History, Repeating Itself

[aggienaut]

   There's a particular day in English class in ninth grade I've found myself thinking about a lot lately. For whatever reason Ms Lesowitz asked a question that prompted people to express opinions on nazis. Many of my classmates took the opportunity to loudly exclaim their hatred of nazis. And yet. I remember looking around the room, and having this eerie chilling feeling that they weren't exclaiming their hatred for nazis because they thoroughly understood all that they stood for and rejected it on principal -- rather these rightious upper-middle-class American students were patriotically declaring what they knew was right and patriotic to declare, to evince hatred of the group that they knew it was right and patriotic to hate. In short, while hating nazis is the right answer, what they were doing I suddenly saw could very well be coming from a very nazi place, could be evidence of inclinations towards the very thing they were declaring to hate. That was Orange County, a very republican place, its very likely that a significant proportion of those students are in fact now "MAGA."

   Two or three years later I was in another English class, in summer school, making up for classes I'd missed during my year in Sweden. We were asked to write what we would do if we had been in Nazi Germany. I have no doubt most of my classmates wrote about what great partisans they would be. That's a noble thought, but trying to be realistic I wrote that I'd probably do what my actual ancestors did and get the heck out of there as soon as I saw which way the wind was blowing.
   Now I find myself here in Australia while America well and truly seems to be descending into fascism, and I really can't rule out there won't be some big crazy completely avoidable war involving the United States as the aggressor in the next year or two, and it feels like history is repeating itself.

   I just submitted my application for Australian citizenship.

Comments

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[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

You got a German passport, right? The entire EU is yours but you're doing the right thing getting AUS citizenship given the circumstances in our birth country and also given that they won't welcome Cristina there now.
So disheartening...

WoW!

[lsanderson.livejournal.com]

Seems like a wise choice to me.

[iddewes]

Good luck with Australian citizenship! I can just imagine how poorly the current US would treat your beloved wife, too.

[leo9.livejournal.com]

It is extremely frustrating and embarrassing to be an American right now. I hate what is going on in this country and I hate that people seem to be either turning a blind eye or actively embracing the repetition of some of the worst history the world has ever seen. I am trying very hard to remain hopeful that it's not too late, that this miserable ship can still be righted, but it's difficult at best. Anyway, thank you for sharing that memory. I had Ms Lesowitz too.

[aerodrome1.livejournal.com]

Good luck on the Australian passport!

[engarian.livejournal.com]

I think it's about time you took Australian citizenship. You love the country, and have been there for quite a long time. Good idea!

As for me, I'd do as my ancestors did - either leave or join the resistance.

- Erulisse (one L)

[selucius.livejournal.com]

I wish I could be anywhere but here.

[sea_thoughts]

Good luck with the citzenship.

[lenahhhhh.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed reading that.