learntoquestion ltq discussions

Originally posted by chugjug on November 11, 2025 21:04

It is difficult to state one is directly similar to the other, but it is especially difficult to say that there are no similarities with the parliamentary system established during the Weimar Republic and the system of government and its state in the United States of America. While I noticed that many presentations I viewed skipped over this fact in their Political Chaos section, I believe that is important to mention that the left and right sides of the government were often divided into the Communists and the Liberals, and since the two sides could not decide on any topics, the government collapsed consistently. During the Republic, there were 20 cabinets within the fourteen year period. This often resulted in what was known as Article 48 being put into action and the president making direct actions and bypassing the parliament. This resulted in a weakened democracy from consistent usage, and highlights similarities within our current government and the state of it. Under the current Trump administration, we have experienced the longest shutdown in history from the Democrat and Republican parties’ inability to find common ground on issues and ideas regarding the budget for the following fiscal year. This represents a major similarity with the Weimar Republic where the consistent cycle of inability to seek a majority left the government in shambles. We can further see a similarity between the two by the consistent actions of courts ruling to utilize emergency powers and funding to provide support to communities in need that are affected by the shutdown. It is a terrible time for many Americans and it was a terrible time for the German people. Seeing this connection, even if it may seem slight, does signify that history does and will repeat itself, it is rather how we perceive it and learn from it that matters. We saw that the collapse of the government, as mentioned in my peer’s work, lead rise to the Nazi party and while our case is not as extreme, there is less trust in our Congress and government as we see what the current office is informing the public in regards to the matter.

The most compelling idea in this post is the parallel drawn between our government’s most recent shutdown and the stagnation of The Weimar, as it highlights that democratic systems can become vulnerable when one side is so disregarded that it becomes hard for the greater government to reach agreements. I do agree with it, as it has become harder for average citizens to feel represented during the shutdown, which we’ve seen highlighted in government workers as they have gone without pay. The notion about Article 48’s emergency powers authorizing emergency funding shows a meaningful pattern that I found particularly interesting. Promotes post talks about a lot of similar ideas, suggesting that, “past and present intertwine with each other, creating parallels between important occurrences similar, but not the same.” Personally, I disagree with the governmental comparison, as it is a stretch. The U.S. has certain protections that the Weimar didn’t, with a more established constitution that back the citizens more effectively. Even though the shutdown was a disappointing and scary period, saying that we’re on a path similar to Nazis seems a little outlandish.In this post, I would’ve analyzed more in depth why the Weimar was so poorly run that it fell apart beyond gridlock, especially in anti-democratic movements and the rise of Antisemitism. Also, making note that we must be warned of the potential rather than stating it is going to happen, as the Nazi party and its ideals are extremely frowned upon.

The United States, in its current state, is plagued with many of the same warning signs to fascism that existed in Weimar Germany. Recently it has felt as if each day the US inches closer towards a complete descent towards fascism. Looking at headlines, it feels almost impossible to not connect them to Weimar Germany. One clear example of this has been the attack on immigrants.

During Trump's campaign, the messaging was very clear, illegal immigrants are to blame for the poor job market and the increasing inflation. Project 2025, the planning document for Trump's second term in office, outlined the exact strategy the administration planned to use to carry out the mass deportation of illegal immigrants in America. This bears close similarities to the blame that was put on Jews during the Weimar period. Documents like the Protocols of The Elders of Zion along with constant anitsemitic caricatures, dehumanized Jews and spread false narratives about the Jewish people, blaming them for the suffering in Weimar Germany. When a government so clearly identifies a target, it is much easier to unify a large mass of people, and makes a country more susceptible to falling into a fascist regime.

During the collapse of democracy in Germany, there really wasn't any opposition to the Nazi party. Some argue that because there is an opposing party to the MAGA republicans, America isn't as susceptible to authoritarianism. I however, disagree with this. Trump's victory over Kamala was sweeping, he won in all possible branches of government, and installed his perfect administration. He has also proved time and time again that the judicial branch has no power to regulate the actions of the president. The Judicial branch was designed as an extremely important check for the president meant to limit the power of one person. Trump has shown us with his executive orders and complete dismissal of court cases, such as the ruling that he couldn't send the national guard into Oregon, that he completely dismissed, the judicial branch truly has no power to oppose the president. While there isn't a complete lack of opposition as there was in Weimar Germany, the disregard for checks and balances in the US is extremely concerning and is a step in the direction of complete authoritarianism.

