Sunday, August 10, 2008

Obama and the Nazis


I saw the above Orwellian poster image on the US News and World Report website. Here is the story behind it:

"...if a Los Angeles creative agency gets its way, Sen. Barack Obama will see fans meet him with his own salute like the one above. "Our goal is to see a crowd of 75,000 people at Obama's nomination speech holding their hands above their heads, fingers laced together in support of a new direction for this country, a renewed hope, and acceptance of responsibility for our future," says Rick Husong, owner of The Loyalty Inc. Husong tells me that he got the idea after seeing the famous Obama-Progress poster by artist Shepherd Fairey. "We wanted to get involved some way," he says. So, the agency came up with their own a symbol of hope and progress that also plays off Obama's name. "We thought, 'Let's try and start a movement where even while walking down the street, people would hold up the O and you would know that they were for Obama,' " says Husong.

So Barack gets his own "salute"? Now what historical figure does that remind you of...

Now before all the liberals get their panties in a bunch over me calling Obama a Nazi, consider the following posters from Nazi Germany (with the translations below them):

"No one shall go hungry! No one shall be cold!"


(quote from Hitler)"I ask the German people to strengthen my faith and to lend me its strength so that I will always and everywhere have the strength to fight for its honor and freedom, to work for its economic prosperity, and particularly to strengthen me in my struggles for genuine peace."


"Don't give. Sacrifice."


"Greater Germany: Yes on 10 April."

Sounds an awful lot like "yes we can", doesn't it?

But seriously, I am NOT saying Obama is Hitler. Just that the nature of propaganda hasn't changed much in 70 years. Remember, the key to propaganda is NOT what it says, but rather what it does NOT say. If you look at the Obama poster at the top of this post, what does "sign of progress" tell you? It sounds nice, but means nothing, other than trying to show a correlation between an "Obama salute" and the word "progress". Progress towards what?

Naturally, anyone can go to Obama's website and read his platform to determine what he means by "progress", which is certainly more information than was available during Hitler's rise to power in Germany. So what does Obama mean by "progress"? Let's line him up with Hitler and see:

GOT TO BLAME SOMEBODY: Hitler blamed the Jews, whereas Obama blames the rich and the corporations. It didn't matter that some of the most productive members of German society WERE Jews, just like it doesn't matter that the rich and the corporations ARE the most productive parts of American society.

GET 'EM WHILE THEY'RE YOUNG: Hitler had his "Hitler Youth", whereas Obama wants our kids being assimilated in government schools from the day after birth. At least Hitler waited until the kids were 10.

WE NEED A WAR!: At least Hitler gave Germans a "real" war to fight. The best Obama can come up with is an imaginary "Global Warming" foe (now known as "climate change", since we don't REALLY know what the weather will do next week).

Even though Obama has pulled a page from Joseph Goebbels' playbook, at least we can feel safe that Obama is no Hitler. I hope...



(hat tip to the Calvin College website for the Nazi posters)

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ed, You are brave to point out the similarities between Hitler and Obama's propaganda. Don't be surprised if some of your liberal friends start calling you insulting names (at least). Remember, if you can't refute the argument, attack the arguer. I have a book on the principles of propaganda that you might like to borrow sometime.

Gondis

Anonymous said...

This isn't the first blog I've read that's shown this "symbol". And this isn't the first place I've commented about it. But why everytime I see that poster I see the symbol of an ***hole?

EdMcGon said...

Thanks Gondis!

Dave,
ROFLMAO!!! Toooo funny!

Anonymous said...

I must admit, the fact that he's still using "The Great Seal of..." err... Obama... bugs me.

BILL

EdMcGon said...

Bill,
The fact he's a socialist bugs me more. ;)

Anonymous said...

Here's a pic of Hitler doing the same salute as Obama:
http://www.bytwerk.com/gpa/images/hoff1/hitler5.jpg

From the book "The Hitler No One Knows: 100 Pictures of the Life of the Führer" by his propagandist Heinrich Hoffmann.

http://www.bytwerk.com/gpa/hitler2.htm

Anonymous said...

This is very interesting to me, since, I was doing some basic research on the origin of the swastika.I found myself being online for some time, more and more questions arose along with answers.that led me here. you are on the right track. those that have an ear let them hear. For knowledge is the wisdom that bears the fruit of Truth