"They joined what they joined."

[AverageOldGuy]

One day Trump’s attempt to establish a dictatorship in the US — supported by about 40 percent of the population – will be over and the rest of us will have to restore our democratic republic.

The question then will be how to deal with Trump’s followers. The example of Nazi Germany after WW II may be instructive.

“Historians have a word for Germans who joined the Nazi party, not because they hated Jews, but out of a hope for restored patriotism, or a sense of economic anxiety, or a hope to preserve their religious values, or dislike of their opponents, or raw political opportunism, or convenience, or ignorance, or greed.

That word is “Nazi.” Nobody cares about their motives anymore.

They joined what they joined. They lent their support and their moral approval. And, in so doing, they bound themselves to everything that came after. Who cares any more what particular knot they used in the binding?”

― A.R. Moxon

When Trump and his dictatorship are gone, and we are faced with dealing with his supporters, remember this:

“They joined what they joined.”

Then, treat them accordingly.

[CrispyQ]

1. I don't have any confidence we'll be tough enough. -nt

[Iggo]

4. That's because we're not coming off ten years of killing each other by the millions.

And I think I’m okay with that. (And by “that” I mean not hanging them from lamp posts.)

[rampartd]

16. they have each earned a lamp post of their own

but we are too easy on these people.

[Clouds Passing]

23. Ah yes, HW and his lamposts. He was speaking prophecy about his own.

[ShazzieB]

24. Well stated.

As horrible as MAGA support of Trump’s evils has been, it doesn't touch what the Nazis did. Would he be willing to do everything Hitler did, given the chance? Sure. But he hasn't had the chance yet, and his time is rapidly running out as his health deteriorates.

Also, there is no MAGA party that people can join, and no one is required to tell anyone else who they voted for in this country, because our elections operate by secret ballot. Not all of his supporters are Republicans, and not all Republicans are Trump fans. And even if one equalled the other, identifying all the Republicans would not be easy.

Voter registration would supply party affiliation information in some states, but not all states ask voters to indicate their partisan affiliations on voter registration forms. My state, Illinois, is one of those. (More info on this topic can be found here: https://ballotpedia.org/Partisan_affiliations_of_registered_voters)

Granted, a lot of Trump voters are easy to recognize, but without a reliable way to verify not only party affiliation but who actually voted for the Orange Hellbeast, there is no way to accurately identify all of his supporters or their level of loyalty. And besides, ain't nobody got time for that! We'll be too busy putting this country back together to spend time and money trying to figure out who all the Trump voters are so they can be punished accordingly.

Even in Germany, all the registered members of the Nazi party weren't punished for being Nazis, and not all card carrying party members were complete monsters (for one example, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oskar_Schindler).

Some leaders were tried for their crimes and sentenced accordingly, but many of the rank and file members were not. More info: https://www.theholocaustexplained.org/survival-and-legacy/postwar-trials-and-denazification/

In short, there is no reliable or just way to identify and punish every Trump voter even if we wanted to (and I for one question the advisability of that). I'm all for punishing those who did illegal things (like the ICE thugs and thise who gave them their orders, for examples), but it is not a crime to vote for a horrible candidate or support a horrible president in this country, and God help us all if either of those things ever becomes a crime.

[cachukis]

2. Am reluctant to break friendships with this sentiment.

May have to.

[FoxNewsSucks]

3. Unless they can publicly admit they were wrong,

and sorry, fuck 'em.

[paleotn]

7. I'd have a really hard time accepting even that. They've gone too far.

[calimary]

9. THAT is the one redeeming quality.

They need to admit, publicly, that they were WRONG. And that they made a huge mistake based on what was pretty clearly the preferences of a segment of the public, NOT all the public. Not a large segment of the population. It’s a smaller group. And I suspect it’s already shrinking. Maybe not enough to be noticeable, but I bet it’s getting there. And I think it’ll be gathering momentum as the weeks pass.

[the nelm]

5. If what happened to the to the surviving Confederates after Civil War is anything to go by,

we're likely doomed to repeat the same mistakes once again. Bad as that may sound. Thing is we are still in some ways, a 150 years later, dealing with that same mindset.

