A great War Department film from 1947, which starts off by telling people not to let themselves be fooled by con men … then segues into how divisiveness and minority-bashing are the tools of folks who want to get something — money, power — and how Americans shouldn’t let themselves be suckers by buying into their prejudicial spiel.
It’s a great little 17 minute flick that epitomizes the classic Niemöller quote:
First they came for the Jews. I was silent. I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists. I was silent. I was not a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists. I was silent. I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me. There was no one left to speak for me.
It’s a startlingly modern theme, suggesting that America is (gasp) a nation of minorities, and that our individual status as minorities in multiple areas is a sign of freedom, an example of America’s strength, and a compelling reason to stand against mistreatment of all minorities — as our hero learns when a Fox News/Tea Party diatribe from some soap box speaker in the park finally names one of his particular minority attributes as one of the “out” groups who are ruining our nation.
Good stuff, and, were it to produced by the government today I have no doubt that some on the Right would be waving torches and pitchforks in indignation over such blatant liberal propaganda, political correctness, pandering to the [insert unpopular group — Muslims, gays, “illegals”], and capitulation of our national sovereignty and character as White Anglo-Saxon Christians. Which … I think proves the movie’s point.
Downloadable in various formats from here.
(via DOF)