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Bernie sanders Quote by Dinesh D'Souza

“With Hitler, too, we see a dedicated socialist who, shortly after assuming the leadership of the German Workers’ Party, changed its name to the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP). In statement after statement, Hitler could not be clearer about his socialist commitments. He said, for…” quote by Dinesh D'Souza
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““With Hitler, too, we see a dedicated socialist who, shortly after assuming the leadership of the German Workers’ Party, changed its name to the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP). In statement after statement, Hitler could not be clearer about his socialist commitments. He said, for example, in a 1927 speech, “We are socialists. We are the enemies of today’s capitalist system of exploitation . . . and we are determined to destroy this system under all conditions.”36 The Nazi Party at the outset offered a twenty-five point program that included nationalization of large corporations and trusts, government control of banking and credit, the seizure of land without compensation for public use, the splitting of large landholdings into smaller units, confiscation of war profits, prosecution of bankers and other lenders on grounds of usury, abolition of incomes unearned by work, profit sharing for workers in all large companies, a broader pension system paying higher benefits, and universal free health care and education. If you read the Nazi platform without knowing its source, you could easily be forgiven for thinking you were reading the 2016 platform of the Democratic Party. Or at least a Democratic platform drafted jointly by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Sure, some of the language is out of date. The Democrats can’t talk about “usury” these days; they’d have to substitute “Wall Street greed.” But otherwise, it’s all there. All you have to do is cross out the word “Nazi” and write in the word “Democrat.””

Dinesh D'Souza

About This Quote

Source Speech: 1927 Hitler speech, Nazi Party platform

The quote compares Nazi policies to modern progressive ideas, highlighting rhetorical similarities while ignoring historical context

In simple terms: Political rhetoric can sound similar across eras despite different goals

Key Takeaway

Beware of superficial policy comparisons

Themes

politics history ideology

Mood

critical analytical

Type

historical political commentary

When to use this quote

  • debates on socialism
  • education
  • media literacy
  • historical study

Key Concepts

comparative politics propaganda policy analysis

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do we differentiate rhetoric from intent?
  • What dangers arise from equating distinct political movements?
A Different Perspective

Ignoring the violent and authoritarian reality behind the policies is a major flaw

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