It is actually quite well understood that the oceanic force behind the imperialism of Germany during that period was a direct result of the economic nightmare imposed upon her after WWI.
Economics played an important part behind Fascism in Germany but there was many other factors involved.
Imperialism and Fascism is not the same thing. USA,the British empire, are/where Imperialistic nations.
USA became an imperialistic nation when they invaded Tripoli to combat piracy (everyone knows the marine song that celebrates it).
Imperialism as Niall Ferguson argues in his book Imperial gets a bad rep, but does not have to be a bad thing. The reason that majority of former British colonies (including USA) have a successful democracy, some sort of human rights, can be traced back to British Imperialism.
Also for the "economic nightmare" in post WW1 germany was caused by the versailles treaty, where reparation payments had to be made to the "Allies". But quite a bit of the payment was being made to German Industrialists who had funded WW1. That is part that the german people where not told.
The most fundamental difference is that Americans feel like that can dig themselves out. Germans did not. The American psyche is rather perpetually (and at times, stupidly) optimistic and cowboy.
This attitude is the most dangerous. In 1930, the same statement was being made by most germans. At that time Socialists,Communists and "Leftist" people outnumbered Nazis. But they where complacent. They would make statements like "Germans are logical", "Germans will not support an idiot like hitler" etc. The biggest thing that they lacked was organization. The Nazi's always had their "grassroots" support from the elite military units like the "U-boat" command, the "Storm Troopers of WW1" which later became the foundation for the brown shirts. The elite arm of the german airforce of WW1 (Goering was a famous ace from the flying circus which was lead by the red baron). These sorts of men are disciplined, highly intelligent (in their own way), and highly organized. Also a civilian can not get it into their head that economics is not important to them. Beyond having enough booze, a good supply of wenches to fuck, enough to eat, economics has zero importance to them. In fact if anything they despise people who need these things since they are "weak".
PTSD (post tramatic stress disorder) is a serious problem for people who served in the "front line" units of the military. People who serve in the support unit (though important) are not "front line" and are more like civilians who wear green. In my opinion there are 2 types of PTSD. The first is like "shell shock". You have a life threatening situation happen to you. You get shaken up, but a few days later you bounce back all is well. The second type strikes when the mission or tour is over. In WW1,WW2 etc soldiers served for "the duration". So when they won the war there was a sense of completion. Today's soldier serve for a series of tours. So subconsiously even if the mission is successful soldiers who did not serve on the last tour will not have a sense of completion. Afterwards they can go into a sense of dispair, lack of mission/goals etc. Probably everyone who has served in a "front line" unit gets some degree of it. Usually you just snap out of it. But if you can't you become a perfect recruit for a white supremisits group, a black supremesist group, or any wacko running around.
Battles/fights are won by disciple,determination and organization. This is bred into a military person so it becomes second nature. Take 10-20 military soldiers. They don't know each other. Have them walk down a dark street. They will naturally form a formation of some sort and most likely walk in step. A normal group of civilians will be talking to each other etc. The soldiers will just start scanning and watching for possible threats, they will be very quiet. Perks has said he is into martial arts. So lets say 1 group has 10-20 perks, which is formed of people who have never met before. There are 10-20 soldiers who have never met before. if 1 perks would fight a soldier 1 on 1 perks will kick his ass. But if the group of 10-20 soldiers will fight the 10-20 perks the soldiers will kick the perk's group ass and it will not be pretty. That is how 20K romans conquered Gaul with 300K barbarians who where bigger stronger and braver.
Where are these front line soldiers in USA/Canada/Britain coming from ? No one ever asks that question. WW2 and before the armed forces was for the most part uniform, as in from all segments of society. Today the armed forces does not recruit from universities like Harvard, the private schools of USA etc. Recruiters have to fill a quota. Good places to recruit are latino and black gangs. Other places to recruit from are fundamental christian groups. Ironically the latino and black gangs often have similar religious views to the fundamental white christian groups. So in "the real world" (what we call shit bag weakling civies). Fundamentalist Christians might have 10-15%. But in the military they are 75-80%. Often the 20% who are not fundy xtain will become sympathetic towards them.
Now you are sending these guys to afganistan,iraq or what ever butt fuck country the higher ups decide. Honestly the guys probably like being in these shit box countries. I certainly did. The problem happens when what happens to these guys when they come back to the real world ? Probably in USA/Canada 200K+ a year are being dumped on the streets. Thing about it. You get senarios like this
http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/story.html?id=9d8432f8-830a-43c4-8e15-ec8751e1f361&k=99917 A former member of the elite commando. They only numbered 500 -1000. Honestly he probably is a great guy. If you needed help he would give the shirt off his back literally. Influenced by the wrong person extremely dangerous. We have created thousands of walking time bombs. What civies can not grasp is that money to these guys means very little.
In the origional republic of rome, they where not supposed to have a "standing army, or professional army".
The forefathers of the republic of USA did not want a "professional army".
This is why.
Think about it.
Also if you next time meet a former soldier who served in some stupid place the gov't sent him/her.
Tell him you support him, but you do not support the stupid war your gov't sent him to.
Don't abuse the poor former soldier he is a victim.
I was reading this thing by Peter Schiff the other day and he reckons that the USD isn't going to last until the end of 2012. He's been bang on with just about everything else to do with the recession.
USA will not "collapse" or it is highly unlikely. In a worst case senario it might be like the former soviet union, where pieces broke off, but for the most part it remained intact.
The author of the article is not saying USA will become fascist. He is saying the ingredients and situation is becoming more "dangerous".
It is like a grain elevator fire. The explosion can only happen if the grain is a certain temperature, certain amount of humidity, etc.
Having all these factors there does not mean the grain elevator will explode. It just means the chances increase.
