Let’s Talk About the Brown Shirts and the Useful Idiots

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can you elaborate on these statements seen at zerohedge The brown shirts were the first to be cast out, as will the woke army. 3 hours ago (Edited) The SA leadership was purged in June of ’34 yet the SA continued on until 1938 when they participated in the pogrom Crystal Night. Useful idiots to be sure. The homosexual leadership got uppity and were dealt with. ChatGPT

Certainly! The statements you referred to seem to be drawing parallels between historical events involving the Nazi SA (Sturmabteilung or Brownshirts) and contemporary political movements. Here’s an elaboration on the historical context and the possible implications of the comparison being made:

Historical Context: The SA and the Night of the Long Knives

The SA (Sturmabteilung)

• Role and Formation: The SA was a paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party, instrumental in Hitler’s rise to power. They were known for their brown uniforms, hence the nickname “Brownshirts.”
• Activities: The SA engaged in violent street battles against political opponents and played a key role in intimidating voters and disrupting meetings of rival parties.

The Night of the Long Knives (June 1934)

• Leadership Purge: By 1934, the SA had grown in power and size, with its leader, Ernst Röhm, advocating for the SA to replace the regular army and push for further social and economic changes. This alarmed the German military and business elites.
• Hitler’s Decision: To consolidate his power and gain the support of the military and industrialists, Hitler decided to eliminate the SA leadership. On June 30, 1934, in an event known as the Night of the Long Knives, Hitler ordered the SS (Schutzstaffel) to arrest and execute SA leaders, including Röhm.
• Aftermath: The purge significantly weakened the SA’s power but did not dissolve the organization. The SA continued to exist in a reduced role, participating in events such as the Kristallnacht (Crystal Night) pogrom in 1938.

Kristallnacht (1938)

• Event: Kristallnacht, also known as the Night of Broken Glass, was a coordinated attack on Jewish businesses, synagogues, and homes across Nazi Germany on November 9-10, 1938.
• SA Involvement: The SA, along with other Nazi organizations, played a significant role in carrying out these attacks, which marked a significant escalation in the Nazi regime’s persecution of Jews.

Interpretation and Implications of the Statements

“The brown shirts were the first to be cast out, as will the woke army.”

• Comparison: The statement seems to draw a parallel between the historical purging of the SA and a prediction that contemporary “woke” movements (typically associated with progressive social justice causes) will similarly be marginalized or eliminated by those in power.
• Implication: The author is likely suggesting that movements or groups used for their utility in achieving political ends (like the SA for the Nazis) might be discarded once they outlive their usefulness or become a threat to the established order.

“Useful idiots to be sure. The homosexual leadership got uppity and were dealt with.”

• Useful Idiots: This term historically refers to individuals or groups who are used by a political movement to achieve its goals but are unaware of the manipulation and are later discarded. The author is implying that the SA leaders were used by the Nazis and then eliminated.
• Homosexual Leadership: Ernst Röhm and some other SA leaders were known to be homosexual. This aspect was used by the Nazis as part of the justification for the purge, even though it was not the primary reason.
• “Got Uppity”: This phrase implies that Röhm and his associates overstepped their boundaries or became too powerful, prompting their elimination.

Conclusion

The statements on ZeroHedge appear to use the historical example of the SA to comment on contemporary social movements. The analogy suggests that just as the SA was purged by the Nazi regime once it became inconvenient or threatening, modern movements that are currently tolerated or supported by those in power might also face elimination once they are no longer useful or become problematic. This interpretation carries a cautionary message about the potential fate of politically instrumental groups.