissent?
We are seeing bills passed that nobody has read.
With tens of thousands of earmarks – tens of thousands…..
Less than 8% of the stimulus bills have made their appearance known to Main Street America….plenty to Wall Street…..In April, over 20,000 homeowners were denied refinancing under the mortgage bailout package….too many hoops to jump through…..Didn’t qualify…..
This has been about “payback” time for those who put Obama in office….Not just ‘business as usual’….business worse than ever…unprescedented…..With earmarks, and pork back to districts….Nobody saying a word…..
And now, comes national health care reform…..Noticed just last night, a commercial on this new piece of legislation….paid for by a pharmceutical research agency….wow, what a surprise! Now, all Americans willl be able to get on statin drugs….Pharma will make less on each prescription, but more people than ever before will be on them…..
Public debate.
That’s all I want.
I don’t see it.
The far left can do just as much damage as the far right.
That’s my point.
And, I have to say, I’m getting really, really tired of watching this President make moral equivalencies to rogue nations…..Rather than stand up to the thugs of the world, he seems intent on appeasment…..This is like watching Chamberlain in the late 1930’s….with his appeasement of the fuhrer….Chamberlain may be one of the most beloved politicians of all time…He approached Hitler with an olive branch…..The result was a taking of Europe by the Nazi regime…..I see a very similar pattern….With the approach with Castro, the Ortega brothers….We live in a dangerous world….We need to stand for something….Not try to become “buddy-buddy” with tyrannts!
I make no comparison to Hitler and Obama – obviously! I am saying that socialism can cause great harm. And, the far left can be as “tyrannical” as the far right – make no mistake….The former USSR was a socialist system….Look at the fallout!
It seems to me that if we keep spending money at the rate we are, we will be in trouble. The Chinese do not want to lend us any more money. Who would? If we borrow from other nations, we will pay huge interest. If we print more money, we will deflate the dollar…..
But, we have to keep passing these bills.
Quickly.
Today.
Right now.
Without a table full of lots of views, and input from people of all parties and political persuasions…..Lock-step. Goose-step……
Where’s the debate?
Where’s the diologue?
Where’s the dissent?
The party in power will have very little of it….very little.
In the public square it’s happening.
But, not in Congress – where the bills are being passed.
Where are the blue-dog Dems, the conservative Dems?
Where are the conservatie Republicans – they’re being told to “shut up.”….
This is not leadership.
This is hijacking by the far left…..
That’s precisely what it is.
And, many of us are getting mighty angry about it.
And, we’re not gonna sit back quietly and watch it happen.
If Obama is far left, why doesn’t he come out and say it?….Announce who he is, what he believes….If he’s hell-bent on destroying a capitalist systems, a free enterprise system, why doesn’t he just announce it proudly…..Cause, that’s where we’re headed…..
If he wants to surrender national sovereignty, in favor of each of us becoming “world citizens,” why doesn’t he just say so?
The reason is that nobody would tolerate it.
I don’t like what I see happening….
My views may seem awfully extreme themselves at this point in history….
Give things a few months….I think you’ll see people finally wake up….If it’s not too late…..
I really hope I’m wrong.
Duane