I think history often rhymes rather than repeats itself, meaning that similar patterns and themes emerge throughout different eras. Similar types of conflicts, movements, and ideologies have appeared over generations because of human nature and the structures of societies. It is very rare that an event or movement is exactly the same as the one that came before it. However, many events in history are driven by recurring ideologies, and motivations such as power and territory. For example, antisemitism against Jews was present during the Black Death, as well as during the Weimar Republic. In my visual essay, my partner and I discussed the growth of antisemitism and why racism against Jews became normalized and socially accepted. During the Black Death, Jews were accused of poisoning wells and being the cause of the deadly disease. Consequently, many Jewish communities were attacked. After Germany’s devastating defeat in World War I, blame and hate directed towards Jews became increasingly apparent. Some similarities between both movements are themes of the public scapegoating minorities in times of instability and using violence against them. However, the accusations during the Black Death were driven by religion and superstitions, while claims in the Weimar Republic were based on extremist ideas and nationalism. These hateful movements occurred because of factors such as political and economic instability. There are some subtle similarities between the United States now and the Weimar Republic, such as a rise in far left and far right parties and ideologies. In Amira and Jenna’s visual essay, they talk about how the Weimar Republic was a period of deepening divisions amongst society. The constant blame put on communists, socialists, and other parties further divided the public, creating an unstable political environment. This instability fostered the rise of extremist groups such as the Nazis, indicating that insecurity within a society can lead to social unrest and radical governments such as the Weimar Republic. People attempting to make direct correlations between modern day society and Germany between 1919 and 1933 are trying to use the Weimar Republic as a cautionary tale that reveals the warning signs before a democracy collapses.
Response
History rhymes in the way everything mimics something – nothing is fully original or new. I think ideologies repeat as human nature does not tend to change and in that of course events will be similar to those in the past. Everyone idolizes someone or something. There is an inherent intrigue to violence as part of human nature, we want to understand how and why someone could do something so atrocious. A lot of violent acts I find come from forms of idolization; something called Echopraxia. I also think that when we surround ourselves in one type of environment, especially online, it influences us to assimilate with it. For example if one watches a lot of true crime or murder content they may think more about how if they were to commit a murder here's how they would; to say just because one thinks of murder or watches true crime is not indicative of them repeating the action but an obsession with that often serves as an origin in people who do. As a more modern example there is a famous killing known as the Killing of Satomu Mitarai where an eleven year old girl stabbed her classmate and the origin of her killing comes from an obsession with extremely violent media. There are countless examples especially with underage people being inspired by violent media they consume and I do think there is a very extreme far-right pipeline online that is pushed to young kids.
There are similarities between the Weimar Republic and our present day in many ways I think. The first thing I thought of is how we treated and continue to treat soldiers returning from war, there is not nearly enough mental health support for veterans and I know a lot who returned from Vietnam were unable to assimilate to society and now live in weird areas of the woods especially in the northeast. The other is how we commend the rich for “fighting” even though they often did nothing, like Trump loves to pretend he fought for this country even though he dodged the draft around 7 times as well as the economic crisis and how we don’t give support. The people receive the punishment for the actions of their leaders.
