“It’s not about comparing them. It’s more about seeing what happened before in history and what’s happening now or in the last few years”.

A new documentary takes a deep dive into the historic and current fascination with Hitler and Nazism, displaying for us what it means for the future of democracy as a model of cultural and political influence.

Directed by Petra Epperlein and Michael Tucker, The Meaning of Hitler explores the perilous love affair Americans, among others, have with the dictator responsible for the death of more than 20 million human beings.

It’s not surprising that it takes but a few minutes before the film enters into the world of Donald Trump and Trumpism. It is impossible not to go there. As Epperlein says, although there’s much evidence to ‘compare’, it’s not about comparing but more about looking at what the past few years have brought.

However, to reach an understanding on the impact of recent years and current events one must first, the film shows us, at least look at the ‘similarities’. For example, one of the persons interviewed, author Martin Amis* is quick to identify three obvious similarities: undermining the institutions of the state to magnify their own position; fanatical cleanliness; and lying.

Epperlein adds more dots to the connection:

Perceived victimhood also goes to the heart of Trumpism. He gained political traction by telling crowds that they are the victims of cultural, economic and political elites, of unfair trade rules and violent illegal immigrants. He constantly portrays himself as a victim of media bias and deep state conspiracies such as the Russia investigation, impeachment and a “rigged” election. His supporters appear elated by their shared community of grievance and sense that vengeance has been legitimised.

So, is it fair to compare? It would appear that, yes, in the realm of the political and the cultural it is not only fair but essential to do so; doing less means life in America becomes even more inequitable, more hardened, more dangerous, less tolerable.

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Related:

Chaos, Crisis And The Collapse Of Democracy

Chaos, Crisis And The Collapse Of Democracy. Part Deux

Related as reminder:

First Two Years of Chaos and Crisis

*Martin Amis, 71, is a British author of 15 novels, seven works of nonfiction, and two story collections.