more reader comments on the Guardian article
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Nazis, communists, or fascists appeal at most to 30 - 40 % of the population. They wouldn't get an absolute majority in a functional democracy. Hitler never got such a majority in a free election; he gained power through flaws in the political system and a rigged referendum (sounds familiar?).
Any political system that allows a party to gain an absolute majority on a minority of the vote is in danger of being taken over by extremists. In this regard, the UK and the US, with their FPTP system, are accidents waiting to happen.
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Agree completely, especially about the voting systems in the UK and US - both completely out of date and undemocratic.
Having investigated numerous industrial safety incidents etc., over the years I've come to the conclusion that many of the dramatic things that one sees are what I would call 'Black Swan' events, i.e. they come out of nowhere and bite you on the bum.
It's only when you review the incident that you think, 'well, that was obvious.' It's the same with fascism, one saw the signs, ignored them, ignored them again and then 1933, or in the case of the US, 2016 and again in 2019. The signs were there and were ignored.
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And yet the history of Athenian democracy suggests that in free votes an absolute majority will support violently radical and morally reprehensible proposals at times of crisis / panic.
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In relation to Blaskowitz it sounds like an example of the Creeps, Cynics and Crazies theory of organisations. The Creeps get control by telling the Crazies (who are always in the majority) what they want to hear, but it's the Cynics who make an organisation run. The trouble is that the Crazies' support for the Creeps limits the Cynics' ability to stop the Creeps.
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