Originally posted by dunkindonuts on November 12, 2025 09:58
I think history often rhymes rather than repeats itself, meaning that similar patterns and themes emerge throughout different eras. Similar types of conflicts, movements, and ideologies have appeared over generations because of human nature and the structures of societies. It is very rare that an event or movement is exactly the same as the one that came before it. However, many events in history are driven by recurring ideologies, and motivations such as power and territory. For example, antisemitism against Jews was present during the Black Death, as well as during the Weimar Republic. In my visual essay, my partner and I discussed the growth of antisemitism and why racism against Jews became normalized and socially accepted. During the Black Death, Jews were accused of poisoning wells and being the cause of the deadly disease. Consequently, many Jewish communities were attacked. After Germany’s devastating defeat in World War I, blame and hate directed towards Jews became increasingly apparent. Some similarities between both movements are themes of the public scapegoating minorities in times of instability and using violence against them. However, the accusations during the Black Death were driven by religion and superstitions, while claims in the Weimar Republic were based on extremist ideas and nationalism. These hateful movements occurred because of factors such as political and economic instability. There are some subtle similarities between the United States now and the Weimar Republic, such as a rise in far left and far right parties and ideologies. In Amira and Jenna’s visual essay, they talk about how the Weimar Republic was a period of deepening divisions amongst society. The constant blame put on communists, socialists, and other parties further divided the public, creating an unstable political environment. This instability fostered the rise of extremist groups such as the Nazis, indicating that insecurity within a society can lead to social unrest and radical governments such as the Weimar Republic. People attempting to make direct correlations between modern day society and Germany between 1919 and 1933 are trying to use the Weimar Republic as a cautionary tale that reveals the warning signs before a democracy collapses.
The most interesting take I observed in this post, is the idea that patterns relate to eras. The author claims that due to human nature, similar events take place because of natural human tendencies. However, it looks different every single time because the land, people, and government officials differ from scenario to scenario. Historical events cannot be exactly replicated because some people would recognize past behaviors and also the situation is not controlled but instead ever changing. Even if roots appear similar, the ending will always differ. Therefore, I agree with the author claiming that history rhymes but does not repeat. It relates to my post because we have the same general view on the question, however, the response was thought provoking because I had not interpreted it in the exact same lens. One thing that surprised me about this author's post was their connection to the Black Death. They relate the foundation of anti-semitism in the Black Death because it was another era of pure chaos in society. We've observed time and time again that the most prominent rhyme is the fact that the most major events occur in times of chaos. In conclusion, the premise of our ideas were the same but we expressed it with different comparisons and points.
LTQ Post 4: Reflections on the failure of the Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic was borderlined doomed right from the beginning. It was born into a time of crippling limits that had been set on Germany with the Weimar Republic. With the Military defeat that was WWI and the “stab in the back” myth, the new politics and democracy were falsely branded from the first day of its existence. The reparation payments and the other limits from the Treaty of Versailles crippled the nation from the beginning. This failed republic often is looked at as a powerful event of history to be analyzed. History almost never repeats itself because we are always studying and learning the mistakes that our predecessors made. 1920s Germany is a unique example because history here does rhyme. We see recurring patterns not due to the fact that events are exactly the same but because human actions often repeat when in fear or at loss. Consistency is key when it comes to the human race. We can see the rhyme of Weimar in some areas of our lives today, here in the US as well as elsewhere we can see some erosion of faith in the democratic institutions that run our country. While it’s not hyperinflation or some specific treaty that's causing this, it is political unrest though. The polarization of politics all around us has led to both sides of the political landscape losing faith in democracy depending on who's in charge and where we’re talking about. There have been some economic instances such as the 2008 financial crisis or current inflationary pressures which have also led to the loss of fatih in current politics. The most clear social rhyme that I can see is the "stab-in-the-back" myth, with the addition of social media today we are constantly being fed political misinformation leading to a deepening in social fragmentation and strengthening the barrier between the two political sides, making politics on opposing side seem almost evil. I’m not claiming the repeat of history, but rather using Weimar as a tale of caution toward what could happen again. Our government seems to be becoming more and more fragile with economics and politics both up in the air, and looking back at times of history such as this can help us learn and adapt to the issues we currently face. The biggest issue we face is whether or not our modern governments can hold up to the pressure of a crisis if one hits.