The collapse of democracy in post WW1 Germany was near perfect. The Nazi party exploited fear and suffering and managed to destroy a democratic system in just 53 days. We ask ourselves, “does history rhyme" however we should really be asking ourselves if our current leaders are actually learning from this history and re-creating their practices. I have no doubt in my mind that the Trump administration has taken their notes.

Originally posted by Lark on November 12, 2025 16:04

Instead of History coincidentally rhyming because of the widespread information of news and knowledge people now choose to be ill-informed or hateful. Today there are many comparisons of the Nazi party to Trump and his MAGA followers with comparisons that will still continue long after Trump's reign and possibly long after our own lives. What is most talked about though and what people claim connects the Nazi to MAGA party is facism along with white supremacy making a “rhyme” but more likely a purposeful action. These things do intersect not by coincidence but because Trump is a man who idolizes Andrew Jackson, a dedicated racist and White supremacist. MAGA just like the Nazi’s are a far-right group who are extremely nationalistic, extremely authoritarian and want the suppression of opposition which falls right into place on the definition of facism. MAGA will follow Trump extremely cult-like and Nazi’s did the same to Hitler because they were extreme nationalists who wanted a strict social hierarchy and worshiped their leaders. These comparisons and beliefs aren’t just coincidental more than enough times have we seen throughout America and Europe as of right now these bold white supremacists are rising up with their main reasons being because of nationalism claiming, the immigrants or insert certain brown group is destroying the country and is taking up their houses and taking all the jobs all the while claiming to be the superior master race. This is the same thing that happened in Germany with anti-semitism being on the rise, anti-semitism was a historic thing that had been happening for a very long time and when things get extremely rough even though Jewish people actually faced the harshest brunt of the hyperinflation/famine they were the ones who got blamed. Although this isn’t exactly the same as white people who now put themselves based on a high podium on more of a variety of things like immigration, skin color they still judge on the same things like culture, facial features, blood, history and mass propaganda. MAGA folks know this and understand this quite well, some of these people are dumb they are doing this on purpose, they understand that white women take up a majority of SNAP/EBT benefits but will go after black women anyways. They also know who and what Hitler was and despite learning about him and diving into his work they at the end of the day will still claim in order to support their hateful rhetoric that, “Hitler was right”.

The most compelling idea in my peer’s post is the first line which reads “instead of history coincidentally rhyming because of widespread information news and knowledge people choose to be ill-informed or hateful”. I agree with this idea because many people in today’s culture are guilty of using their biases to cloud their judgement, and refuse to see a different perspective. Additionally, this idea is very interesting because it occurs way more frequently than people let on, and I would say most people want to deliberately choose to be ill-informed rather than informed completely. Specifically, in terms of the Israel-Palestine conflict, many use their critical view of the Israeli government, and group Jews into that same category of evil, which is a completely ignorant approach. Instead, people should be more open-minded, and understand that their view of the government doesn’t justify any antisemitism or prejudice towards Jews. On the other hand, I got a little lost when my peer started talking about MAGA and its connection to Hitler’s regime. With this being said, my peers can improve on clarity and getting their points across in a more organized way, as well as connecting more to the Weimar Republic itself. If I am interpreting it the way that my peer has intended it to be interpreted then I would say that the points made were relatively strong and logical.

Originally posted by pinkrose2 on November 12, 2025 19:13

Although history doesn’t repeat itself, as two moments will never be exactly the same, it does rhyme because of the common tendencies that humans share. Yes, events from the past do have similarities to the present, even if they aren’t identical because human behavior and specific social patterns are bound to reoccur. According to Theodor Reik, “ There are recurring cycles, ups and downs, but the course of events is essentially the same, with small variations. It has been said that history repeats itself. This is perhaps not quite correct; it merely rhymes”. I completely agree with his opinions because events are unique to their own selves to a certain extent. For example, some events are tied to specific time periods or conditions to that time, such as the American Revolution, would never repeat in the United States, one reason being there’s more than 13 colonies here now, and the U.S. is under the control of Great Britain anymore. Events are repeated, but may emerge in a different form. Specifically within the Weimar Republic, the hyperinflation period rhymes with today's inflation as prices are drastically rising , despite the Republic being on a much larger scale that the U.S has never matched. The Americans who ran and crowded the stores for toilet paper and stealing baby powder during the early stages of Covid, resemble the Germans who crowded the streets of Berlin to obtain low-stock demanded items, as well as an uprising in robberies and looting. On the other hand, Anti-Semitism is widely seen in current events, as the war between Palestine has heightened both Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, specifically there have been cases on Anti-Semitism that have been captured on the news in the U.S, such as stabbing Jewish officials, shootings, hate-speech/slurs, or vandalism.

