Former US President Barack Obama has cited the example of Nazi Germany in his call for Americans to remain engaged, "We get complacent and assume that things continue as they have been, just automatically, and they don't," adding that "You have to tend to this garden of democracy — otherwise, things can fall apart fairly quickly. And we've seen societies where that happens."
After speaking about the late 1920 and 1930s, when the Nazis rose to power, he said, "And then 60 million people died. An entire world was plunged into chaos."
He concluded his speech at a conference in Chicago, with a video released on Friday, saying that Americans "got to pay attention and vote."
Obama urges people to stay engaged in democracy, warning that complacency was in part responsible for the rise of Nazi Germany. Spot on. (and I say that as someone who criticized Obama a lot when he was president) https://t.co/c1D70GbIRp pic.twitter.com/QGyAGWHFjl
— Andrew Stroehlein (@astroehlein) 9 декабря 2017 г.
While it's unclear whether Obama intended to compare Trump's policies with those of the Nazis after he had criticized the incumbent US president's response to the violence in Charlottesville, he has repeatedly called on the Democrats to mobilize ahead of the 2018 mid-term elections.
Obama's surprising comparison, which hasn't yet been commented on by Trump, has caused vivid reaction on social media, with many Twitter users slamming the "Hater-in-Chief."
@RealJamesWoods The Hater-in-Chief, after referring to @realDonaldTrump as Hitler, is now telling people to vote, "that complacency was responsible for the rise of Nazi Germany," thereby implying that complacency gave rise to @POTUS.https://t.co/gMPvIEkukv
— NeverVoteDem (@praise2eloi) 9 декабря 2017 г.
Gee thanks @BarackObama for signing INDEFINITE DETENTION WITHOUT A TRIAL INTO LAW in 2011, made it much easier for "them" to end our Democracy. #GoGreenPartyUSA
— Twaikuer (@Twaikuer) 9 декабря 2017 г.
Barack Obama: The Boy who Cried HITLER!
— Dandy Truman (@DandyTruman) 9 декабря 2017 г.
He is going off the deep end. How can anyone in their right mind compare the US to Nazi Germany.
— Hawkeye (@orthoman6anorth) 9 декабря 2017 г.
Complacency gave us 8 years of Obama. Never again!!!
— Covfefe the Deplorable Bot 😎 (@DeplorableJon) 8 декабря 2017 г.
Did obama use complacency without using Trumps name? Maybe he did this because he has no real accomplishments as President except for tryg to ruin our country. Giving Iran billions in cash! Put our country down to other countries, it seems everything he did was to degrade america
— geemez (@geemez1999) 9 декабря 2017 г.
Don’t miss ya. Stay out of politics @BarackObama @realDonaldTrump is doing an awesome job repairing your failures.
— Thomas (@forensictrooper) 8 декабря 2017 г.
However, many have launded Obama's warning and praised his presidency.
Complacency got us Trump. Think about that for a minute
— Ronnie Price (@redwardprice719) 9 декабря 2017 г.
— michael clements (@clementsmichae2) 9 декабря 2017 г.
— Alt Walter (@Alt_Walt) 8 декабря 2017 г.
— Alt Walter (@Alt_Walt) 8 декабря 2017 г.
Come back, Barack! #SNL pic.twitter.com/636CBwBpG2
— Silly Conservatives (@_silly_gop_) 8 декабря 2017 г.
— BoomTown (@BoomOUUpdated) 8 декабря 2017 г.