LTQ Post 3 Peer Response
Originally posted by snoopythedog on November 10, 2025 08:31
We are repeatedly told that if we do not study history, we are doomed to repeat it. Indeed, we find reflections from times past and stories foretold that reflect into our modern world. Our secondary schools are rich with history classes of all sorts -- African American history, world history, United States history, with all their advance in levels. They serve not only to educate us about pervasive cultures that give us a rich understanding of the society we observe and live in, and duly ward away the vices of ignorance, but also as a warning of what did and did not work. If it were not for the steps that those before us took, we would not have had the cadence to run. Take Weimar Germany for example. I observed in multiple sites that my classmates hand-made that there were multiple facets of German life between the two world wars that predetermined the fall of the democratic republic. Nearly all the sites had a hefty central thesis: that cornerpieces of the culture at the time, including politics, economy, and art, provided hints that the Weimar Republic was loose at its core. One theme that rang particularly heavy with me was that the collective societal sense of rushing past world war I into a new society led to the Weimar Germans being drunk on their own self-advancement, not being able to heed the mistakes they took in their past. This, combined with another theme of German dissatisfaction with the outcomes of the war, allowed factions to rise that now we recognize as authoritarian regimes leading to the second world war. I think that we can articulate now, that with our knowledge of the Weimar Republic, there are certainly parallels we can draw between those times and our sociopolitical landscape today, particularly in America. Amidst advances in our technological age that allow for innovations with massive implications for people around the world, we see our society moving at breakneck speed to coordinate with these massive technological movements. It has long been confirmed that technology in our society advances at an exponential rate, and I feel like our society trying to conform with this exponential growth provides us with a lack of understanding of our past. That, combined with our political distrust in the modern world with huge bipartisan divide and hate speech and crimes dividing us even further, reflects the dissatisfaction and political divide that occurred in Weimar Germany. If anything, this should motivate us to learn more about world history and world politics and potentially have social movements that can educate Americans about this social disruption.
The most compelling idea in my peer’s post was the idea of history as a warning of what did and did not work. My peer mentioned the collective societal sense of rushing past World War I that led to the predestined downfall of the Weimar Republic. In a way, sense of rushing revealed the looseness of the society itself in a cultural, political, and economic way. As the dices fell throughout the republic more tension built up, causing a gradual dissatisfaction among German citizens and the rise of factions. There are many similarities between my peer’s post and others. For example, Seven_Gill specifically mentions the susceptibility of society in front of radical ideologies, similar to how the clear weaknesses of the Weimar Republic led to the rise in fascism. In a similar way, I enjoyed how my peer acknowledged the present times and the rapid technological advancements we have made as a society. There is this clear misunderstanding of the past and political distrust that leads us to far ended sides of the political standpoint. It goes back to the point of history rhyming with one another, rather than repeating. The US and Weimar, two seemingly different governments under different situations, do not follow the identical path but rather show similar patterns that lead to the same political and economic downturn we have seen throughout history. I personally think my peer did a good job with analyzing the significance of understanding history like the Weimar Republic. On the other hand, I would like to see more depth int he comparison between the present day and that of the Weimar. In what ways does the rise in technology drive the same results as that of the factors that led to the downfall of the Weimar Republic?
Theodor Reik’s idea that “history does not repeat itself; it merely rhymes” captures how familiar patterns can exist in history even when there are drastically different circumstances. The past can often become true in similar forms although events never happen exactly the same. The Weimar Republic’s turbulent history with its political chaos, economic issues, hate toward marginalized groups, and issues from a harsh treaty offers a compelling rhyme to aspects of the modern world.
In my visual essay, I dove into how the Weimar Republic’s issues combined to weaken the democracy in Germany. There was widespread distrust and fear in citizens which made them especially drawn to the ideas of strength and unity, even from extremist views. When public trust is low, that is what allows democracy to crumble. Similarly, several of my classmates’ visual essays showcased how propaganda helped shape society during the Weimar republic and it serves as a warning that is still relevant today in a world where online polarization occurs.
Eric Wentz in “Weimar America?” warns against comparing modern America with 1920s Germany but also acknowledges that there are some similarities. He argues that the biggest similarity is that elites who make dictators socially acceptable. In Weimar Germany, conservative leaders aided Hitler by allowing his extremist policies to happen, with the thought that they would be able to control his actions. Weitz argues that some political figures today still echo those in Weimar Germany by ignoring anti-democratic behavior for short term gain.
