Nazification of America

Bonhoeffer and the Brennan Hearings: The Nazis Are Coming and They Are Us



Ever since I started reading and teaching Dietrich Bonhoeffer 40 years ago I’ve been haunted by the idea that my country is reliving the history of the Third Reich. Bonhoeffer, of course was the Lutheran pastor who joined in the “Confessing Church” that opposed Hitler while mainline churches were expressing enthusiastic support for der Führer. He and other thought leaders like Pastor Martin Niemoller could see Germany’s tragedy coming. Others blinded by flag-waving nationalism called them fools, alarmists, and traitors.

The problem was (and remains) that the takeover of fascism (which I define as “capitalism in crisis”) happened gradually. However, in our own case, the process has accelerated to the point where it should be evident to everyone. [it has been evident to me for fifteen years and is scary as all hell] In fact were it not for the power of “group think,” most would reach this conclusion simply by watching the recent Senate hearings on John Brennan's [fascism and Nazis have one thing in common: Catholicism] appointment as director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. The inescapable deduction: the Nazis are here and they are us.

John Paul Holdren (born March 1, 1944) is the senior advisor to President Barack Obama on science and technology issues through his roles as Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).


John P. Holdren