Political chaos echoes in both the Weimar Republic and in the United States, as the abdication of Wilhelm II left the Germans without the monarchy, whereas the government shutdown was temporary but definitely caused a lot of problems. Both, very different, events raised uncertainty, lack of faith for the government, showcased the instability, and growing tensions that heightened racism and prejudices amongst different people. Conversely, Jews were a means for scapegoating in the republic, just as many minority groups today are blamed for certain things that are going on in life today, including but not limited to Jews. According to Julia and Lidia, “ The Weimar Republic then started to be recognized as the “Jew Republic”, further emphasizing how Germans thought that Jewish people were the cause of all their post WWI issues”. Again, when conditions aren’t optimal, there needs to be someone to take the fall for these subpar conditions, most likely it’s the minorities, or groups that are already not well-liked. However, according to another point that was made in their project, Julia and Lidia said that “ ‘The Agitator’, By George Grosz the jumbled figures, distorted shames. And crowded space represents how the German people felt in a society full of propaganda and rapid change.” This echoes in today’s society with the rising influence of social media. Social media not only promotes propaganda, but is propaganda to me. I don’t mean in the sense of lying or promoting lies, but in the way that they are both devices that are wired to communicate or sway people towards a specific objective/goal. They both either make people think one way, or a way that is starkly different.

On the contrary, with the Anti-Semitism occurring, it creates an us. vs. them mentality, which plays on the idea that in the Weimar Republic people were allotted the right to treat Jews badly because they are the “them”, or the reason for all the failures. Furthermore, with the prevalence of this prejudice, a lot of people tapped into the idea of mob mentality, “since a lot of people are acting this way in a large group, why would I not do the same?” It also plays on the idea of a charismatic leader, such as Hitler, as well as obedience theory. How far are Germans willing to take this? With growing resentments towards the unstable government, extremist groups, such as the Nazi Party, exploited the attraction felt by people who were desperate to be a part of something much stronger and more put together. Unfortunately, it also makes me think of the Armenian Genocide for the reason that the Young Turks sought for reforms and a better sense of government that couldn’t be achieved with Christian Armenians present, therefore they sought to exterminate or rid them to achieve what they wanted. Lastly, the Weimar Republic was met with deep political tensions and divisions, which rhymes with today's political parties, radical left or radical right. If you are a liberal, who is deeply political and passionate, you’re more than likely to view a conservative as an enemy, or binding their personality to their politics, and vice versa if you are a conservative. People are being reduced down to a label that represents their political party, which is fact is telling, but then also ignorant because for a lot of people, their personalities boil down to something much more than their political beliefs.

The most compelling part of my partner’s post is how clearly they illustrate Reik’s argument that “history doesn’t repeat itself - it merely rhymes,” specifically through comparing the instability of the Weimar era with present-day events. I agree with their main point that while historical circumstances shift, human reactions of fear, frustration, scapegoating, and the desire for control, tend to follow certain recurring patterns. This is interesting because they avoid simplistic parallels, focusing instead on the consistency of human behavior across time.

I also thought it was interesting how they tie in the Covid era and the rise in antisemitism/islamophobia. It effectively demonstrates how social fear and prejudice reemerge in moments of uncertainty. The connection to mob mentality and obedience theory adds a helpful psychological depth and relates well to themes other peers discussed, such as the propaganda’s influence and the societal pressures shaping extremist movements.

Compared to my own writing, which focused on economic instability and political fragility during the Weimar Republic, this post broadened my understanding of how social dynamics, such as scapegoating and collective fear, work together to break down democracy. One suggestion I have is to streamline some of the sections where multiple examples appear in the same paragraph. The strongest ideas could stand out more clearly through tightening those points. Also, clarification regarding the transition between historical comparisons and modern parallels could help with the flow of the writing. Overall, this post is well thought out, well supported, and offers great insight on connecting the past and the present.

