A column in Monday’s Washington Post defended the left’s comparison of the Trump administration’s policies to the Holocaust, yet also conceded the lack of systematic genocide by the U.S. government.
Waitman Wade Beorn, a lecturer at the University of Virginia and so-called “Holocaust and genocide studies historian,” argues in his opinion piece “It’s not wrong to compare Trump’s America to the Holocaust. Here’s why.” that “parallels lie in authoritarianism, racism, ethnic myths and dehumanizing language,” but “not the Final Solution.”
Ironically, Beorn admits that “both ends of the spectrum too often seek to draw on [the Holocaust’s] emotional and historical power to advance their completely unrelated agendas,” but still asserts that “parallels” exist between President Donald Trump’s America and Nazi Germany. (RELATED: Nikki Haley Shames Washington Post Into Issuing Correction After Spreading False Reporting About Her)
“Trump’s well-documented use of dehumanizing language is another clear similarity to the early stages of Nazi rule. He caters to a particular demographic of unhappy voters, as did the Nazis,” he wrote.
Over and over again, Beorn hedges his argument by admitting “we are not dealing with a genocidal regime in the United States.” Given that genocide was the chief legacy of Nazi Germany, it is unclear where any parallels are obvious to the Trump administration’s immigration policy.
Nevertheless, Beorn persists in his comparisons.
“Politically, the president has certainly taken actions which are in many ways parallel to those of the early Nazi movement,” he wrote.
“Even his management style has similarities to Hitler. Like Trump, Hitler was reluctant to surrender too much authority to one subordinate, and so his Cabinet (which he never called) was a den of backbiting and maneuvering underlings seeking the support of Hitler, who was the only one who decided policy. There are similarities with Trump, even if he has not achieved this level of dominance,” the column explained.
Don’t worry, however, Beorn thinks he’s being reasonable. After all, according to him, “Trump is not hitler” because “Hitler was arguably a far more astute politician.”
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