It has become commonplace for modern day political theorists, historians and armchair philosophers alike to paint the majority of human beings as well meaning, yet misguided individuals who are basically decent. Rarely will you hear a popular theorist talk about the hidden dangers of the human mind, and how if, left unchecked, it seems to follow the same path to death and destruction, that being the path to tyranny. Before beginning this diatribe I noticed an article in the Intelligencer, and rolled my eyes, partially out of annoyance and partially out of complete terror. The title of the article was "Conservatism Is Not Fascism". Bravo, I thought, they are in denial as well. Of course conservatism, by definition, is not fascism. No one has ever claimed that. But definitions are for dictionaries and the people who read them. Any party, no matter how well meaning, can be usurped by a substantial faction of dissidents who wish to use the party name for its own benefit, such was the case with the socialist party in Nazi Germany, and such is the case with the republican party in America today. Just earlier today I saw a republican on CNN state that, though he believed that Donald Trump was not a suitable choice for the presidential nomination in 2024, mainly because Trump failed to uphold and protect the Constitution of the United States of January sixth 2021 when his followers unleashed their failed coup, a solemn oath that every president takes, he still knew there was solid support for Trump in the republican party nonetheless, and that Trump is very much a front runner to be the nominee in 2024. So, let me get this straight, the republican party are nothing like the Nazi party, even though the republicans who support Trump tried to overthrow the government and refuse to denounce their foolish leader for the terrorist he is. If you ask me it seem as if the Intelligencer is seriously lacking in intelligence. You may recall that the coup was a largely Christian affair complete with gallows and crosses. You may not recall that Hitler had managed to coax a large part of the Christian population in Germany into supporting him and his long list of atrocities or that millions of Germans were unemployed due to an economic crash brought about by unreasonably burdensome debts. Yeah, no, none of this sounds familiar at all. After a fire in a parliament building started by a single communist, Hitler and the Nazis eroded the rights of the German people and political opponents were outlawed. About 100,000 communists and political dissidents of Hitler's were interred or executed. This was shortly followed by the enabling act, which allowed Hitler to create laws at will. Political parties were banned, trade unions were infiltrated by Nazi strongmen and Jewish and politically suspect civil servants were fired. That is how quickly the Nazis took over Germany. But it was the cooperation of groups like the Catholic Church that made it possible. The Catholics, who made up 40% of the population and had their own Catholic Center Party (moderates anyone?), were too scared to stand up to the Nazis. "That concern prompted officials of the Vatican to discuss with Hitler the possibility of an agreement: the Church would pledge to abstain from political activity in Germany in exchange for the Reich’s promise not to persecute the Catholic Church and its members." (facinghistory.com) Edith Stein, who had converted from Judaism to Catholicism years earlier, pleaded with the pope for help in Germany's darkest hour. "Is not this idolization of race and governmental power which is being  pounded into the public consciousness by the radio open heresy? Is  not all this diametrically opposed to the conduct of our Lord and  Savior, who, even on the cross, still prayed for his persecutors?" Neither the pope, nor his successor, responded and Stein was executed in a death camp. The center must always follow the leader.