Texas attorney general’s office sought state data on transgender Texans

[awkward-yet-sweet]

34 minutes ago, Marcie Jensen said:

This latest example in Texas only reinforces this. It's frighteningly similar to what the NAZIs did in the 1930s on too many levels. And, let's not forget that the NAZIs were socialists. The translation of their party name is literally "National SOCIALIST German workers' Party." It pains me to say that both major political parties in this country have become so polarized that neither can progress beyond a near religious adherence to party ideology that they are incapable of compromise.

 

Yeah, most people don't get the socialist aspect of a lot of European nationalism.  Interesting that before 1941, Hitler and Stalin were practically best buddies in spite of talking crap about each other.  In fact, when Hitler betrayed their pact and marched his troops into Russia, Stalin was so shocked that he was catatonic and practically couldn't make decisions for a bit.  The interesting thing about the far left and the far right is that they aren't really that far apart.  They look a lot like each other. 

 

Our nation's progress toward totalitarianism is slower than in other places, because we've got two parties instead of one.  While both heads of the snake generally work together, there's plenty of infighting.  But that has actually led to their success, as many nations get rid of an attempt at a totalitarian single-party state.  Our system's inefficiency at getting there is also what makes it insidious. 

 

This thing in Texas is just one example.  LGBTQ+ folks and folks on the left will complain about it, because it is their pet issue.  However, they don't have a problem with leaks of lists of gun owners and those with concealed carry licenses...they may even encourage it, even though that is just as big a violation of a person's rights and privacy.  The followers of the left are happy to force people to be vaccinated, but complains "my body my choice" over abortion.  The followers of the right oppose forced vaccination, but are content with forced pregnancy.  

 

We've lost the ability to advocate for the rights of people with whom we disagree, and recognize that wrong things are wrong all the time, not just when they happen to us.  We've lost touch with Martin Luther King Jr's vision of a world where people are only judged by their character and actions.  We've lost touch with the lessons of WWII and the Nuremberg Trials.    Martin Niemöller's famous quote should burn in everybody's memory:

 

"First 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 for me."

 

[VickySGV]

The rails this topic is on have veered into the realm of politics and away from News. It is so far civil and all that but has left its original posting purpose.

[Ivy]

3 hours ago, Marcie Jensen said:

The translation of their party name is literally "National SOCIALIST German workers' Party."

I don't think the name means a whole lot in this case.  What matters is the policies.  I'm often amazed at the names under which legislation is proposed in our congress.  Sometimes it seems to be the exact opposite of what it would do.  It's usually a scam of some sort.

 

While I am not a fan of "big government" I do think it has a responsibility to protect minorities from systematic (trigger word here) oppression.

 

But as Vicky has pointed out, this is not the subject of this thread.