Originally posted by jumpingfrog1635 on November 12, 2025 19:00

I believe that history can in fact rhyme. Obviously, we can point to certain moments in history and compare them, some with striking similarities, yet never exactly the same. But, factors such as economic instability, political collapses, and minority exploitation, all exhibited in the era of the Weimar Republic, can create this belief in history repeating itself. Therefore, there are plenty of events from the past that have great similarities to the present. In the US context, we see this with periods of economic instability, having both The Great Depression in the early 20th Century and the more recent 2008 Financial Crisis. Although resulting from different acts and again, not exactly the same, we see their similarities in the impact they had and the turmoil that resulted from them. In The Ghosts of the Weimar, we see a direct correlation between Weimar period ideologies and the later Nazi regime. In the context of political polarization and rejection, there is an evident striking similarity between the two. Notably, the Nazis are recognized and frowned upon for their exploitation, rejection, and scapegoating of the minority of Jews in Germany, killing millions in the process of World War II. If we point to a prior point in history, such as The Armenian Genocide in the 1910s, it is fair to assume how great of an influence past points in history can have in creating new ones, both good and bad.

The truth is that the US is imperfect, and there are certainly rhymes between the Weimar and the present day US. Like previously mentioned, the US has seen some significant points of economic struggle, yet so has the Weimar. As me and my partner discussed in our Economic Conditions portion of the Weimar Visual Essay, there was a point in 1922 where the people in Germany saw a period of extreme hyperinflation, as the Weimar Republic overprinted money in order to pay their soldiers and subsequently shrinking the value of all currency. This was extremely similar to The Great Depression, both in economic downfall, but also in political reliance and the decline of social mobility, as the majority of both populations grew extreme distrust in their government groups and their later decisions. Switching topics, there is another similarity in that of propaganda. The most common propaganda during the Weimar was political, specifically in misinformation and antisemitism towards the Jewish population. The US has seen much of the same throughout its own history, specifically in segregation in the south during the mid-20th Century, targeting the black population of the US. But now, all propaganda, beyond political, has been heightened in the rise of social media, separating society more than ever.

The most important part of this post is the argument that history rhymes due to the same problems recurring from a bad economy and a weak political system. This part is important because it explains how some conditions in society can cause similar problems in the future, even though the exact problems might be different.

Someone would agree with the post because problems in Weimar Germany such as inflation and the rise of propaganda closely mirrors current day inflation and the increase of political polarization and more misinformation spread online through social media. At the same, someone would disagree with the post because even though there has been high inflation and increased polarization, America is still the world’s largest economy and doesn’t have political coups planned to overthrow the government commonly occurring. In my opinion, I agree with the post because 2025 America is facing higher rates of inflation and political weakness than ever before in the past couple of decades.

The idea of history rhyming is interesting because it makes people see history not as a bunch of events that aren't connected to each other, but as how society behaves and evolves over time as problems occur. Someone that learns about history can recognize early warning signs of economic or political decline happening before it actually happens.

Originally posted by Steinbeck on November 14, 2025 08:42

The United States, in its current state, is plagued with many of the same warning signs to fascism that existed in Weimar Germany. Recently it has felt as if each day the US inches closer towards a complete descent towards fascism. Looking at headlines, it feels almost impossible to not connect them to Weimar Germany. One clear example of this has been the attack on immigrants.

During Trump's campaign, the messaging was very clear, illegal immigrants are to blame for the poor job market and the increasing inflation. Project 2025, the planning document for Trump's second term in office, outlined the exact strategy the administration planned to use to carry out the mass deportation of illegal immigrants in America. This bears close similarities to the blame that was put on Jews during the Weimar period. Documents like the Protocols of The Elders of Zion along with constant anitsemitic caricatures, dehumanized Jews and spread false narratives about the Jewish people, blaming them for the suffering in Weimar Germany. When a government so clearly identifies a target, it is much easier to unify a large mass of people, and makes a country more susceptible to falling into a fascist regime.

During the collapse of democracy in Germany, there really wasn't any opposition to the Nazi party. Some argue that because there is an opposing party to the MAGA republicans, America isn't as susceptible to authoritarianism. I however, disagree with this. Trump's victory over Kamala was sweeping, he won in all possible branches of government, and installed his perfect administration. He has also proved time and time again that the judicial branch has no power to regulate the actions of the president. The Judicial branch was designed as an extremely important check for the president meant to limit the power of one person. Trump has shown us with his executive orders and complete dismissal of court cases, such as the ruling that he couldn't send the national guard into Oregon, that he completely dismissed, the judicial branch truly has no power to oppose the president. While there isn't a complete lack of opposition as there was in Weimar Germany, the disregard for checks and balances in the US is extremely concerning and is a step in the direction of complete authoritarianism.

