First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me
It really was a twofer to paint both with the brush of sexual immorality. Weimar Germany was the center of a sexual reform movement that promoted birth control for women, equal rights for both sexes, acceptance of sexual minorities, legalization and regulation of sex work and more. It was really ahead of its time.
Then the Nazis came along and found common ground with the conservative religious groups to demonize and then victimize everyone involved.
It’s just… I know history doesn’t repeat itself, but goddamn does it rhyme.
History sure does rhyme. Unfortunately, it’s because authoritarians learn from the failings of others
I don’t think we’ll see the end stages of Nazi Germany in the US. That’s what brought down Hitler. Putin and modern Russia is a much better example of what we could see going forward
Much easier to keep people in line when the atrocities are vague and plausibly denied
That is true, the Nazi’s didn’t go after sexual minorities until 1934, but persecutions began for socialists, communists and sexual minorities (as their supporters were largely overlapped) years before that. I mostly have a burr in my britches over Niemöller leaving out other victims of the holocaust like the Roma and what today would be called LBGT+ people. But it’s not a competition, the poem’s point stands that the Nazis come for everyone eventually because fascist ideology is intrinsically corrosive - it needs a constant threat to justify it’s ever-consuming need for power.
First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me
They actually went after trans people first last time as well.
they went after a Jewish sexologist who studied and advocated for trans people, so the Nazis really killed two birds with one stone. :|
It really was a twofer to paint both with the brush of sexual immorality. Weimar Germany was the center of a sexual reform movement that promoted birth control for women, equal rights for both sexes, acceptance of sexual minorities, legalization and regulation of sex work and more. It was really ahead of its time.
Then the Nazis came along and found common ground with the conservative religious groups to demonize and then victimize everyone involved.
It’s just… I know history doesn’t repeat itself, but goddamn does it rhyme.
History sure does rhyme. Unfortunately, it’s because authoritarians learn from the failings of others
I don’t think we’ll see the end stages of Nazi Germany in the US. That’s what brought down Hitler. Putin and modern Russia is a much better example of what we could see going forward
Much easier to keep people in line when the atrocities are vague and plausibly denied
“First they came for the trans people, but I didn’t speak out because nobody ever even fucking told me they did this until like last year like wtf…”
Depends on what you count as “first”. The communist groups (that likely had trans people in them) were the first placed into concentration camps.
You’re likely referring to the first Nazi book burning which included sexual health literature on trans healthcare.
That is true, the Nazi’s didn’t go after sexual minorities until 1934, but persecutions began for socialists, communists and sexual minorities (as their supporters were largely overlapped) years before that. I mostly have a burr in my britches over Niemöller leaving out other victims of the holocaust like the Roma and what today would be called LBGT+ people. But it’s not a competition, the poem’s point stands that the Nazis come for everyone eventually because fascist ideology is intrinsically corrosive - it needs a constant threat to justify it’s ever-consuming need for power.
Oh. Look at you ‘knowing history’ and ‘telling the truth’. Has that ever helped you?
So are you saying that I shouldn’t know history, or that I shouldn’t tell the truth, or are you saying I shouldn’t learn about history?
Just curious what your point was?