1932: Year of Decision Has Important Lessons for Today

 

The rise of Hitler was so different from the rise of Franklin Roosevelt as to call into question the very title of this book.  And yet the juxtaposing of these two figures from World War II in their year of ascendancy is taking.

The book alternates chapters between Hitler and Roosevelt.  In this way both figures exist together, yet separately. The choice two different countries made is apparent.  But in America, the United States already had a long history of democracy, whereas Germany's democratic history was short indeed.  Thus, Germany was susceptible to fascism in a way American fascists could only dream of.  

Now, in 2024, we have an ill-informed American public, most persons of which are insufficiently schooled in the the history of the rise of Hitler.  This book helps remedy that lack.  

But even with books like 1932, the right-leaning capitalist media of America with its emphasis on the trivial and superficial, presents American patriots with the task of overcoming the intellectual torpor, and simple ignorance of a very wide swath of the public.  We can only hope and pray that the ground-level efforts of the people will overcome the propaganda front of smoke, and clouds, and mirrors.