I have not equated the similar situation arising in this country. It would take a lot of desperate things to happen. I've just said that the extent to which things are being done by politicians to destroy democracy is the extent to which they can be judged as performing the same activities that Nazis used to destroy their democracies. It is happy happenstance that other conditions mean they fail to retain power, undemocratically.
Yep, our governments fail us all the time. They try to erode democracy, so they can stay in power. And we push back against it (usually, eventually, when we are not being too partisan).
Why do we do this? Because we know from Hitler, that when democracies fail and become authoritarian, the consequences are terrible.
We know a free press, even a terrible one, is important, because otherwise things like the "Night of Long Knives" are reported as attempts to stop treason.
I'd like to think none of our politicians would take authoritative control over our democracy if, through a series of circumstances and their previous undemocratic "underpinning of their support", they were able to. And even if they did, I'd like to think they'd be better than Hitler (not a high bar). But we don't know those things, we can't judge them.
So we must instead be vigilant when politicians do erode democracy, and push back against it. We have to point out that Nazi Germany is what can happen when we don't push back, even if it might take other circumstances as well to happen. We can't just hope politicians given a chance to be authoritarian won't, or hope that when they erode democracy that the circumstances will prevent them destroying it. We have to make those circumstances that prevent politicians from become authoritarian, by pointing out that Nazi Germany happened when politicians in a democracy were allowed to undermine that democracy.
Of course it would take a lot of desperate things to happen ,such as Great depressions, huge unemployment ,fear of a takeover which I have monotonously stated.Or even a massive famine.
We are nowhere within a bull's roar of that situation, plus we have a strong,Parliament and reasonably strong economy. which has been the case here for ages.
We are vigilant ,with judiciary ,.a well educated population, strong defence force that defends our people, a press that won't let Govts or opposition get away with anything, even on the odd occasion they lie to sell the point.The populace have rejected extremist types at the polls.
And when Govts fail us, they are thrown out at following elections.
The devastating results of WW11, have shown the world and this country that militant expansionism by an authoritarian Govt achieves nothing but death and destruction.And nuclear weapons in the background tend to prevent any country going down this horrendous path.
My old man, like hundreds o thousands of others was involved in WW11 (as a Rat of Tobruk and a POW for 3 1/2 years in Java.)No need to tell me about the need for vigilance.
Mate give the Australian public some semblance of commonsense.and politician that tried the old PM for life routine wouldn't last 5 minutes..
The country I fear is China ,Taiwan will be taken over down the line.It appears now there was a lot of cover up on the start of the coronavirus.Even to the extent that the virus escaped from a laboratory.That's where our vigilance should lie.
And if you are worried about big brother checking your every move, live in China,Cuba,Venezuela,Iran or Russia.
That's why watches are needed on authoritarian Govts of the left and right.
After the Hungarian revolution of 56 and the Czech ,we still had a few people within the Labor party with a communist background ,who could see no fault in Russian Communism.
.LIve under Communism or Nazism and you'll understand what lack of freedom is all about.