Weitz reminds readers of Weimar Germany’s progress with its innovation and social programs. These achievements demonstrate that the rhymes in history are lessons in creativity. Modern societies can look at the issues with Weimar Germany and can try to address inequality before extremism results and protect democratic institutions.
Theodor Reik’s observation ultimately remains correct because human nature can create these similarities. The Weimar Republic’s collapse shows us that the issues with democracy come from people that are willing to trade power for a loss of truth and tolerance. Learning from past mistakes is how society can prevent repeats such as in the Weimar Republic.
I would tend to agree with the claim that history "rhymes", or in some way imitates previous events. I don't however think that simply because an event took place it means that something exactly the same must have happened before, and must happen again. I think that when looking at the present day, there can always be some similarities noted between now and the past. Current governments and nations can resemble those of the past, or certain leaders and their policies can do the same thing.
When answering the question of if the United States presently resembles the Weimar Republic leading up to World War II, I would say no. I can see how there could be some resemblance drawn between the two, however I think that it would be comparing two very different situations. The Weimar Republic had just lost the most major war to have ever taken place on Earth, with the aftermath leaving the nation financially devastated. The United States’ current situation bears absolutely no resemblance; we are currently among the most powerful countries in the world, if not the most powerful, and our economic situation is in no way similar to that of the Weimar Republic. The U.S. dollar is still very stable. Additionally, the post war climate of the Weimar Republic does not bear much resemblance to that of the United States. We still see radicalism and disillusionment with the current system, however not nearly as severe and widespread as it was in the Weimar Republic, where nearly the whole nation felt this way.
The only way I could see the United States resembling the Weimar Republic is in what many may view as a radical push toward facism happening today. While this is not something to be overlooked, it is similar, but not exactly the same as what was happening in the Weimar Republic. I don’t believe that at any point we will see a figure as terrible as Hitler coming around, or that we will see the fall of democracy as the United States becomes an authoritarian state. I think that it is an extreme statement to claim that the United States directly resembles the Weimar Republic, and that there are better fitting examples of nations in similar situations.
I think that history does rhyme because people's basic wants and needs never change. In Weimar Germany, the people turned to the Nazi Party because the loss of World War I and the Great Depression made them lose faith in their current party, the Social Democratic Party. This mirrors how in the United States, the Depression made the people turn from Herbert Hoover, a Republican, to Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat. During Weimar Germany, antisemitism rose because the poor people of Germany felt that the Jews were stealing wealth from them, and Hitler and the Nazi Party promised to help them become wealthy and powerful. This mirrors how, in modern day America, many poorer Americans are losing faith in the Democratic Party because they feel that it is ignoring them. They turn to Trump and the Republican Party because it promises to help them become wealthy and powerful. People's motivations lead them to similar actions, and, because of social psychological theories, some things always stay true: people are drawn to a charismatic leader. People hate to feel invisible and want to feel personally seen by their government. A common enemy draws people together. These patterns make history rhyme, seeming to repeat itself.
I don't think that there is a direct correlation between present-day America and Weimar Germany. For starters, we haven't just come off of a global war, which was a huge influence on the mood of Weimar Germany. However, there are many rhymes: an economic depression that is causing inflation, minority groups being targeted and villainized, and a political leader who seems to want to be an autocrat. Also, one party is having trouble listening to and appealing to the needs of all of the people, so many are turning to an opposing party. However, the American Constitution does not have an Article 48, so it is not quite as easy to become a dictator, and the American people are so incredibly polarized right now that it would be difficult for any one leader to crush the opposing factions. Maybe it's just the habit of people in the present to see their society as better than the societies of the past, but I think it's a little pessimistic to say that we are inevitably going to repeat the history of Weimar and possibly Nazi Germany.
