We humans like to think that we’re pretty smart. With that in mind, it is difficult to understand how something like the events of 1930’s and 1940’s Germany could occur. How could somebody like Hitler get enough power to do what he did? Humans are, in fact, animals, and thus predictable. It is in forgetting this fact that we are in peril of someone else doing the same type of thing. A megalomaniac sociopath with sociopathic friends and plenty of money in a high government office could still do it.People want to “belong to the group,” a trait left by our furry ancestors. We generally conform when told what to do. This desire often eclipses reason, as evidenced by our collective refusal to abandon our wasteful, destructive practices in the “civilized” world. The trait is so powerful that we also insist that everyone else conform to our ways, as evidenced by western civilization’s continued expansion over every place that lacks the military power to resist it. Consider some of the recent cult followings. If people like Jim Jones and the folks behind the flying saucer cult of Heaven’s Gate can get arguably normal people to commit mass suicides, then we humans have still not outgrown our naïve trust of leaders. Worse, we don’t even bother to question them most of the time. Hitler was, rightly and to the detriment of many, banking on this unfortunate trait.He was already in office as the Chancellor when the Reichstag was set on fire in an act of “terrorism” on February 28, 1933. He was supported and admired by many prominent Americans at that time. He was thought to be good for the economy. The Reichstag is the building that houses the German parliamentary body of the same name. It is debated who was ultimately responsible for the fire, but some evidence suggests that it was part of Hitler’s plan. In any event, it was this convenient fire that allowed Hitler to declare a national emergency and suspend civil liberties like freedom of the press, privacy in communications, and individual property rights. The people believed this was for their own protection from domestic terrorists. Hitler used it to do away with his opposition- Gypsies, Jews, “immoral” people and anybody else he wanted to be rid of. A government such as his, in developing a firm grip on the public, focuses upon the majority, who are not too smart. The minority is expected to call a lie a lie. After shocking people with a “terrorist” act and directing people to be suspicious of each other, it becomes a benefit to the evil emperor to have people cry “FOUL!” It provides a sub-set of the population to demonize as they see fit, which justifies ever stricter and more ostentatious control tactics and mechanisms to the sheep-like majority. “Obviously,” anybody who would suspect a government of perpetrating atrocities against its citizens is insane, and sympathizing with the “real” enemy. They must be identified and removed. But if a power so established wishes to maintain power indefinitely, it serves their interest to “find” them a few at a time, especially if the desired level of control is not achieved with the first acts of “terrorism.” This justifies ever increasing efforts to identify the “enemy” within the population. It facilitates public division, mistrust, and fear, making the majority more pliable with every new event. In Orwellian fashion, such a government might actually make subversive material widely available as bait. Now that we have the Internet, anyone accessing such information can be accurately identified. Misidentified persons serve just as well as examples when arrested and executed. It definitely could happen today. It has happened in the past. In a global society, it is foolish not to expect somebody to attempt establishment of a global dictatorship. Consider that this is the way that most people have been governed for as long as government has existed. Democracy where people have a real say in how they are governed is unfortunately an illusion today owing to the influence of corporations and the elite. If some powerful American entity or corporate body were behind such a deception as is widely suspected of the Reichstag fire and we were seeing a replay of the subsequent rise of fascism, would the majority notice today? No, we would all be well and truly screwed, I fear. We would largely believe what we were told, ever more so with every news report and repetition of footage. I would not be surprised if a part of the plan were to play on the ridiculous Christian expectation of Armageddon by providing evidence of the veracity of their “Revelations.” This could easily be accomplished by playing it out, complete with an antichrist. With such a huge number of Christians worldwide it makes sense. It would work, and I know that. I’m sure “they” know that, if “they” exist. Lets all hope that “they” don’t exist, eh?