If people think about WWII at all, they think it started with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. If they understand the history a bit further they know that much of Europe was already involved by then and probably less know that it was going on in Asia as well. The lack of history knowledge in this country is appalling, but that is not the point of this. The point is that a lot of things were going on in the world during the 1930s outside of the Great Depression.
What most people also don't realize is that the Great Depression was not just an American phenomenon. It was a worldwide depression. Europe was especially hard hit. Germany, probably one of the worst. The Treaty of Versailles, ending Germany's involvement in WWI, dictated that Germany pay for reparations. (A debt that was finally paid in full in October 2010, 92 years later.) The recession plus the debt payments left Germans paying for a loaf of bread with baskets full of Marks. Add to that the highly industrialized Saar region was taken and administered by France and Britain and all the region's coal was to be given to France.
Every economic downturn brings about blame. People look for someone to take responsibility for the bad times and demagogues are always happy to help them find them.
In 1933, one of those demagogues came to power and he had the solution to all their problems. He called it "The Final Solution".
78 years later, times are hard again. 78 years later, the same blame is being laid by some.
I admit this is anecdotal. I'm sure it does not represent everyone's views -- maybe not even the majority, but look at the themes in this whole Occupy Wall Street extravaganza. Wall Street, Bankers and Federal Reserve. Many times, those are code words for "Jews".
The other point is there is an attempt to compare these fools with the Tea Party. There is no video of any Tea Party member espousing racist views. As much as the left has tried to make that allegation, there is no evidence of anyone saying such things. As an aside, if they did and they worked for a school district, they would have been fired.
If I were Jewish, I'd be a little nervous.
VW
