"SS have stormed into our dormitory & detained us. We are to be sent to a concentration camp."

[TheWraith]

Those were the words of Josef Jira, a medical student in Prague, on this day 72 years ago. The Nazi SS stormed the Prague universities to arrest students who had participated in an anti-Nazi protest the previous day. Students arrested that day had already been summarily executed. 1200 more were now rounded up and sent to concentration camps. Nine "ringleaders," chosen at random, were executed on the spot, and all Prague universities were permanently closed.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Dictablandas also do this

you realize over 1000 students disappeared on October 2nd 1968 right?

We are one of those right now... inverted totalitarianism to be specific

[JDPriestly]

2. Nadin, are you talking about the then Czechoslovakia?

[girl gone mad]

3. They were brave to stand up and speak out.

Too many did not. In photographic progressions from this era, you can see that most people just went along quietly as, piece by piece, their world was destroyed. That learned hopelessness and helplessness is what we always must fight to overcome.

[CoffeeCat]

4. What is frightening...

...is that Hitler's power and influence operated within a vacuum in Germany.

Today, the Fascists are an expansive, global network spanning many countries and including the direct
involvement of many world leaders. Furthermore, they have the power of the biggest banks in the world
and the largest multinational conglomerates--fueling their efforts.

Hitler ran a pretty insular, small-scale operation--compared to the complex, far-reaching,
multi-national operation that is in play today.

It's frightening to contemplate the ramifications of what is happening today.