History does rhyme, it takes on the shape of its past as people act similarly. They will act similarly due to the human nature of greed, of wanting something for themselves. In doing things, they want in the same way that people have in the past, even though what it is that they want is different, changing, along with the development of humans. There is nothing that is pointing to them being combined and being seen by the government. Even within the smaller parts of history, it is obvious to see how people act, which is based on their desires in that moment, remaining to be few things: power, money, and love.
Specifically, it is noticeable that in the reading text it is obvious that this sort of thing has happened before, and will continue to happen in the future. For example, Antisemitism is acting similarly today, coming across now more as a result of the different battles and worries in the current era. People want to blame a specific group, according to Risa and Brynn’s website, and so this form of hatred becomes normal. Additionally, it was seen that any “different” people were kicked out, deported to some other place. It is very obvious that currently in America, that is possible as well. There’s the idea that we can do what we want, as long as it won’t impact us, but it will. The control that the government exerts over immigrants can extend to power over citizens as a result of greed. The situation has changed slightly, and so has the group, though the idea is similar: the different must go. At this point in time, the people notice the atmosphere of their government, and make art reflecting the feelings of the time period. In my website, it was very visible that the people felt angry with the Weimar government, in expressing their grief and also in the acknowledgement of the disparity. As time passed through the years, this fact about humanity hasn’t changed. People create as a result of wanting, a better future, justice, or anything else. It helps reflect the political atmosphere of the time, and helps to bring about change. In history, people begin to notice problems through art, through different mediums of being informed.
Reflections on the failure of the Weimar Republic
1. I think that history does rhyme, events from the past have similarities to the present, even if they are not exactly the same. For example, the Armenian genocide and the Holocaust. Some might say that they’re two completely different events, but they aren’t so different. As a result of a country’s failures, the Armenians were labeled traitors and were deported and forced on death marches. The Entente powers were focused on WWI and mainly ignored the Armenians, but this was the result of fear being projected onto the Armenians. This is similar to the Jews who were blamed for Germany’s failures, dehumanized by being called parasites, and similar to the Armenians with death marches, were forced in concentration camps and trains, and the Allies probably wouldn’t have intervened in Germany’s killing of the Jews if he didn’t go invade Poland. This shows Reik’s theory play out with the Armenian genocide and the Holocaust being very similar, but with slight differences, and it “merely rhymes” with the scapegoating and cruelty towards minority groups.
2. There are some similarities between the Weimar Republic and our present day in the United States, I think that society is becoming increasingly more polarized each year. People from 20 years ago who you’d consider extreme, might seem moderate nowadays. Another thing would be the economic instability of the United States, as we have tariffs increasing prices for most working class Americans and making their life difficult. Or you could compare the Great Recession to the Great Depression which wiped out many German citizens’ savings and led many of them to be spiteful. I think that as time goes on more people will become cynical and we’ll see how it plays out in the future. But we also blame “outsiders” similar to the Germans with immigration and the roundup of immigrants. But I do see the increasing political divide both within everyday people and our current government, and I feel like it’d be interesting to see how things might play out in the future. You could try to go out of a limb and make direct comparisons like January 6th to the Beer Hall Putsch or ICE rounding up immigrants to the Gestapo rounding up Jews, but I don’t think it’s gotten to that level yet, even though there are some similarities, but I do see them.
Weimar Reflection
I believe that events from the past have similarities to the present for many reasons. One reason I believe this is because there are certain characteristics that have to be there for certain events to happen. Just like there are certain qualities for a mass movement, there are probably other factors that make certain events happen. Just because this is true doesn’t mean that history will “repeat itself”. I actually feel as if no historical event can be exactly replicated. It would actually be way harder to actually repeat history then to stop it from happening. With that being said there is definitely a chance that history can be similar but definitely not exactly the same. Right now in the world there are some similarities, even though they may be a little far fetched. For example in the Weimar Republic, the people were suffering because of decisions that the government had made. This can relate to how the government was shut down and they are trying to take away EBT cards for people to get food. This at first glance may be different but in both cases people are struggling because of a decision they had no say in. The way some people think about America could also be seen as a similarity. Because of all the wrong going on in the U.S, as of right now, some people feel as if the U.S will never be “great” again. This kind of relates to nihilism and how some people thought that Germany was forever doomed. People now think that Trump has ruined the U.S. and it will probably not ever be as it was. On the other hand people think that there is hope for the country and that things will get better. This is an example of existentialism and how some people were hopeful for what was going to happen in Germany even though it was really bad.
