Old Jim Riddle called last night

Laying in bed the phone rang an it was Jim. Jim is an old hunting buddy who came to North Dakota years ago to hunt pheasants in the fall. In  his 80's Jim is living proof you can chew tobacco all your life and survive with one kidney. No doubt his body will be given to medical researchers. Like Kadizzle, Jim lives in a hotbed of Hooplehead conservatives. 

We talked politics and both of us expressed our fear the cult could win. Imagine the country plunged into Trump insanity. Kadizzle had a bad night trying to sleep. We had some hot pepper concoction that set the bowels afire. 

Up early Kadizzle wrote a letter to the editor. Here it is"

**Letter to the Editor:**

The rise of Adolf Hitler in 1930s Germany remains one of the darkest chapters in human history. What many forget, however, is that Hitler ascended to power not in a nation of ignorance or backwardness, but in one of the most educated and scientifically advanced societies of its time. He was elected by a population that, despite its intellectual accomplishments, became vulnerable to conspiracy theories, lies, and fear-mongering. A country renowned for its contributions to science, art, and philosophy fell under the sway of a man who used manipulation and deceit to fracture democratic norms.

Today, in the United States, we face an eerily similar situation. Donald Trump, a man who has made no secret of his disdain for critical thought and intellectualism, once proudly declared, "I love the uneducated." While this statement may seem benign to some, it carries a deeper, more dangerous implication: an uninformed, misled populace is ripe for manipulation by those who would use fear and division to gain power.

It is no coincidence that throughout history, autocrats and tyrants have thrived in environments where truth is twisted and ignorance is rewarded. Trump’s embrace of misinformation, conspiracy theories, and outright falsehoods taps into a troubling reality: an uninformed electorate can easily become the vehicle for destructive leadership, as seen in 1930s Germany.

The old adage, “Those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it,” is more relevant now than ever. If we do not recognize the value of education, critical thinking, and facts, we risk falling into the same trap that allowed a madman to rise to power in the past. As citizens, we must resist the temptation to succumb to the allure of simple answers and scapegoating, and instead demand that our leaders be held accountable to truth, reason, and the principles of democracy.

We must never forget that democracy is fragile, and only an informed, engaged populace can protect it from those who would tear it down. If we fail to learn from history, we are indeed doomed to repeat it.