The 1930's Third Reich playbook versus 2025 USA:

Get in bed with the biggest companies -Krupp, BMW, etc (USA: Musk, et al)

Control the media/propaganda (USA: Musk, Zuckerberg, threats/lawsuits against mainstream media)

Lie, lie big, lie often and the lie becomes truth -straight out of Mein Kampf (Trump tells thousands of lies, Stop the Steal being foremost)

Eliminate opposition - murders, drive into exile (USA lifts Secret Service protections, fucks with voter suppression, reverses equal rights)

Identify a scapegoat(s) and propagandize accordingly - Jews, gypsies, intellectuals, homosexuals, communists (USA: pretty similar, note comments about 'radical left', colleges and gender)

White caucasians rule, everyone else is inferior (USA: ditto)

Blame state of economy on other countries (USA: apparently Canada, Mexico and China are responsible for US having the world's richest economy) BTW: Inflation was caused by all that free money that Trump sent out during Covid, same as every G7 country.

Threaten nations to get concessions - Czechoslovakia, Poland, Saar Valley, etc the concessions didn't work Hitler kept taking more (USA threatens democratic nations with economic and military force)

And just like in 1930's there were appeasers, folks saying the Nazis weren't really serious, and folks thinking they were safe; until they weren't. Facism is a slippery slope and the velocity increases over time unless its shut down.

That's just scratching the surface, hopefully someone has or will do a book examining the parallels in more detail.

from MSN: Sean Duffy said: "Effective immediately, the Department of Transportation will no longer participate in celebrations based on immutable traits or any other identity-based observances."

Wonder if all the MAGA Christians realize Duffy just cancelled Xmas and Easter?

Good news. I also invited a few nice Canadian girls for a drink...

'bout time we brought some nice Canadian boys into the mix for those of you who might like that kinda thing.

Can I have a root beer float please? With vanilla ice cream? Preferably Haagen Dazs.

He fired a bunch of the inspectors general, the non-partisan watchdogs who keep an eye on him. Gee, wonder where that's going?

MMmmmmm chocolate cake for breakfast. Coffee for me please. I have the threads of a poem that I just kinda puked out. I think the idea is OK but i need a major re-write/format. Kinda motivated now, looks like you're one Canadian short of an orgy.

Glad everyone is recovering from all those nasty weather events and health issues.

Quote by sprite

i am a dog. that said, the first person who refers to me as a bitch better have on their running shoes

I'm a tiger. You're not a bitch, you're lunch. 😊

And James? Really? Bear claws? And of course I'll have one. and a coffee please.

I have a concept of a poem...

Quote by KimmiBeGood

Lyfbuz, you might need to offer yourself up as a prize again in this comp. If you’ve recovered from whatever Rowan did to you. I haven’t seen the video yet.

I didn't offer myself up, I offered a "nice Canadian boy." I'm not nice as evidenced by my profile and numerous forum posts. Also not born in Canada. And no longer a boy. Not sure how that confusion started. I'll consider it though, I do like to support Lush.

pulls taser leads from puffy Canadian winter coat Nice try. But I always did find you electrifying. ❤️

Quote by sprite

after once more being accused of mod favoritism, I have decided not to enter this or any future comps. thanks very much for finding a way to fuck up my day. sincerely, Rachel.

Bullshit on that. And your Comp entries have been some of my all time fav stories here. I demand future Comp entries from you.

Coffee please. Plus a gummie for science. I'm in a great mood. Playfully spanks Sprite's sexy butt. Runs for the rear exit.

Beautiful and very fitting tribute. There are some amazing poets here, I expect we are going to see some amazing work.

Amos, Quebec (where I have a lifetime hotel ban lol)

Quote by JamesLlewellyn

OK, so American legislators once again lead the world in jug-headed stupidity:

WBLT TV in Mississippi reports that:

A state senator in Mississippi has filed a bill entitled the “Contraception Begins at Erection Act.”

As written by Sen. Bradford Blackmon, the bill would make it “unlawful for a person to discharge genetic material without the intent to fertilize an embryo.”

.

OK, well THAT'S going to be real popular around here.

So, as law-abiding citizens of Lush, we should prepare to make sure that NO American male fucks anyone or anything UNLESS they wanna make a baby. And I guess that means no oral sex, no anal sex – and NO MASTURBATING!

That's how they're gonna keep 'Murica PURE!

Not sure how Senator Mushmouth is gonna police that, but that's his problem.

Welcome to the Don's World of Weirdness, folks.

Anyone want a drink or six?

Probably my fault, I suggested this in a post I made about abortion, suggesting male masturbation is mass murder. Only cheeto boy and his buddies would take it seriously.

Coffee for me please.

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Quote by sprite

Over there points

Here? 😋

I love coffee and it has numerous health benefits as long as you don't overdo. If you're trying to give up caffeine you have to give up tea and chocolate as well. Totally not worth it.

Pangnirtung, Nunavut, Canada

Have fun Kimmi!

Coffee and two plus signs to go please.

Dawson Creek, BC, Canada

Quote by sprite

red team currently has a score of 5. blue team currently has a score of 0. red team wins.

I question the validity of your results, given the number of SS entries the blue team is assured of a score greater than zero. 😋

Coffee for me please. Those nanaimo bars look delicious but I shall resist.

That's terrible news. Elliot was superbly talented and without question one of the best people on Lush. I don't think I ever saw anything from him, including a forum post or comment that wasn't clever, witty and kind. His poems are indeed beautiful which is exactly the right word for his work, they have a unique beauty. A sad loss of a wonderful human being and enormous talent.

Quote by ErinDcup34

Wait - this was written in 2018? You mean the democrats in government have learned NOTHING since 2018???? Look whats just happening ALL OVER AGAIN in 2025 ......

Time of California Democrats to be dumped into the ocean.

Wildland fires and their subsequent impact have little to do with whether a state government is Dem or Republican. Suggest you read up on the Granite Mountain hotshots, 19 firefighters that tragically perished in an Arizona wildfire. GOP has been in charge in Arizona for decades but the fatalities were not the first in Arizona wildfires.

Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, Canada

Congrats to Ensorceled and WannabeWordsmith on the Comp and thanx for the well wishes. It must be the gummies.

Just a coffee for me. I may have had an early start...

I completely forget how the team scoring works but that's OK doesn't only Ensorceled need to know?

Congratulations to WannabeWordsmith for the first place win and to Ensorceled! Finding myself on the podium with these two gents is pretty cool, both are two of my favourite writers.

Not surprised there is a top 15, there were a LOT of outstanding stories so a big congrats to those rounding out the list and to everyone who entered. I read every story and like WannabeWordsmith had that same feeling of my chances slipping away as I read each entry. So many talented writers here!

Thanx to Lush, Jen (love your boots) the Mods/judges and everyone who read or commented on a story.

Hugs for Kimmi, life is really hard sometimes. Hang in there.

Coffee with a gummie please. For science.

As a platinum it wouldn't bother me if the colour feature was disabled. Pretty much the only reason i bought a platinum was to support the site and writers in general regardless of membership status.

Using the Alabama's court's logic it would seem that masturbation by males is a form of mass murder. Sure hope that's being enforced.

If there are 73 million abortions worldwide thank god because adding nearly 1 billion people to the planet every 10 years or so is pretty dumb given the current competition for resources and the tens of millions that die of starvation and lack of health care.