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Siwsan

(26,269 posts)
Mon Feb 26, 2018, 09:04 AM Feb 2018

trump*'s snake analogy has a very familiar ring

The Nazis produced a film called "The Eternal Jew". In that film they compared Jews to rats. This is a snip from Wikipedia, concerning that part of the film (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eternal_Jew_%281940_film%29):

The film utilizes a montage that juxtaposes these images of ghetto Jews with images of rats to draw an analogy between the migration of Jews from Eastern Europe with the migration of rats. For example, one of the shots shows a pack of rats emerging from a sewer, followed by a shot of a crowd of Jews in a bustling street of the Łódź Ghetto. Close-ups of those in the crowd reveal sickly, malformed facial features. The narrator states that, as rats are the vermin of the animal kingdom, Jews are the vermin of the human race and similarly spread disease and corruption. Unlike rats, however, the narrator continues, Jews have the uncanny ability to change their appearance and blend into their "human hosts." A scene depicts four bearded men in traditional religious Jewish clothing, then shows them shaved and in modern business suits, while the narrator explains that only a "trained eye" can distinguish their Jewish features.

"Where rats appear, they bring ruin by destroying mankind's goods and foodstuffs. In this way, they spread disease, plague, leprosy, typhoid fever, cholera, dysentery, and so on. They are cunning, cowardly and cruel and are found mostly in large packs. Among the animals, they represent the rudiment of an insidious, underground destruction – just like the Jews among human beings.


These sorts of realizations are what make it difficult for me to get through a day without a major anxiety attack.

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trump*'s snake analogy has a very familiar ring (Original Post) Siwsan Feb 2018 OP
YES, I agree. poboy2 Feb 2018 #1
If You Really Want To Wade Into The Cespool...... Laxman Feb 2018 #2
 

poboy2

(2,078 posts)
1. YES, I agree.
Mon Feb 26, 2018, 09:12 AM
Feb 2018

I was thinking of this exact comparison yesterday. I am glad someone made the connection.

I didn't realize exactly who his 'snake' was till a few days ago. I caught the wind-up this time, as he said, "this story is about immigrants" before he began. My immediate thoughts went right to this propaganda film.


Edited to add:
Of course the snake is actually HIM, as he tells the story to his adoring audience of snake lovers. Its a 'revelation of the method' if you will. He is telling them they have no right to complain about him, you know who you elected (a snake). He is telling them THEY are the marks, getting conned.

Laxman

(2,419 posts)
2. If You Really Want To Wade Into The Cespool......
Mon Feb 26, 2018, 09:13 AM
Feb 2018

Calvin College maintains an archive of Nazi propaganda as does the Holocaust Center. It's been a while since I did research on this, but if you start to read some of the materials, you will find some similarities and the language that Trump and the Republicans use today when talking about "illegal immigrants" and Muslims. I'd say striking similarities. http://research.calvin.edu/german-propaganda-archive/

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