Is Bush the New Hitler?

When a Jewish American responded to my comparison of Bush to Hitler, he indignantly claimed that such comparisons diminished the significance of the Holocaust.  I beg to differ.  If anything, it highlights the lessons learned by the Holocaust.  Hitler's rampage of murder and war reached its end in 1945, but Hitler began laying the groundwork for his genocide approximately two decades before.  Until Hitler began shoveling the bodies of gassed Jews, Gypsies, Poles, and dissidents into the ovens, many in the United States supported Hitler.  In fact, the American people did not willingly enter World War II.  They entered only when Roosevelt permitted the Japanese to attack Pearl Harbor.  Thus, it is no surprise that the American population would support yet another Hitler.

The pre-genocide Hitler was portrayed to the German people as a quintessentially folksy and German man, much like Bush is portrayed to the American people as a quintessentially folksy and American man.  The pre-genocide Hitler sought to undermine German democracy in much the same way as Bush has undermined American democracy.  The pre-genocide Hitler manipulated and controlled the media, carefully scripting every depiction of Hitler as a popular leader, much as Bush is portrayed in the American media.  The pre-genocide Hitler abused the rights of Jews much like Bush abuses the rights of Arabs and Muslims.  The pre-genocide Hitler seized upon acts of terrorism (the Reichstag Fire) much as Bush has seized upon the events of 9/11 as a means to push forward his totalitarian mission.

The point is not whether Bush of 2003 equals Hitler of 1945, the point is whether Bush of 2003 equals Hitler of 1939.  What meaning other than this can we attribute to the slogan "Never Again!"  Are we to wait until the end of the next genocide before stopping the forces of evil or are we to take all actions possible to prevent the next genocide?