Originally posted by anonymous on November 11, 2025, 11:35
Mark Twain once said that “history does not repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” Though the exact events rarely directly repeat, patterns of economic instability, political polarization, and cultural anxiety can be seen across eras. Similar forces of ambition, fear, and inequality shape human societies, and when those forces align, they produce familiar outcomes. Their rhyme is not in the events but in the human responses: scapegoating in times of crisis, nostalgia for “better days”, and erosion of democratic norms as fear overrides reason. The Weimar Republic, built in post WWI Germany, was one of the most unstable democracies in modern history. From 1919 to 1933, Germany faced crushing inflation, mass unemployment, and deep political fragmentation. Parties at the extremes of the political spectrum exploited public frustration, while moderates struggled to maintain faith in democratic institutions. The result was a slow decay of trust in liberal democracy and the eventual rise of authoritarianism. For instance, growing polarization in the United States today mirrors the political fragmentation of Weimar, with public discourse hardened into ideological camps, and confidence in democratic institutions such as Congress and the media, and even elections having weakened. Economic inequality, magnified by globalization and automation, fuels resentment among those left behind, much as economic despair did during interwar Germany. Social media now accelerates misinformation, much as mass propaganda and sensationalist newspapers did a century ago. Outside of the U.S., similar rhymes can be heard in Europe, where populist movements have exploited economic incentives and anti-immigrant sentiment to great effect. Hungary and Poland, for their part, have suffered democratic backsliding under leaders positioning themselves as defenders of “national identity” against liberal elites, a line of arguments that was also used in Weimar.These trends are a reminder that democratic erosion often begins now with a coup, but rather with citizens turning their backs on compromise and toward those promising order or revival. However, rhymes are not guaranteed and the democracies of today have more robust institutions, more spreading of true information, and the advantage of hindsight. In that sense histories rhymes provides a hindsight of what could happen, and how to avoid it, showing that echos aren't something to be scared off and instead are a preemptive warning of what society needs to do.
I like how you brought to light the idea that social media accelerates misinformation like propaganda did in newspapers during the nazi era. I find this very interesting because with all of this information, it is probably the same, if not more, misinformation on social media than in the news. Yet, we have not had another extremist fascist movement like the Nazi Party happen in recent years. This idea makes me wonder if propaganda keeps spreading through the social media we use every day, it is inevitable for a fascist party and totalitarian regime to take over internationally. I noticed that we both used Mark Twain's quote on rhythmic history, and I like how you used it to begin your response and dive into it deeper. I agree that now democracies are telling true information and are way different from what they were like before in Germany, and I believe that the Weimar Republic was needed for democracies worldwide to make them trustworthy and stable forms of government. Overall, I believe that economic conditions play the most important role in the decomposition of democracies like the one during the Weimar Republic years in Germany, because when people are starting to lose money and are struggling to keep their assets, they turn to government to help them, but when the government is facing its own issues financially like mass bankruptcies and inflation, these people start to turn to someone to lead them and guide them so they can be “economically free”.
LTQ 4
Theodor Reik’s statement that history "merely rhymes" and doesn't repeat helps us understand our relationship with the past. To say history repeats itself means there is an inevitable and recurring cycle. Things like new technology and globalization make it so that no two eras can be the same. However, Reik’s "rhyme" theory is exactly correct. History gives us patterns; we are all still part of the human race and have aspects that are the same, like class struggles, fear of death, and weak democracy. Events rhyme because they are often very similar, but just have different people in a different place.