The collapse of democracy in post WW1 Germany was near perfect. The Nazi party exploited fear and suffering and managed to destroy a democratic system in just 53 days. We ask ourselves, “does history rhyme" however we should really be asking ourselves if our current leaders are actually learning from this history and re-creating their practices. I have no doubt in my mind that the Trump administration has taken their notes.

While I agree with the fact that the US has some similarities, I disagree with the fact the the Trump administration has taken ideas from the Nazi or Weimar Republic and have tried to implement them into their own administration. I think that, yes, the president has definitely over stepped boundaries pertaining to the national guard and deportation, but I wouldn't go as far as to say that America will soon turn to fascism. I think that the very fact that we have opposing parties to those in power is the very reason why the United States will never become entirely like the Weimar republic. I can see where you are coming from on the views on immigrants, but I feel it is a little extreme to compare them to. the jewish population during WWII, as the idea is that they have broken the law entering illegally, and could potentially be taking jobs from United States citizens. The most compelling part of this post is when said, "it is much easier to unify a large mass of people" and I very much agree with this. It is very prevalent today and we can see that on both sides of United States politics, but I believe it is much more noticeable coming from the MAGA movement on the right.

Originally posted by IrishPirate21 on November 12, 2025 17:49

Theodor Reik’s claim that “history merely rhymes,” makes note of the familiarity between the Weimar Republic’s collapse and today’s world. Due to the devastation of World War I, Germany’s democracy struggled through humiliation, social division, and debt. The “stab-in-the-back” myth that blamed social democrats and Jews for the nation’s defeat leaving the confused citizens angry, like how misinformation tends to spread online today. Sebastian Haffner, a German journalist, recalled when he was 11, discovering the armistice terms to make “his entire inner world collapse” (Defying Hitler: A Memoir). The sense of betrayal towards the masses was utilized by the extremist voices to harm them, just as disillusionment is utilized in political and economical systems.

Economic instability was a major factor in Weimar’s fall in that hyperinflation in 1924 wiped out savings overnight. In addition, Sebastian Haffner also notes “a pound of potatoes which yesterday had cost fifty thousand marks now cost a hundred thousand” (Defying Hitler: A Memoir) further destroying faith in the democracy’s ability to give stability and security to citizens. Today, widening economic inequality creates a similar resentment where SNAP benefits have been put to a halt as of recently, putting many that rely on it uncertain and at a loss of food security. Additionally, across the U.S. and Europe, working-class citizens feel the need to turn to a figure of authority that will listen to their needs and respond to the crises due to feeling abandoned by elites, echoing the emotional interests that led to the rise of the Nazi Party. Rhetorics like the proclaimed “Make America Great Again” in the U.S. reflect the desire to restore national pride in the Weimar Republic as well.

The manipulation of reality and truth also rhymes throughout time. During the Weimar period, pieces of propaganda such as Der Stürmer worked to spread antisemetic lies and blamed the Jewish people for Germany’s decline. In today's world, misinformation often is also spread through forms of social media that give a sense of falsehood, distorting the public discussions and thought as Der Stürmer strived to do. Both of these eras reveal how the media, no matter the time period, can easily overpower facts when there is a lack of trust in institutions due to fear.

Reik’s statement still remains true, as history rhymes through the human tendency of fear, a search for belonging and division. The Weimar Republic serves as a warning that democracy fades away through separate terms of truth. In recognizing the rhymes between past and present, we ensure that the next course of history doesn’t become a tragedy.

I agree almost entirely with what is being said. I too made mentions about how the current or previous weeks were filled with uncertainty about the future for families and individuals that relied on food stamps and snap benefits to make ends meet and I do believe it reflects similarities to the same political tensions of the Weimar Republic. I agree that there are these strong feelings towards SNAP that I feel are misdirected, not by the writer of this, but by the general public. There is a constant idea that people enrolled in SNAP benefits are lazy and benefiting from our tax dollars but people who rely on SNAP live all around us, in schools, at our jobs, and on our transportation routes. I think that the way people perceive food assistance programs has become increasingly negative in the many spaces of our lives especially in this current climate, and the instability of the Weimar Republic, while more severe, could be seen as similar to how our current low income Americans felt. I believe that misinformation is a large driving factor in how people perceive SNAP and how people perceive who the fault of the government lies. The republicans hold majority in all branches of government, meaning that the budget was really, at the fault of them and there is much misinformation spread that SNAP lets people buy anything and everything. As a former SNAP benefits user, you cannot buy everything or anything. The misinformation is harmful.

