Today, I'm embracing the second amendment.

[Amimnoch]

55. You are probably right. I'd certainly like to think that you are.

You'll just have to deal that I'm not willing to bet my family on your being right at this point.

While there are certainly dissimilarities between our situation, and 1929 Germany, there's too many similarities to ignore it outright.

We're not a country just coming out of economic ruin, or in a world that is in a great depression, so the desperation factor is absent. There hasn't been an attempted armed overthrow of our government. These are very key differences.

However, there's also too many similarities for me to ignore:
- A charismatic leader, whom just about everybody thought was a joke, has gone from virtual obscurity to taking power.
- Central to his rise is instilling a sense that our country has fallen from greatness.
- Named enemies as the cause of our fall from greatness, and those enemies are liberals, progressives, immigrants, the news media, Hollywood, organized labor, and the GLBT lobbies.
- This rise to power, which hasn't even been realized yet (only 1.5 months since the election) has already resulted in a large increase of crimes against the named enemies, and marginalization of named enemies.
- Riding the wave of national pride, militarism, commitment to him, and a radically pure America.
- Even though the Nazi Party only won 32% of the vote, underestimation of them led to their complete seizure of power.

So, yes, my reaction might be premature, and ultimately it may be completely unnecessary.. but, it may also be accurate, and there's certainly enough change that's come over this country for genuine concern. So, I will hope that you are correct, but I will prepare for you being incorrect.