Topic

Concentration Camps

The Nazis' early concentration camps were not like Auschwitz. Many were in pubs or basements. They targeted political opponents, serving as tools for brutality and intimidation in order to suppress dissent. In 1933 there were one to two hundred thousand arrested, many freed after only a few days. Just 5% were Jews. Today, Trump promises to put the military in American streets to crack down on "Antifa," to raid workplaces, and to round up millions every year. His public plans for "massive camps" for immigrants and even "socialists" have led level-headed commentators to question whether they, too, could wind up in a camp. His promised war on cartels or even Mexico amplifies the risk of violence. History shows us, particularly from the War on Terror, that under perceived threat, even Americans are capable of terrorizing, torturing, and killing.