The candytuft is blooming again, doing its annual thing. This plant was in the garden when we moved here, an astonishing 10 years ago, and it has held its own even though we've surrounded it with asters and a big lavender, and several dandelions have moved in too. It's durable!
Yesterday was an indoor kind of day. It was raining all morning, and it was chilly. I took the dog out at 3:30 p.m. and it was 48º F (or 9º C). I made the mistake of leaving the house in shorts and a sweatshirt and fortunately the dog didn't want to go far or I would have suffered hypothermia. I habitually under-dress for cold weather; I think it has something to do with growing up in Florida. I've never been good at warm clothing.
We walked past the traffic island where I left the abandoned road sign. The junk is gone, but the sign is still there. Mickey and Minnie have moved on, hopefully to a new home.
Here's a quick video of the rain in the garden. If you forget about the chilly temperatures it looks and sounds quite idyllic:
April showers bring May flowers, right? According to the forecasters the weather is supposed to warm up soon. I'd love to sit outside and I know Olga wants to lie in the sun.
I spent most of the day reading "Prequel," Rachel Maddow's book about the American flirtation with fascism in the years leading up to World War II. We like to pretend that we all opposed Hitler from the beginning with all our might, but the fact is, there were plenty of people -- even within our government -- who admired Hitler and wished for a similarly draconian strongman for our own country. Hitler had the backing of some religious conservatives who saw him as a defender of Christianity, much as Putin is seen now by the ardent right. So many of these people spouted the same poisonous anti-semitism that we hear today, about government having been hijacked by "internationalists" (now they say "globalists"), communists and Bolsheviks, which are all code words for Jews. And of course there's the same claptrap about how Hollywood and the media are controlled by those interests.
I swear, reading the beliefs of these right-wingers from 85 years ago is just like perusing the reader comments at The Gateway Pundit. (Which I don't recommend anyone do.) Among a certain segment of our population, nothing has changed. Where do these people come from, and why don't they evolve?
Maddow hasn't mentioned modern politics in her book; she's never uttered the names Trump or Putin or spoken of anything going on now. But she's clearly showing that many of the forces that were at work in our government and public life then are still with us today. We overcame them once -- can we do it again?
That's the question.
28 comments:
I love your garden. I will never understand politics or why people hate Jews. I know a few Jewish families and they are lovely people.
One has to look at the measures placed upon Germany by the Allies at the end of WW1 in the Treaty of Versailles. The measures were set to bankrupt Germany and give them what was seen at the time as no chance of recovery. Hitler rose to power on the back of fighting back against the Allies. The Treaty was so brutal that it led to what happened next, the rise of Hitler and WW2.
I hope and believe that America will give Trump his marching orders in the forthcoming presidential election but of course that does not mean that the right wing will therefore be slain for good. Trump has emboldened them and their presence will remain obvious and unsavoury.
I can’t believe the question needs to be asked again (and still). The history of the country pre-WWII is surprising. I only recently read about the power of the fascist movement in the US at that time.
I have been watching the PBS America history series about this. It was very interesting the first time I saw it.....but now it looks like history is repeating..and it is scary.
Thanks for the rain video. I'd forgotten what it looked like.
Prequel is brilliant, very eye opening and scary. I did know plenty of people in the UK supported Hitler, largely the aristos. The Cliveden Set, many of the Royal family. They approved his policy toward Jews. Edward VIII hoped to be crowned by Hitler once he'd conquered England. Once he was in decline they suddenly went all quiet. There's an interesting book on the royals, covering their power over law and their huge finances, Norman Baker's And What do You Do? Worth a look. He was an MP and cabinet minister, an insider.
We watched a documentary a few months back on America as Hitler came to power and it was disconcerting, no, disgusting, to see the anti-Semitism in this country.
Things don't change, it seems, because we never learn.
Your garden is lovely and peaceful, the world, not so much. Why don't we learn as a species?
You really have a lovely secret garden back there, Steve. How peaceful!
Gz is right. We watched this as well. As it is said, there is nothing new under the sun. The rain in your garden sounds beautiful.
I'm glad you're reading Prequel and really appreciated your thoughtful review. It should be required reading for everyone in these scary days, I think. It's frightening to realize how close we came. Should we thank Japan for bombing Pearl Harbor because that's what turned the tide and tamped that down. Well, at least somewhat.
Your garden video is lovely. I noticed something fluttering down and wondered if it was rain or petals -- it was hard to tell but the stones on the path didn't look wet. It's a stunner.
Have a terrific week!
As someone who reads a lot of history, especially U.S. history, nearly everything modern has examples that can be found going back through time every two or three generations. I think as a human species, we are doomed to keep repeating the same mistakes over and over throughout our future, until eventually it does us in at some point.
Your garden is so lovely - definitely an oasis of calm in a crazy world.
I'm on the opposite end for outdoor clothing. we over dress and then can take off layers. Sounds like a fascinating book to read.
Your garden is a joy. It really is.
"Why don't they evolve?" It's like humans are stuck in patterns of behavior. I don't have a great deal of respect for our species in general. We are capable of such love and creative ability and yet...
Loved the video. It does look idyllic. It doesn't even hint at the chill in the air.
I wish I could answer your question about that certain segment of society. It seems like it has always existed. We seem to go through these cycles over and over again.
Ms. Maddow is a thorough and compelling researcher/writer/reporter, Prequel should be compulsory reading for anyone living in this country. Not that gathering knowledge leads to wisdom but the knowing of history and the repeat might give some a foundation , instead of shoot from the hip emotion.
The weather WILL indeed warm up soon! I am not a warm weather woman- I sort of balance your yearning.
We did it before and we will do it again. History does repeat itself. The angst is still there as history is made. The warm weather is slow to come. That said, I'm not asking for 90-100 degree F weather. 70-85 is about just right. It does seem you could benefit from a light weight windproof/waterproof jacket with a hood that can be tucked away inside the collar when not needed. Consider a Filson. They were made as hunting jackets but I tell you, I wear mine year around in all kinds of weather. The quality is second to none and it will wear forever.
you do have a lovely garden. I think, desperately hope, that we will defeat them again in this coming election but like they say about Trump if he gets elected again, they are better prepared this time.
oh, and I had to laugh at the junk being gone but the sign still there.
Good Vs Evil is an eternal battle. Americans were tired of war, having lost 60,000 soldiers WW1. There were 325,000 American soldiers in the war. Then the Spanish Flu took millions of people, incl. soldiers. So, the soldiers who survived the fighting were taken by the Flu. So the WW2 looming was opposed. Hitler was indescribably evil, causing the deaths of 6 million Jews and undesirable Germans. There is no evidence of Christianity in his regime and those who pushed that narrative. Extremists (liberal and conservatives) have a self important point of view. For us to deny our assistance to Israel is unconscionable. Advocating the view to sweep Jews from the river to the sea is vile. Who is the villain?
Certainly the treatment of Germany after WW1 was unnecessarily brutal, and had a lot to do with the ensuing hyperinflation and subsequent rise of Hitler and the National Socialists.
I have two books on my TBR from that time period, one fiction and one non-fiction. I need to bump them up to the top.
Your video is so peaceful. I bet you have the loveliest garden in the entire neighborhood!
Seeing your yard brings tears to my eyes as I gaze around mine and see the rocks and gravel. Your gardening work over the years has created an edenic masterpiece.
Beautiful back yard! We're getting lots of rain right now too. Everything is green at least. :) I am heartsick and torn about what's happening in the world right now.
River: Anti-semitism has never made any sense to me either.
Rachel: Well, that's all true, but it doesn't explain the appeal of Hitler to right-wing communities in the USA.
YP: I hope when Trump finally leaves the world stage much of his cult of personality will disappear, rather than attaching to the next peddler of insane bigotry.
Mitchell: I know! How did I not learn all of this in history class?!
GZ: It's like we never learn!
Tasker: Ha!
Boud: I've heard of that book. I will check it out. I guess it's not too surprising that the royals might have German sympathies, given their heritage.
Bob: It is shocking, isn't it? And so much of it was right out in the open in those years. Now it's mostly underground but it's still there.
Pixie: Thank goodness for the garden! It keeps me sane.
Ellen D: It's remarkable that we're in a city, isn't it?!
Debby: I think I need to find this series!
Jeanie: I think what you saw falling was definitely rain. The stones were wet even if they didn't look it!
Ed: It is amazing how history runs in cycles.
Bug: I don't know what we'd do if we didn't have a garden.
Red: Well, that's the RIGHT way to do it! But you've lived all your life in cold places, so you know that.
Ms Moon: It really is frustrating that despite all our education and resources we get so easily drawn into cockamamie conspiracies and racist/discriminatory behavior.
Sharon: It LOOKS much warmer than it actually was!
Linda Sue: I'm not a HOT weather person, but I am definitely ready for some balmy temperatures.
Susan: Thanks for the jacket recommendation! I do have a puffy jacket that packs down into a small pillow, which is good when I have a bag -- but I often don't carry a bag. (Like when I walk the dog!)
Ellen: And Trump is so stupid, all the right-wingers have to do is flatter him and he'll do anything. That sign is going to hang around forever!
Susan K: It must have been a hellish time to be alive, with those gigantic wars, the Depression and Spanish flu all within a few decades. I agree we owe Israel, our ally, support. No question!
Will: That is definitely true, but as I said to Rachel, I don't see how that translates into support for Hitler and fascism among certain groups in the USA. (The same people admired Franco.)
Kelly: I like our garden because we keep it a bit shaggy. We don't try to make it super-manicured, like our next-door neighbor. Hers is trimmed within an inch of its life.
Catalyst: Well, you get the benefit of all those sunny days, so it's a trade-off. :)
Margaret: You know, we can only do the best we can to further justice. Whether that means voting the right way or donating money or whatever, we all have a role to play. That helps me cope, feeling like I'm doing something, even if I'm not a decision-maker.
I was merely stating some history surrounding the rise of Hitler.
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