What do Hitler, the super-rich and journalistic hackery have in common?

[ProSense]

What do Hitler, the super-rich and journalistic hackery have in common?

by Laura Clawson

There are two competing but equally hard to believe possibilities about "The Rich Strike Back," a Politico article drawing attention for including yet another .01 percenter comparing liberals to Hitler. Either it's meant entirely seriously, or Politico's Ben White and Maggie Haberman have jumped straight from stenography to satire. Sadly, it's probably the former.

The article's premise is that the Republican victory in the House special election in Florida's thirteenth district is evidence that it's time for Wall Street and big business and lobbyists to reclaim both the Democratic and Republican Parties. The Democrats because they lost the election—never mind that the seat had been held by a Republican for 30 years and that, while President Barack Obama carried the district in 2012, his margin was tiny and Democrats typically see significant drop-off in off years, never mind special elections—and the Republicans because the election's winner is a former Washington lobbyist. That's the cue for the billionaire sharks to circle. And circling they are (right around White and Haberman, eager to give quotes). So about that Hitler analogy:

“I hope it’s not working,” Ken Langone, the billionaire co-founder of Home Depot and major GOP donor, said of populist political appeals. “Because if you go back to 1933, with different words, this is what Hitler was saying in Germany. You don’t survive as a society if you encourage and thrive on envy or jealousy.”

These guys are always talking about how they're so wealthy because they're smarter and harder-working than anyone else, but apparently those smarts don't extend to understanding the difference between returning the top marginal tax rate to what it was in, say, 1980 and world war in the service of genocide.

All the signs point to this piece being stenography, not satire, and one of the key signs is that it says nothing new. We know that Wall Streeters are always looking to pull the Democratic party into their class war from above. We know that the Republican establishment is always looking to channel the passions of the far-right fringe into a nice, predictable MBA candidate. The facts that Republicans held a Republican seat in a narrow special election victory and Wall Street's boy in the New York governor's mansion, Andrew Cuomo, is doing his best to thwart New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's agenda don't actually translate into income inequality being popular and expanding Social Security being unpopular. All they translate into is what we've always known: Even when the majority is with you on the issues, it's hard to win when the money is pouring through cannons from the other side. And all this article is is rich people reminding us that they're rich, and that money means influence. And the occasional Hitler comparison, evidently.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/03/18/1285641/-What-do-Hitler-the-super-rich-and-journalistic-hackery-have-in-common

[ProSense]

1. Kick! n/t

[Sunlei]

2. Money won't buy them love! (or respect)

It is hard to go against a Juggernaut propaganda machine with unlimited funds. At least they can't exterminate those (today in this country) people they want to Lord over & discriminate against.

[steve2470]

3. if anything, Hitler LOVED the 1% and richer people

He was very much in bed with the industrialists of his time. He was the iconic fascist in every way.

[Sunlei]

4. you're right on target. Hitler was in bed with the bankers, the 1%, industrialists of his time.

The world bank handed over countries bank control to Hitler of the first two countries he invaded.

Here's a very well done documentary "Banking with Hitler"

[steve2470]

5. if the super-rich want to be taken seriously, they have to invoke Lenin

The US has absolutely no one even remotely close to Lenin right now. Not even in the same universe. I'm talking about people in politics.

[sheshe2]

6. KnR

[ProSense]

7. Home Depot Founder Apologizes For Likening Plight Of Rich To Nazi Germany

Home Depot Founder Apologizes For Likening Plight Of Rich To Nazi Germany

The billionaire founder of Home Depot apologized late Tuesday for taking a page from the Tom Perkins playbook in comparing the fight against income inequality to Nazi Germany.

"My remarks were intended to discourage pitting one group against another group in a society," Ken Langone said in a statement obtained by the New York Daily News. "If my choice of words was inappropriate -- and they well may have been that -- I extend my profound apologies to anyone and everyone who I may have offended."

<...>

But Langone, a major GOP donor and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) backer, had previously spoken out against those who fight to close the income equality gap. Last year, he suggested that rich donors may stop giving to charity if Pope Francis continued to give speeches criticizing capitalism and wealth disparity.

The billionaire businessman's latest comments riled up some progressives who called for Cuomo to condemn his backer's statement and return the money Langone raised for him. Cuomo spokesman Matt Wing told the Daily News that Langone "apologized for using inappropriate words."

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/ken-langone-apologizes-nazi-comment