On January 10, 2020, Arnold Schwarzenegger — former Mr. Olympia, former Republican Governor of California, and the actor who portrayed ‘Conan the Barbarian’ and many other memorable characters on the big screen — posted a heart-felt video message addressed to the people of the United States.
At one point in the video, he holds up Conan’s Sword, and assures us that — just as a sword’s steel blade is tempered and strengthened by the repeated application of fire and water — so America’s democracy has been made tempered and made stronger by the “wars, injustices and insurrections” the nation has suffered.
“I believe, as shaken as we are by the events of recent days, we will come out stronger because we now understand what can be lost.”
You can view his full 7-minute video here.
At one point in the video, former Governor Schwarzenegger shares painful memories from his youth, growing up in Austria following the Second World War — in his words, “surrounded by broken men drinking away the guilt over their participation in the most evil regime in history.”
“Not all of them were rabid anti-Semites or Nazis. They just ‘went along’… step by step… along the road.”
I found the Governor’s overall message to be encouraging. One segment, however, struck me as alarmist.
Certainly, people on both sides of America’s current political divide have been greatly disturbed by various events since the November 3 election. And certainly, people have expressed diametrically opposing reactions to the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting economic and social stresses. It’s tempting to ring alarm bells, and warn of the dangers facing the nation, and we’ve heard those warning coming from both the Left and the Right.
Governor Schwarzenegger’s video begins with his mention of Kristallnacht, which took place in Nazi Germany, November 9-10, 1938.
The former Governor compares that 1938 event with the occupation and destruction that took place at the US Capitol building on January 6, 2021.
“I grew up in Austria. I’m very aware of Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass. It was a night of rampage against the Jews carried out in 1938, by the Nazi equivalent of the Proud Boys. Wednesday [January 6] was the Night of Broken Glass right here in the United States. The broken glass was in the windows of the United States Capitol.
“But the mob did not just shatter the windows of the Capitol; they shattered the ideals we took for granted.
“They did not just break down the doors of the building that housed American Democracy. They trampled the very principles on which our country was founded…”
I agree completely with Governor Schwarzenegger that the January 6 mob trampled on some sacred principles. I don’t agree, however, that the Capitol building attack was anything comparable to Kristallnacht. Yes, January 6 was an awful, shocking event, but as we think about the deeper importance of Kristallnacht, we must remember that the Nazis had already stripped the Jews of employment rights in 1933, and of their citizenship in 1935 — years before Kristallnacht took place in 1938.
The Kristallnacht rioters destroyed 267 synagogues throughout Germany, Austria, and the Sudetenland. Over 1,400 synagogues and prayer rooms, many Jewish cemeteries, more than 7,000 Jewish shops, and 29 department stores were damaged, and in some cases destroyed. More than 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps; primarily Dachau, Buchenwald, and Sachsenhausen. Murders during the event, and suicides following the event, numbered in the hundreds.
Not exactly comparable to the relatively disorganized mob action that took place on January 6, in my opinion. Yes, the insurrection that day was terrible and regrettable, and the fear instilled in the hearts of our congressional leaders and staff, as they waited in hiding, was inexcusable.
But November 1938 marked the apex of Adolf Hitler’s power in Nazi Germany. January 6 was, in comparison, the final scene of President Donald Trump’s failed attempt to retain his government position.
Governor Schwarzenegger compares the broken doors and windows in the Capitol building to the destruction of, and damage to, nearly 1,700 synagogues and prayer rooms — and 7,000 Jewish businesses — and the false arrest of perhaps 30,000 Jewish men.
I can understand the Governor intentions in making such a comparison. Far too many Germans and Austrians ‘went along’ with the lies spread by an obscene Nazi regime… went along, step by step… along the road… until there was no turning back. Those of us who cherish democracy, and especially those who cherish the peaceful transition of power from one presidential administration to the next will be wise to remain vigilant as 2021 plays out, in a country full of political distrust and disagreement.
Our democratic transfer of power, between Presidential administrations, exemplifies the rule of principles and ideals over greed, aggression and arrogance… all too rare in human history.
We don’t need to be alarmist. And much of the former Governor’s video message is, in fact, hopeful. Speaking with a tone of confidence that perhaps only those who’ve played the role of Conan the Barbarian can convey, Governor Schwarzenegger closes with these words:
“And to those who think they can overturn the United States Constitution, know this: you will never win.
“…May God bless all of you, and may God bless America.”