There is a pattern involved in establishing and keeping a tyrannical government. It was evident in Nazi Germany and it is evident today in countries where Sharia Law is the law of the land. Syria is a current example.
Tyranny in Germany began with Paul Von Hindenberg’s appointment of Adolf Hitler as Chancellor on January 30, 1933. In March 1933, the first concentration camp, Dachau, opened as a place to house political prisoners. The demonization of German Jews began shortly after Hitler took power. In April 1933, citing overcrowding in the schools, the government limited the number of Jewish students that could attend school. The year 1938 brought Kristallnacht, a night when German Nazis attacked Jewish persons and property. There were no consequences for the violence against Jews and Jewish businesses. The few Christian pastors who refused to allow the government to dictate what was preached from their pulpits were arrested and placed in the concentration camps. One of the major factors in establishing a tyranny is not holding those who break the law but have the correct political view accountable. Those who have the wrong political views may be arrested or held prisoner for almost anything.
President Trump is something of a litmus test. The people who hate him are willing to overlook almost any lawlessness as long as it opposes him. Until January 20, 2025, those who oppose President Trump were operating within a justice system that was not going to hold them accountable. The attempted Watergate wiretapping resulted in the end of the Nixon presidency and in people going to jail. The wiretapping of the 2016 Trump campaign and transition team resulted in very little consequences for those involved. Kevin Clinesmith, who altered an email to allow the wiretapping, was sentenced to12 months’ probation, 400 hours of community service, and no fine. The people involved in the Russia Hoax were never held accountable for their lies. The Washington Post got to keep its Pulitzer Prize, and people still buy the newspaper. Adam Schiff said he had seen proof of Russian collusion by President Trump. We now know that was a lie, and he is still in Congress. Lawfare became on acceptable way of doing business. Lawfare against President Trump and the raid on Mar-a-Lago were acceptable actions to many Americans. The majority of the people who assaulted police and burned cities during the summer of 2020 were never held accountable. Kamala Harris encouraged Americans to contribute to a bail fund for them. In contrast, people who peacefully walked through the Capitol after police opened the doors for them were hunted down and arrested for trespassing. Most of them even stayed between the ropes set up to guide visitors! When there is a two-tiered justice system, the seeds of tyranny are being planted.
Currently we are seeing Elon Musk and President Trump demonized. How could the President be so cruel to send murderers who were here illegally to prison in El Salvador? Elon Musk is going to take away America’s safety net (no, he’s not.) The difference now is that people who are breaking the law are being held accountable. Protesting is legal. Free speech is legal. However, destroying other people’s property is not legal. Threatening or assaulting Jewish college students is a crime. Someone who is not a citizen and commits a crime needs to be sent back to where they came from.
The slouch toward tyranny can be stopped by implementing equal enforcement of the law—upholding the rule of law. Again, protesting is legal, but assault or destruction of property needs to result in jail time.