The Weimar Republic gives us a strong example of this rhyming, especially when compared to the present United States. On my own website, we primarily focused on the leading aspects during the Weimar Republic that led to the formation of the Nazi Party, like the problems with the economy and Antisemitism. These things rhyme with our current digital world, where social media algorithms foster outrage and propaganda for extremism. This takes away our sense of reality, making governance and political education very difficult.
This political fragmentation is seen through other rhymes that my classmates' websites pointed out. Many students’ websites talked about the economic anxiety of the Weimar era, from hyperinflation to mass unemployment, which caused people to lose the government's trust and become desperate for a savior. While in today's society, we are not in a complete economic collapse, we can see factors like wealth inequality and stress over inflation that are caused by the system and politics.
Those who try to draw a direct line between the US today and the Weimar Republic are oversimplifying complicated issues and missing key differences between our society now and then. But it makes sense that people try to make the comparison because they can see the mirroring aspects of these two times. They see that the mixture of political polarization, economic anxiety, and the resurgence of cultural disagreements is the same mix that led to the downfall of German democracy. As I found in my own project research, these "rhymes" are not a script of what is going to happen, but a warning of what can happen.
Peer Response
Originally posted by sunnydays on November 12, 2025 21:18
I think that history does rhyme because people's basic wants and needs never change. In Weimar Germany, the people turned to the Nazi Party because the loss of World War I and the Great Depression made them lose faith in their current party, the Social Democratic Party. This mirrors how in the United States, the Depression made the people turn from Herbert Hoover, a Republican, to Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat. During Weimar Germany, antisemitism rose because the poor people of Germany felt that the Jews were stealing wealth from them, and Hitler and the Nazi Party promised to help them become wealthy and powerful. This mirrors how, in modern day America, many poorer Americans are losing faith in the Democratic Party because they feel that it is ignoring them. They turn to Trump and the Republican Party because it promises to help them become wealthy and powerful. People's motivations lead them to similar actions, and, because of social psychological theories, some things always stay true: people are drawn to a charismatic leader. People hate to feel invisible and want to feel personally seen by their government. A common enemy draws people together. These patterns make history rhyme, seeming to repeat itself.
I don't think that there is a direct correlation between present-day America and Weimar Germany. For starters, we haven't just come off of a global war, which was a huge influence on the mood of Weimar Germany. However, there are many rhymes: an economic depression that is causing inflation, minority groups being targeted and villainized, and a political leader who seems to want to be an autocrat. Also, one party is having trouble listening to and appealing to the needs of all of the people, so many are turning to an opposing party. However, the American Constitution does not have an Article 48, so it is not quite as easy to become a dictator, and the American people are so incredibly polarized right now that it would be difficult for any one leader to crush the opposing factions. Maybe it's just the habit of people in the present to see their society as better than the societies of the past, but I think it's a little pessimistic to say that we are inevitably going to repeat the history of Weimar and possibly Nazi Germany.
I agree with many of your ideas about this idea of history repeating, and I appreciate your examples, which provide good evidence of your points. Bringing up historical events in the United States to support your claim, and using present day examples to further solidify your opinion as evident. However, I disagree with your point about a direct correlation between present day United States and the Weimar Republic. I think we have a lot in common, even though we haven’t just had a major war. I think the tension of war, whether it has already passed or is in front of you, can create similar environments. We are at a rough time where we are near another World War, and many people fear a war, and are angry at the government for putting us in this kind of position. That tension is similar to the environment post-war in Germany, where there was also fear, anger, and insecurity. I do appreciate the point you make about dictatorship in America versus Germany at the time, as it is important to realize that the environment might be similar but the outcome would be harder to achieve. I would like to hear more about your point at the end, where you bring in the Fundamental Attribution Error theory, since that would be an interesting point to focus on when discussing the possibility of our society becoming more like the Weimar Republic.