[paleotn]

6. Some things are unforgivable.

Harsh, yes, but there are some things that are so far beyond the pale that forgiveness is impossible. Consciously shitting on our democracy, and the countless Americans who died to preserve liberty, in order to setup some half ass autocracy is one of them. And it's not even a remotely competent autocracy. It's led by one of the dumbest, most vile excuses for a human ever to live. The unpardonable sin. His followers, no matter how rank or file, should never be allowed to escape it.

[KS Toronado]

8. Told a Gropenfuhrer MAGAt a couple weeks ago......

" 10 years from now you'll be telling everybody you was smart enough not to vote for him "

[Martin68]

10. Exactly. they are just Nazis.

[moniss]

11. Excellent points and

"de-Nazification" was a hard lesson for many Germans and it lives on even today in the descendants in Germany. Although some are trying to bring back an influence of the hard right fascism the aftermath of it is so deep in the memory of older Germans that they have come out in demonstrations against the AfD where they had not been demonstrators about much before. Here is a link to some letters to The Guardian about the rise of fascism among some in Germany and excellent points about some of the factors used to "sway' people and some factors that seduce people. Also a link to an excellent article written by young journalists about this rise in Germany.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/29/key-factors-in-the-unstoppable-rise-of-fascists-in-germany

https://youth.europa.eu/news/fascism-rise-germany-whats-driving-young-and-old-streets-today_en

[Wild blueberry]

19. Thank you for the links

Quite interesting. Omas Gegen Rechts! Grannies Against the Right!

[popsdenver]

12. With trump starting to screw them

my feelings towards all the MAGAot Voters is:

You grew it, you chew it, MUNCH MUNCH MUNCH........

[czarjak]

13. Or,

The Klansmen will find out they aren't pure enough?

[3825-87867]

14. I believe England once sent their "problems" to Australia

Shame there are no empty continents to "deport" the American Nazis to. Of course, there's always the moon or...Musk's Mars!
Deportation of American Nazi Sympathizers and trumpers...has an "even up" ring to it.

Greenland? Maybe a deal with Russia to deport them to a couple of those rather frigid islands above the Arctic Circle?
Deport American Nazis and trump sympathizers...2029 ICE? Turn-about is fair play.
They can become "rational anarchists" ala 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" in the cold.

Just letting them know might be enough for some. However, there are others who will never capitulate. Miller, Vought et al. They can learn about cold weather survival. More humane than El Salvador.

[Iggo]

17. "Shame there are no empty continents..."

There’s one. Pretty cold down there, though.

I do like your Mars idea.

[hay rick]

15. Treat them like adults who are responsible for their actions.

They betrayed their country. They betrayed you and me.

[AllyCat]

18. No references, memorials, naming, plaques statues, etc

OF ANY KIND to the members of this administration or its supporters. None. History only of the horrors of this regime.

No coddling of “all Americans regardless of their past” and tolerance of their views ANYWHERE. Unless that person admits wrongdoing and actively works to repair some of the damage they have done…no awards, no elected positions, no MAGA gear, reduced job opportunities, and in many cases, TRIALS and PUNISHMENT.

Everything related to this regime squashed.

Rebuild the WH. Reparations to the people wrongly incarcerated, the families of those killed.

[1WorldHope]

20. I think that a good open trial of the leaders

with all of their sins revealed and a just punishment, should be the direction we go. We can't control people's thoughts or punish them for those thoughts. But if those thoughts lead to punishable actions, then they should be held accountable. We will have so many trials after this, and there are so many who have broken the law that need to be dealt with that our hands will be full for a while. Purging those we disagree with is what they have been doing.

[TxGuitar]

21. That's one of my favorite quotes

Along with Hannah Arendt: "No one has the right to obey".

[BurnDoubt]

22. Absolutely!

When AI makes them obsolete will they still hate their Brothers for "The Great Replacement"?
They've already failed their Competency test.
Will they like what comes next?
Sadly, they didn't just fuck themselves.
We're ruled by Sociopathic Deplorables.
Hillary was right about almost everything.
And it cost us the Election. Along with Scullduggery.

[meadowlander]

25. A handful of them might care or see the light, but I suspect we're the country of: