Yesterday was Holocaust Memorial Day. I'm afraid we're heading that way again.

[garlicblocks]

"It is estimated that close to 250,000 disabled people were murdered under the Nazi regime. Persecution of people with disabilities began in 1933, but mass murder commenced in 1939.

"The organised killing of disabled children began in August 1939 ... All children under the age of three who were suffering from conditions such as Down?s syndrome, hydrocephaly, cerebral palsy or ?suspected idiocy?, were targeted. A panel of medical experts were required to give their approval for the ?euthanasia? of each child. In the first few months of the program this was usually achieved either by lethal injection or by starving the child to death. Many parents were unaware of the fate of their children, instead being told that they were being sent for improved care.

"The first experimental gassings took place at the killing centre in Brandenberg and thousands of disabled patients were killed in gas chambers disguised as shower rooms. Now that a fast and effective method of mass-murder had been developed it could of course be used to exterminate gays, Gypsies, political opponents and of course over six million Jews.

"Worryingly, in 2012 in Great Britain, Geoffrey Clark, a local government candidate for the UK Independence Party in a by-election in Gravesham, Kent posted this on his website:

"Consider compulsory abortion when the foetus is detected as having Downs, Spina Bifida or similar syndrome which, if it is born, will render the child a burden on the state as well as on the family."

"Although UKIP suspended Clark?s party membership when this hit the news, it was too late to cancel his candidacy. He came second to the conservatives with almost 27% of the vote."

What can we do about escalating persecution of the disabled and otherwise 'unproductive' people in the UK? Are we heading back towards forced sterilisation and murder?

"The Nazis developed a system, they had a plan. It was not the work of one madman, that is far too simplistic. But it was also not a drifting of opinion."

Yes, the Nazis had a plan, but the general public was brought onside somehow. From everything I've seen/read/heard there was a gradual erosion of the general publics views. There was some incredible propaganda which utilised things like the country being in an economic hole to point blame at people that were seen to be stealing from the righteous German public. The hard working public were, subtly, told that if it wasn't for [insert persecuted group] they'd be well off and living comfortable and joyful lives.

I refer you back to Hecate's earlier post. Mr Hitler never once announced his government was going to murder Jews, blacks, Asians, disabled, homosexuals and gypsies. He began with an advertising campaign to highlight the burden on taxpayers caused by disabled people. The financial costs to society were enumerated. These advertisements progressed to more emotional messages depicting the disabled as useless weights, shirkers, a damaging presence in communities dragging everyone down and contributing nothing.

I will certainly defend my observation that we're already at this stage in Britain.

Back in pre-war Germany, this stage marked a growth in public support for his hate campaign until families were recommending their own members for euthanasia. The killing could now be done more systematically, although they had already quietly begun with lethal injections and starvation in hospitals.

The campaign against the disabled worked so well, the same methods were used to demonise - then ghettoise and murder - Jews and other "defectives".

"Does anyone really think that there is a danger of this happening? That the UK, and indeed the world, would stand by and let it happen?"

Greece. Golden Dawn.

MmeL

Does anyone really think that there is a danger of this happening? That the UK, and indeed the world, would stand by and let it happen?

Yes, unfortunately I do think it's possible although maybe not in the form of another Hitler. Despite the prevalence of social media few of us really know about the cuts that are happening to disability benefits.

Greece. Golden Dawn thousands marched in protest against this

Did thousands march against Hitler?

This is my point.

The damaging rhetoric by both the Labour and the Tory parties is leading to an increase in abuse towards disabled people in UK.

Know what was all over Twitter today heardwhiledisabled - a hashtag to point out the kind of abuse disabled people are hearing every day in UK.

There is a pushback now that there wasn't in 1930s. And we are hearing about it, on Social Media, on the news, in the papers.

It needs to be heard more but conflating this to the Holocaust is, in my opinion damaging your cause.

I am happy to make a noise on Twitter, on FB, to write a blog post, to pressure my MP and help to draw attention to this, but I recently unfollowed someone for using the Holocaust in this way.

It is, as Karlos said, being used for cheap political point scoring. And for that reason, I am out.

I don't think a comparison with the Holocaust is cheap political point scoring. I bet if you had told the average German in 1933 that by the time 12 years had passed 6 million Jews would have been murdered they would have been horrified. I, and others here, are saying that we need to be vigilant to stop something like that happening again.

I want to be wrong! Really - obviously - I do!

But, on page 5 now, all anyone's been able to offer by way of reassurance is "We're all much nicer now" and/or "We have better media, it couldn't happen."

Erm, do any of you read the comments on the Daily Fail and Sun websites?

If you're not a benefits recipient, have you kept up with what's happening? Do you know anybody falling through the benefits gap or facing homelessness? With all the great communications we have now, how many first-hand accounts have you read or heard? They're available if you look - but who's looking?

What about the elderly: my mother's terrified of having to go for in-patient treatment at hospital. She thinks they deliberately let old people die. I thought she was being melodramatic until I found out she isn't. Now - despite my many issues with our relationship - if she does have to go in I'll be there every day, making sure she is fed and watered.

What are your views on the Liverpool Care Pathway? Devised as a compassionate way for the terminally ill to die pain-free, there's now controversy over whether it's being used to ease 'nuisance' patients into death. Some hospitals get paid extra for achieving LCP targets. I don't know enough about this topic to have an opinion, but it worries me - as do the increasingly-frequent stories of seriously ill patients being discharged without transport, and other life-threatening indignities.

And look at the deliberately misleading anti "skiver" statements issued by our government on a weekly basis, which are repeated on the front pages, while the retractions barely get any cover at all.

As a poster said, I wish I lived in this cosy world where everything's safe & lovely.

"Did thousands march against Hitler? "

Yes they did.

Just trying to find information on it, saw it on a documentary ages ago and, typically, can't remember the details.

I don't think there were ever sizable demonstrations against the nazis - mainly due to fear.

The resistance movement was pretty small

Before Hitler became chancellor there were. By the time he'd got into position as chancellor he had the SS to stop any protests.

He didn't start off powerful and feared.

By 1933 he was actually losing support, however once he got into power he was able to change the laws to his advantage.

...how is this relevant? What are people saying? That they think David Cameron is going to start exterminating millions of people?

No, saying that it is all too easy for people to be manipulated into thinking that all the problems they have (especially financial) are the fault of some other. And from there it isn't such a leap to believe that the "other" should be punished. Not saying concentration camps etc. But there are other ways to punish people. The scary part is how quickly people will let that happen.

In 1930-32 there were huge protests against the NSDAP (Nazi party), many violent.

Hannover enacted a law banning the Hitlerjugend (the Hitler Youth), Bavaria banned all political uniforms, Prussia prohibited the wearing of SA brown shirts and associated insignia then passed a law against its officials holding membership in either the NSDAP or KPD. Goebbels was convicted of high treason. The government placed the army officers on trial for "forming national socialist cells".

Between 1932-34, Hitler seized absolute power by violence and murdered all of his known enemies. It became a capital crime to oppose his party. There were continued protests, but their leaders were quickly caught and killed.

Greece is attempting to learn from history; conditions are similar in many ways and I hope they succeed in keeping Golden Dawn on the sidelines. Traditionally, an economically anxious middle class provides fertile ground for extreme Right policies which is what's worrying me. As MOG says above, it is all too easy for people to be manipulated into thinking that all the problems they have (especially financial) are the fault of some other. And from there it isn't such a leap to believe that the "other" should be punished.

I don't know anything of Mr Cameron's own views, except that the rich should be helped to get richer ... Lord Freud and Mr Duncan Smith, however, make their ignorance and loathing of ordinary people - particularly the poor and disadvantaged - clearer every time they speak. No higher authority seems to be reining them in; if anything they're being given more power, so I have to assume Mr Cameron shares and promotes their open hatred of the less-well-off. We are certainly being sold the belief that our vulnerable citizens are an intolerable burden on Britain.

The Conservatives' bizarre immigration policy also seems to be demonising non-nationals as a supposed source of economic distress and, likewise, seeks to destroy families and incur huge costs on an ideological basis, while making it even more difficult for immigrants to actually contribute to the economy. Is this the next easy target being set up?

We are certainly being sold the belief that our vulnerable citizens are an intolerable burden on Britain.

The Conservatives' bizarre immigration policy also seems to be demonising non-nationals as a supposed source of economic distress and, likewise, seeks to destroy families and incur huge costs on an ideological basis, while making it even more difficult for immigrants to actually contribute to the economy. Is this the next easy target being set up?

I so agree with this. You should hear my Daily Mail reading MIL go on and on and on about blacks, immigrants etc. etc. coming in and scrounging and taking our jobs and housing. How many does she know? Well her grand daughter in law is half black and she is in work, and then there are a few black people and some Poles at her church, who are in work, but somehow these are all exceptions. She owns her own house so isn't dependent on the Council for her housing. So how many of these so called 'scroungers' actually affect her? None. Sadly a situation all too typical of Daily Mail readers, I suspect.

I've said for a long time that the political landscape in this country resembles early 1930's Germany. I've been derided for it, too.

Of course it's not at Holocaust levels now, but the political climate we are in right now is what allowed it to happen.

Political apathy... Recession.

And all the while we have the spin that the cuts are exempting disabled people. Only they're not. Because if you are cutting the Carer of a disabled person's income by £83 a week how is that not affecting said disabled person when they are financially dependent on that carer?

ESA isn't considered a disability benefit yet the vast majority of those claiming it are incapacitated by disability. Many claims denied by ATOS are being overturned at Tribunal so what is happening? The right to appeal is being removed.

People are dying after being found fit for work. The numbers are now in their hundreds.

Disabled hate crime on the rise... Definitely. In that I've actually seen it whereas before I didn't.

Disabled people have been shouting about this for two years now, yet the mainstream media rarely picks up reports such as Spartacus, and even then it's a tiny clip or a small box in the paper. Why the silence? Library closures was huge in the media yet retaining the dignity of people with disabilities is largely ignored.

Even on here the silence is deafening when these issues are raised.

So, not at Holocaust yet but the conditions are going the right way. To be disabled or a Carer for a disabled person now is frankly terrifying and the refusal to acknowledge this by the many makes it so much worse.

Registered general nurses in Stafford hospital were obviously so devoid of commen humanity, empathy or professionalism that they stood back while patients died of dehydration ( some drank flower water) lay in filthy beds in their own excreta and begging for attention.

As a qualified nurse myself this makes me weep.

If a prevailing culture is cruel and amoral then there will always be those who will follow.

I am the author of the text in the original post. I am the son of two parents who were both severely physically handicapped, and two years ago I went to Auschwitz and saw and heard about the Nazis treatment of the disabled for myself. I don't know who posted an extract here, but they're more than welcome and I'm glad it provoked such a lot of comment.

You can read the full article on my website:www.andrewbradfordauthor.com/apps/blog/

Thank you, Andrew :) Please stick around!

I agree that there is increasing hostility to certain sections of society. I dont have any direct experience of this from the point of being disabled but I do think it is a wider problem as well - the last few years there has been a demonization of anyone deemed to be a "scrounger" or just in fact anyone who isnt a white, middle class person in full health. In my own experience I have been on the receiving end of some vile comments about being a "scrounger' when I have been out with my family - I work and dont claim benefits but since I have 5 kids people assume I dont and frankly even If I had 20 kids and never worked a day in my life some of the things people sat are beyond a joke. I think its a symptom of the changing nature of the country and I assume part of the same as the changing attitude towards disabled people.

Im not sure it will end in holocaust but I dont know where it WILL end.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/ltb--lying-thieving-bs-bbc-documentary-lifts-the-lid-on-offensive-code-used-to-describe-disabled-and-jobless-8469818.html

I agree with OP. V for Vendetta anyone ?