I don't count Belarus among Western Democracies.
>> The US dropped two nuclear bombs on a country that was ready to fight to the absolute death.
That's at least a misread of history. If you think we dropped those bombs to "end the war" then I encourage you to look up Japan's fear of a Soviet invasion and US concerns about that as well. The dropping of the bombs on Japan was a warning to the Soviets. It was commonly accepted that Japan would surrender, but our concern about the Soviet Union's occupation of a post-war Japan was the chief reason we dropped the bomb on Japanese cities.
FWIW, I didn't say we were as bad as Nazi Germany. I said the parallels were troubling. YMMV, but IMnsHO the differences between Nazi Germany and the US are one of degree only. If Trump is re-elected, who knows? We've already had torch carrying, swastika wearing brown shirts (or as our President refers to them, "very fine people") marching in our streets chanting "Jews will not replace us" and "Blood and soil." We have a US Attorney General recommending charging anyone who protests against these thugs and the policies they support with sedition. That doesn't sound to you like ending political opposition, just as the Nazis did? Trump has called anti-racism training programs "un-American" and sought to end racial sensitivity training for federal workers. I could go on, but you pay enough attention that I'm sure you'd have no trouble finding plenty of parallels.
I'm not saying the US is Germany 1934, but if Trump is re-elected, I would say we are a lot closer to Germany 1934 than many suspect. And I maintain that of the modern Western Democracies, the people of the US and UK have elected the worst governments Western Democracies have ever produced. Here we have a Cult of Personality that would make Stalin blush. Over there, you have a government flagrantly flouting international law. Even if you disagree that we are the worst, I cannot imagine anyone claiming that the US and UK are currently examples of the superiority of Western Democracy in achieving good government.
That's at least a misread of history. If you think we dropped those bombs to "end the war" then I encourage you to look up Japan's fear of a Soviet invasion and US concerns about that as well. The dropping of the bombs on Japan was a warning to the Soviets. It was commonly accepted that Japan would surrender, but our concern about the Soviet Union's occupation of a post-war Japan was the chief reason we dropped the bomb on Japanese cities.
FWIW, I didn't say we were as bad as Nazi Germany. I said the parallels were troubling. YMMV, but IMnsHO the differences between Nazi Germany and the US are one of degree only. If Trump is re-elected, who knows? We've already had torch carrying, swastika wearing brown shirts (or as our President refers to them, "very fine people") marching in our streets chanting "Jews will not replace us" and "Blood and soil." We have a US Attorney General recommending charging anyone who protests against these thugs and the policies they support with sedition. That doesn't sound to you like ending political opposition, just as the Nazis did? Trump has called anti-racism training programs "un-American" and sought to end racial sensitivity training for federal workers. I could go on, but you pay enough attention that I'm sure you'd have no trouble finding plenty of parallels.
I'm not saying the US is Germany 1934, but if Trump is re-elected, I would say we are a lot closer to Germany 1934 than many suspect. And I maintain that of the modern Western Democracies, the people of the US and UK have elected the worst governments Western Democracies have ever produced. Here we have a Cult of Personality that would make Stalin blush. Over there, you have a government flagrantly flouting international law. Even if you disagree that we are the worst, I cannot imagine anyone claiming that the US and UK are currently examples of the superiority of Western Democracy in achieving good government.