Originally posted by pink on November 11, 2025 12:55

LTQ Post 4: Reflections on the failure of the Weimar Republic

Theodor Reik once said that “history does not repeat itself it merely rhymes” I think this means that whole events don't happen in exactly the same way the same kinds of patterns and emotions show up again. People's fears, hopes and reactions seem to be similar over time even if there are small changes.

When studying the Weimar Republic I saw how political division, economic stability and people not being able to trust the government came together to destroy democracy from the inside out. In my visual essay me and my partner focused on how propaganda and public frustration helped extremist groups gain influence. My classmate's essay showed an idea that was similar where anger and fake news spread faster than the truth. Those ideas are really connected to how people today sometimes lose faith in democratic systems when life feels uncertain and unfair. Looking at modern time I do believe that history “rhymes” with Weimar Germany in some ways. In the United States we have seen political polarization rising, misinformation through the media, and people questioning election results which are events that all occurred during the Weimar years. The difference is that our democracy is older and more established and our institutions are stronger. But still the patterns of frustration, fear, and distrust are similar. It shows us a reminder that even stable democracies are not exempt from being divided or manipulated. At the same time I understand why some people think the comparison is not a fair one. Not every instance of political tension means that the 1930s are being repeated, but I think that people make that comparison because they want to learn from history before it is too late. The Weimar Republic shows how democracy can become very weak very fast when people stop believing in it or start to see others as enemies rather than their fellow citizens.

Theodor Reik's ideas make sense to me because it helped explain how history can be repeated without being an exact copy of itself. The Weimar Republic and today's worlds are not the same story but have the same aspects or as Reik would explain the same rhythm. By being able to pick up on those rhymes it reminds ourselves that democracy depends on the ordinary people in our everyday lives that care enough to protect it.

The most compelling argument in my peer’s post is that although the Weimar Republic and the US are similar, as a result of polarization and the spread of misinformation and disinformation, they are fundamentally different in other ways. These include the fact that the US is not a new democracy and is structurally more stable than the Weimar Republic ever was. Another interesting idea was about how though people often compare different events from history with the modern day with good intentions, not wanting to repeat the past, these kinds of comparisons often aren't always helpful or truthful to making progress. This is very similar to what I wrote about in my own post. One other particular idea that I like is that although different and distinct events happen throughout history, the kinds of emotions people experience have closer similarities. This can help people more easily see repetitions throughout history without drawing overly close similarities to any event in particular. I think that overall, my peer’s response was very well put together and was easy to follow. However, I wish that they expanded more upon their analysis of Theodor Reik’s quote, as that paragraph seemed a little bit short to me.

Originally posted by greywatch on November 12, 2025 20:37

I think history does in fact rhyme. For example women's rights and feminism show signs of history repeating itself. In the first waves of feminism women were fighting for the right to vote and to work or maintain their jobs after the war had ended. They wanted the same rights as men and a say in their government that had a large effect on their lives. In the more recent years, women have been fighting for reproductive rights and the right to equal pay. Their goals haven’t changed much, they still want a say in what happens to their bodies and their lives, as well as the same opportunities as men, including equal pay. This is an example of something that parallels quite well but an example of a parallel that is not as obvious are the Japanese internment camps in America following pearl harbor and the Cold war. This parallels the relocation of races and ethnic groups due to insufficiently supported accusations. The Japanese Americans and citizens were taken out of their homes and forced to stay in inadequate housing and overall carry out a low quality of life. Although quite harmful to the Japanese people living in America, this is not at all the same as the genocide of the Jews during the holocaust.

I can identify a rhyme others may agree with which is the parallels between Adolf hitler and Donald Trump. Both have been called fascist and have been accused or obviously guilty of discriminating based on race or on other minorities. Hitler was infamous for being prejudiced against Jewish people, those with disabilities and homosexual people as well. Donald Trump has made insensitive remarks about people of color, educated people, and people of his own territories namely Puerto Rico.

