I watch old movies on my lap top

Most are made during  the 1930-40 era [westerns, crime etc]

A movie I watched last nite was all about the beginning of the German prelude to Hitler. It told of the various social differences, the confusion of Germanies political future, two brothers who took different paths to their future, an elderly professor who was Jewish and the animosity toward Jewish people. The powerful industrialist who controlled the country, the unemployment, people trying to find happiness in a giant mug of beer and song, the brown shirts etc.

I finally fell asleep, but the movie jumped from year to year and showed the changes within the country. Of coarse the one brother joined the SS but did not totally agree with Hitler and his fledgling party ideals.

Just before I fell asleep, they had the infamous nite of eliminating opposition, mostly by shooting rivals to power/ Industrialist had their property confiscated and then it was lights out for me

The thing that struck me was how much the general political scene resembled our politics today, with division within the population as to the future direction of the country. 

The other thing that struck me was if evil leaders, ever gain control over the domestic power of the gun, then the general population has no option but to obey those who control the enforcement of laws by force

I have no doubt many in Germany did not like Hitler, but a charismatic leader with force to make the law, held the power of the majority and you went along to get along.  If you disagreed with power, you were considered a traitor to the cause. The penalty for treason was death, the dictator made the rules, and the people quickly learned to obey. The SS was greatly feared by the people, and the SS disappeared many citizens

The country is presently at the stage of disagreement in politics, but golly I hope we don't follow the German saga. One can say we would never do that, but it has happened in many countries, since WW11 when a strong man controls the people by force, at the point of a gun [literally]

Perhaps we need to do a bit of soul searching or we could end up with a divided country and guns, albeit for defending our rights, but defending your rights cuts both ways as others may think their rights are just as important. Even if you think the other side is infested with loonie birds, we must remember that some how we can't resort to violence. Being shot for treason by a strong man, that we allow to control our lives, is a step far more dangerous than rioting, burning etc. even though most of us detest the riots burning etc. I don't have an answer, just a great fear of what the future, may bring to our country, your country some day 

I hope the wheels of division and violence haven't already started, and we will be forced go along to get along. Is it too late to stop the wheels from falling off

As I said, I don't have the answer.