On a well known social networking site, I recently posted the following:

1924: Stalin bans all free trade unions and outlaws strikes.

1929: Mussolini guts trade unions and puts them under corporate and government control.

1933: Hitler abolishes collective bargaining, trade unions and arrests their leaders.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, let me say that I had edited this down from a post by Jim Earl. I'll come back to that later, but I don't want to be taking undue credit for his work here. Also, I want to establish plausible deniability in case any of those dates are wrong. My point is, I did no actual research because I am a lazy, lazy man. I saw the post, copied and pasted the part I wanted and stuck it out there in the world.

As I expected, most of my left-leaning friends who replied to the post said things like, "Amen, Bruthah," and "Great post!" (None of them actually said either of those things, but I think those two imagined responses accurately capture the spirit of their replies.) Other friends who lean less leftward responded with outrage, telling me that I was way out of line to compare the actions of Governor Walker in Wisconsin to the noted fascists mentioned in the post.

Here's the beauty of that. I compared nothing to anything in my post. I stated historical incidents which I believe to be true. (Aw, crap. Now I'm in too deep. Wait here while I look this up. . . Sorry about that delay. I'm back. I can't find the date on Stalin, but it looks as though I pretty much - er - Mr. Earl pretty much has my facts straight) So, all I did was list these events. That even those who defend his actions read this list and think, "Oh, he's writing about what Governor Walker is doing in Wisconsin!" is an indication that there is a clear parallel to be drawn.

People who support Governor Walker's actions see this parallel and recoil. They fear that I am calling Governor Walker a fascist and, by extension they feel, quite understandably that I might be accusing them of being supporters of fascism. This is certainly not my intent. I suspect, quite frankly, that almost nobody sets out to be a Fascist. Even the Koch brothers, offspring of Nazis, who financed a large part of Governor Walker's campaign and will profit magnificently from weakened unions probably do not think of themselves as fascists. They believe they are acting out of an enlightened self-interest as they provide financial and material support to the Tea Party activists whom they dupe into believing they are part of a grass-roots movement. Those Tea Party members, who march and yell and misspell signs demanding political change that will worsen their own lots in life do not think they are fascists. They think they are petitioning for the betterment of their own country.

No. It is not my intent at all to accuse my fellow Americans of actively supporting fascism. It is my intent to point out to them that an elected official is taking the same action that has historically been taken by fascists. It is my intent to remind people that there are warning signs, that if they see those warning signs they may be able to change course when they find they have been led onto a dangerous path.

What Jim Earl originally posted was this:

1924: Stalin bans all free trade unions and outlaws strikes.

1929: Mussolini guts trade unions and puts them under corporate and government control.

1933: Hitler abolishes collective bargaining, trade unions and arrests their leaders.

...So why the f**k is it forbidden to make modern day comparisons to these people?*

In answer to Mr. Earl's question I say this. It is not forbidden. It is also not necessary. Teach the history. The comparisons will make themselves apparent.

*asterisks are mine. Mr. Earl typed out the full word. I inserted them to protect the sensibilities and sensitivities of my more tight-assed readers.

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About author Dylan Brody writes and performs humorous short stories and whimsical essays in venues around L.A. and across the country. A thrice-published author and award-winning playwright, he has performed stand-up comedy on A & E's Comedy On the Road and Fox TV's Comedy Express and recently was honored to present a story at the New York Public Library's Tribute to George Carlin, hosted by Whoopi Goldberg. Mr Brody's CDs Brevity and True Enough are available through Amazon.com and iTunes. He lives in Sylmar, CA, a location he describes as "crap neighborhood adjacent."