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Some decades ago, the first two manufactured home communities that I lived in where quite basic. There were the streets, homesites, utilities, and the manufactured homes themselves. For first-time readers, it may be useful for me to mention that I’ve owned and lived in several of the various types of housing available in America. There were conventional ‘site-built’ houses, apartments, a duplex, studio (think tiny-house), townhouses, one mobile home, and several manufactured homes. That said, what does any of that have to do with Nuremberg? A loyal Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) member, Any Gedo said it well. Gedo said the following as part of an online debate about the association and industry. Quote: “a highly concentrated industry needs [contrarians or devil’s advocates] this.” While Gedo pointed to the notion of looking to other industries, it can also be useful to pointing to other countries and historic experiences too.
For the next few minutes, we will focus on something that occurred after the end of World War II in Nuremberg, Germany. At the Nuremberg Trial, a group of over twenty of the top National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi) officials and leaders in military, governmental, and quasi-civilian capacities were brought together for trial by the four major allied powers involved in the European part of the war.
As left-leaning Wikipedia puts it, “The Nuremberg trials (German: Nürnberger Prozesse) were a series of military tribunals held after World War II by the Allied forces under international law and the laws of war. The trials were most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, judicial, and economic leadership of Nazi Germany, who planned, carried out, or otherwise participated in the Holocaust and other war crimes. The trials were held in Nuremberg, Germany, and their decisions marked a turning point between classical and contemporary international law.”
Here is a snapshot of Nuremberg from the History Channel. Note, that some dispute if Hitler died in Germany by suicide, which is the view that most hold, or if he escaped to Argentina, the minority view. Note too that it is common for some to label the Nazis as “conservatives,” but as their name clearly stated, the Nazis were national socialists. That name was to distinguish themselves from international socialists.
A trial of medical doctors is shown in this brief period video clip from Reuters. This trial occurred separate from the main trial of Nazi leaders. That merits its own topic another time, but we will note for now that some crimes they were tried for then have occurred in other countries since then as well.
Why ponder Nuremberg? The National World War II Museum states: “The first international war crimes tribunal in history revealed the true extent of German atrocities and held some of the most prominent Nazis accountable for their crimes.” The “extensive effort to spread information about the Holocaust and German war crimes was necessary because most Germans either denied ever supporting the Nazi Party or echoed the common refrain that “wir konnten nichts tun” (we could do nothing) when presented with a list of German atrocities.”
In the U.S., Canada, and so-called Western nations around the globe, a troubling reality exists. The war crimes tribunal at Nuremberg we’re supposed to squelch the notion that such monstrosities that occurred under the socialist Nazis would ever occur again. But let’s be candid and politically incorrect. The Soviets were no saints. In the full length dramatically told movie about Nuremberg posted below, my wife and I did not see one mention of the period when Germany made a deal with the Soviets and then invade Poland.
Yes, the Nazis and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR, a.k.a. Soviet Union, Bolsheviks or Communists) were allies for a time before they became enemies. Furthermore, there was no mention in that movie of Nazi or Communist sympathizers in the U.S. or England before World War II broke out. To be ignorant of basic history is one of the failings of ‘modern education.’ That’s not a slam on teachers. It is a slam on those that give teachers the curriculum – the subjects and how those subjects are taught.
That said, no one article (this one included) and no one movie will cover everything – especially in as big a topic as the horrors of that era.
The movie above covers the run-up and the trial of the major war criminals. It is well-crafted, which means it is incredibly troubling when it comes to understanding National Socialism in Adolf Hitler’s Germany. But even at nearly three hours in length, it is incomplete. There was blood on the hands of each of the Allies, not just the Nazis. Horrible things occurred in the aftermath of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. There were some American fingerprints on events in Russia as it morphed into the Communist Party-led Soviet Union (USSR, et al). There were some American big business fingerprints on events in what happened as the post World War I Weimar German Republic succumbed to the schemes of Adolf Hitler and the propaganda machine of the Nazi Party. See movie and the illustration below as but two examples.
There are few things that certain people in big business like more than monopoly power. That is a clear, if vexing, part of the historic record.
It does no thinking adult any good to turn away from the evidence, facts, and the logical truth. That was part of what made the rise of Hitler possible. People who looked the other way. Looking the other way may communism in Russia and China possible too. Decades of bad political decisions in the U.S. fostered those past events, and led us to this moment in time now.
Communists in post World War II China committed horrible acts. Tens of millions of Chinese citizens died at the hands of their own government. Millions died in the aftermath of the Bolshevik Revolution too. It is said that winners write history. There is some truth to that, but thankfully there are other accounts besides those who took power in Russia, China, or Nazi Germany. So while the Nazis or Bolsheviks ‘won’ for a time, years later they finally lost. For those downhearted about our current ills, it is useful to keep in mind that with proper effort and dedication good can triumph over evil.
Among our friends and colleagues are Jews. When one ponders the Holocaust through Jewish eyes, it is entirely understandable that they wanted their own nation. After WW II, Israel was born – it is just mentioned for now – because Nuremberg exposed for the world to see just how monstrous people could be, even to their own neighbors. The Jews wanted part of their ancestral homeland back. In their shoes, how would you feel?
But these historic lessons should not be reserved only to Jews.
Hitler, the Bolsheviks-turned-Communists in Russia, and the Maoist Communists in China each made their respective peoples certain promises. Those promises were backed up by years of propaganda. The propaganda methods included paltering (a mix of truth, half-truth, and deception) and outright lies. The Big Lie methods were used in Russia, in China, and in Germany too.
But those big lie methods have sadly also been at play in the U.S., Canada, Australia, England, France, and beyond. Venezuela became socialist only after years of seductive propaganda. It is always about false promises. The promises always sound ‘good’ until the ugly truth is revealed.