While reviewing the visual essay of my peers I noticed some interesting ideas that I didn’t initially think of. They used personal stories and first person accounts as well as a video to explain the antisemitism in the Weimar Republic. They also depicted the political chaos through examples in art work. Specifically there was a graph that showed the amount of people that voted during those years and what demographic of people they voted for. In our project specifically I emphasized the way the economic status of the country had a negative effect on the people. They were in despair and desperate. They longed for a sense of belonging that wasn’t available without working. This made them increasingly susceptible to the pressures of the Nazi regime because they were hopeless.

I liked how this post did not only show rhymes and parallels to the Weimar Republic, but to other historical events and movements, like different waves of feminism. However, I do think this example of feminism is not fully history rhyming but an event that is ongoing and started before our time. Specific aspects or events of feminism, like fighting for reproductive rights the first time in the US and then again recently could be a parallel, but not feminism as a whole. I also found it intriguing that this response said how certain events did not parallel others, like Japanese internment camps versus concentration camps during the holocaust. I approached this question as proving how history can rhyme, but didn’t consider how history could have events that may sound similar, but are truly different. Also this person’s connection/parallels with different figures rather than events was another perspective I didn’t consider. In my post, I also touched upon the economic impacts of the Weimar republic, but I delved deeper into how that was a rhyme in history. Though this person did a great job at expressing how history may or may not rhyme, I think they could have made more connections with the Weimar republic, and how the Weimar republic is an example of history “rhyming.” Just connecting back the reflection on the project to the overarching question of how/if history rhymes would make this response stronger and more insightful.

Originally posted by Champ on November 13, 2025 10:31

History rhymes with certain patterns and characteristics that repeat and ripple throughout time and society. Meaning that human nature drives the movements of countries, when something happens we are bound to react in a certain way. Regardless of the certain, specific circumstances of something, we can perceive what the reaction will be, especially within the context of history.

I believe that everyone can agree that genocides are horrific, inconsolable acts of violence that can only have little to no justification. However, they seem to be much more common then what we think, and when one is happening in real time, often no one does anything to stop it. When we discuss the characteristics and effects of genocides, we can teach people to recognize the pattern, and the rhyme to see that something is happening before its too late. Hitler’s famous quote “Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?” is a perfect example of this. There are endless patterns between the start of the Ottomans genocide on Armenians and Nazi Germany’s genocide on Jews, specifically in the perceived fall of both the Ottoman and German empire, but the fact that there was little to no accountability or reporting on the “annihilation” gave justification for Nazi Germany to do what they did.

In present day America, I think the main resemblance between the Weimar Republic, is that throughout the past several years there has been a slow decline in patriotic, traditional values that has caused the U.S. to seem less powerful then it was. This phenomenon seems to be caused by the response to the war on terror, the economic blow of the late 2000s, and the increasing debates on immigration, and has lead to the fragmentation of U.S. politics. All of these characteristics were apart of the fall of the Weimar Republic, and both have caused a chain of events, leading to widespread mistrust in the government, dehumanization of immigrants and all POC, sectional and political division in both Germany and the U.S..

Although the specifics are, of course, not entirely the same, the similarities are undeniable and cause much concern for the future of our democracy. I believe when certain things in history start to ‘rhyme’ it is the peoples obligation to not only notice the patterns, but act on them. Accountability of the past means little if we can not learn from it for the future.

Reading this, the most compelling thing for me is the idea that a decline in patriotism is a rhyme between modern-day America and the Weimar Republic. It is an example which I had not thought of before but definitely makes sense, especially as creates a breeding ground for parties which attempt to rebuild this sense of nationalism (ex. the nazis, the republicans)

→ this is not to say that republicans are nazis, but just to point out the similarity in their efforts

to rebuild the esteem of their countries

Another aspect of this which ‘champ’ approached in a different way than I did is the understanding of ‘how history rhymes. I think that their concept that our reactions are predetermined is interesting as I would agree it is human actions and not actual events that cause these rhymes, but would disagree with them in the aspect that they are predetermined, instead arguing that humans merely learn from what they are exposed to. It is similar to the idea that racism is learned, and the paradox that if children are not exposed to it then they will not learn it and thus not repeat it, but if they are not exposed to it then they will not understand the harm and could repeat it.

Finally, some general notes. I like the writing, though there are some spelling issues which could be fixed by running spell-check. The larger issue that I have with this post is the fact that I feel they do not fully flesh out their ideas, mentioning that the decline in patriotism is a rhyme with the Weimar Republic but then not actually explaining how or why this supports their ideas and definition of a rhyme in history.