What does this have to do with manufactured housing or affordable housing in America? Plenty. There is routinely a coalition of moneyed interests that work with politicos in order to get their agenda, which is routinely power. After big money comes, the thirst for power power sometimes follows.
Because there are troubling lessons in human nature that must be learned from Nuremberg and the other cases mentioned. In the movie posted above, one scene from it has an American psychologist who was Jewish serving the Allies at the Nazi war crimes trial. That psychologist is seeking to understand and then explain what he learned from talking to those Nazi leaders before and during the trial. He wanted to understand – how could ‘civilized’ people do such things?
- Part of his explanation was the willingness to obey. To blindly follow orders without question.
- Another part was a willingness to turn a blind eye. A lack of empathy to what was happening to others.
- Another takeaway from the movie is that the lies and seduction of of the German people occurred in subtle stages.
Yes, there are good things happening in manufactured homes and in many manufactured home communities across the country. For first-time readers who happen to start with this article, please read the one linked here next, so you will not get a false notion. But you should also read the others linked herein too. There is nowhere else that you will find a serious attempt to provide a balanced view of the good, the bad, and the ugly — all with the hope that the good can be spread, and the evil limited and hopefully minimized or ended.
Segue aside, in Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia, and Communist China, massive rationalization occurred. People justified their behavior. Or they justified looking the other way…
Why this article? Because many are turning a blind eye to what is occurring in hundreds of communities across the country.
Propaganda can be subtle. It may be masked as ‘good deeds,’ and yes, some may seem to benefit. But meanwhile, many are suffering. So, what about the great harm being done that is being masked by some ‘good deed?’ The more someone pulls at the veil that hides the arguably ugly truths behind some of the big firms that seek to dominate our profession, the more evidence arises. Those facts and evidence must be put into a context so that it is understandable.
So, this is not just a problem of manufactured home communities. Affordable housing has been under assault in America for decades. It is time that We the People woke up, looked around, and looked back to see how we got to this troubling point in time.
Minneapolis Federal Reserve Senior Economist James A. “Jim” Schmitz Jr and his colleagues have said that monopolies are harmful to lower and middle class people. Monopolies do not form without some level of tacit and/or active support or collusion with public officials.
Power corrupts. “The love of money is the root of all evil,” says 1 Timothy 6:10. Note that it is not money, but the inordinate love of money that is evil.
As America was coming of age, there were revolutions in Europe too. The French Revolution was quite different than the American Revolution. We won’t go into that today. But suffice it to say for now that the Jacobins made some false promises and deployed propaganda of their own.
We must not allow the powerful in this country to keep the upper hand. They are vastly outnumbered. Yes, they hold money, much of the media, big tech, and several – but not all – of the key levers of power in their hands. It is pro-Democratic voices that are sounding the alarm against other Democrats and their RINO allies. Our industry is just one of several that Schmitz and his colleagues have specifically and repeatedly warn others about what is occurring and how it is harmful to the nation, not just millions.
A high degree of skepticism must be used to discern the lies, because they are so commonplace.
Naturally, the links are placed here so that you will check each of them out.
But if you only had time to click one link right now among all of those shown in this report, please click the one linked below. In just about 500 words, that sums up and hot-links the evidence and fact-pattern of the true picture of how we got to this troubling point in American life. As important, it also points the direction to how we can begin to successfully challenge and change a rigged system.
On our MHProNews sister site, we have published well over 20,000 articles. Here, on MHLivingNews, we publish about once weekly. Why Nuremberg? Why now? Because as the son of first-generation immigrants from once Nazi ruled Hungary, my parents told my siblings and me about the horrors of Socialism and Communism from firsthand experience.
Please believe me, we do not want this in the U.S. or anywhere else. There is too much of this in our world already. We must draw the line in the sand and say ‘no more’.
Watch that movie, it is imperfect and long, but useful and well-told. It has some very, very, troubling footage from the concentration camps in it. The movie mentions that we had internment camps in the U.S. during World War II. That is quite so. And that is one more reason that we should not think that it could never happen in the United States of America.
The evidence linked above and here suggests that there has been a tapestry of lies that have been aimed at the American people for decades. Some are profiting wildly from these lies. There is not going to be some other nation that will come to our rescue. It is up to us, no one from the outside will do it for us. There have been decades of warnings, but now we are where we are.
Not properly mentioned in that the Nuremberg movie is the role that believers played in trying to stop the Nazis. People of faith helped millions survive who would otherwise have died. My parents were among those who helped others, including Jews, who might have starved to death.
There is work to do.
Ora et Labora. Prayer and work. We must pray like it all depends on God, and then we must work like it all depends on us.
Part of the work is educating our neighbors. That can begin by sharing articles and videos like this one. May God help the USA, and people of good will in the nations around the world.
The murderous liars tried and hanged at Nuremberg often began their deadly deeds years earlier wearing nice civilian clothes or various uniforms. They smiled. They made dramatic speeches. They made lots and lots of promises. The Nazis head scores of bold, smooth liars.
Such liars are walking free in our society today. They must not be allowed to succeed here.
That’s a wrap on this installment of “News through the lens of manufactured homes and factory-built housing” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” © ## (Affordable housing, manufactured homes, reports, fact-checks, analysis, and commentary. Third-party images or content are provided under fair use guidelines for media.) (See Related Reports, further below. Text/image boxes often are hot-linked to other reports that can be access by clicking on them.)
By L.A. “Tony” Kovach – for MHLivingNews.com.
Tony earned a journalism scholarship and earned numerous awards in history and in manufactured housing. For example, he earned the prestigious Lottinville Award in history from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied history and business management. He’s a managing member and co-founder of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com. This article reflects the LLC’s and/or the writer’s position, and may or may not reflect the views of sponsors or supporters.
Connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach
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