It's remarkable that in 2017, calling out Nazis has become a controversial political stand. Everyone from Ted Cruz to Mitt Romney has come out denouncing Nazis in unambiguous terms, leaving only Donald Trump to remain obsessed with comparing Antifa to Nazi protestors. Of course, political violence leads nowhere. But we can expect the President of the United States to hold a thoughtful line, correct? Well, maybe not. We may have to rely on celebrities and other figures in public life to maintain civilization. Nazis, if anything, seem to be an overflow of deeper problems in American life. Hating Nazis is bipartisan, but taking on institutional racism is rare. How can we create a better America when such chaos is erupting on the streets? That said, when it comes to dunking on Nazis, Arnold Schwarzenegger has no rivals. No politician has come across as so earnest, fatherly and straightforward as he has when taking on the subject. [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/attn/status/898328098529083394]] The man's words are heartfelt and heartbreaking! "Believe me, I knew the original Nazis." Born in Austria in 1947, the aftermath of the war defined young Arnold's life. The Nazis of today are nothing compared to the Nazis of the 40s, with an army at their back and the entire might of German steel production - they were close to taking over the world. Russia lost millions of soldiers fighting the Nazis, and if they hadn't, there's a good chance the Americans and the English would have lost the war. The Arnold goes on: “Growing up, I was surrounded by broken men ― men who came home from the war filled with shrapnel and guilt. Men who were misled into a losing ideology. And I can tell you: these ghosts who you idolize spent the rest of their lives living in shame. And right now they’re resting in hell.” These are powerful words. The historical amnesia in the West has led some to forget that Nazism is not just another view, but a defeated viewpoint about the world. Nazis rejected liberalism, equality, dignity of the individual, and universal rights. An outcrop of Nazism rising again would be disastrous for everyone on Earth. "The country that defeated Hitler's army is no place for Nazi flags." Indeed. “The party of Lincoln won’t stand with those who carry the battle flag of the failed Confederacy.” A little Trump bobblehead represents the shade Arnold is throwing at the President - it isn't hard to come down on Nazis in explicit terms. After all, Nazis nearly destroyed the world during the 20th century. His words for the protestors are still hopeful, however. It is never too late to learn that all human beings have equal value. It is never too late to abandon the Nazi flag and bury this silly ideology in the trash heap of history. A Chicago non-profit group called Life After Hate has devoted its resources toward de-radicalizing white supremacists. They've convinced dozens of white supremacists to disavow their views and rejoin polite society. Of course, Trump defunded them, because he believes in cutting many social services, but groups like Life After Hate provide hope for the future. People who hate marginalized groups just need to see them, face to face, to join civilization and understand that if racial purity is the basis for self-worth, then nobody will win.

In the aftermath of the events at Charlottesville, it's clear that society needs to be paying closer attention to those who ascribe to the harmful ideology behind the far right. Organised by white supremacist groups, the Unite The Right rally was held on Saturday, August 12th to protest the removal of a statue of a confederate icon, General Robert E. Lee. Violent clashes quickly broke out after the rally was met by counter-protestors. The Governor of Virginia, Terry McAuliffe was compelled to declare a state of emergency late on Saturday morning after alt-right supporter James Alex Fields ploughed his vehicle into swarms of counter-protestors, fatally injuring 32-year-old Heather Heyer. Fields has since been charged with second-degree murder and remains in custody. [[heroimage||https://www.timeout.com/london/blog/revealed-the-tube-line-that-londoners-hate-the-most-082117?cid=eml~GB_LON~NL~1401180675~&refid=email-1401180675~Title~&UID=14190466487]] A poll conducted by ABC News and the Washington Post examined the public response to the tragedy at Charlottesville. As well as discovering that a whopping 56 per cent of the population was dissatisfied with Trump's response to the violence in the Virginian city, the poll determined that almost one in 10 American citizens believe it's permissible to have white nationalist views. The poll concludes that 9 per cent of Americans or 22 million people are accepting of those who harbour neo-Nazi views. In addition, nearly 10 per cent actively support alt-right organisations. Perhaps these figures can be linked with the astonishing number of Holocaust deniers in America. The poll's results will not surprise those who have been tracking Donald Trump's historically low overall approval rating. Whilst the 45th President of the United States and his supporters insist that such figures are meaningless, it's clear that when poll after poll shows ever-growing dissatisfaction, something isn't right. Not only do nearly 60 per cent of American citizens disapprove of Trump's performance, but another poll conducted by NBC/Marist Polls claims that his job approval rating stands below 40 per cent in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin - three states which ironically helped him come out victorious against Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. Certainly, the ABC News/The Washington Post poll uncovered that 42 per cent of those who were polled believed that their president put the white supremacist groups on "equal standing" as the counter-protestors. ABC News and The Washington Post conversed with over 1,000 people between the 16th and 20th August to determine these statistics. The error margin is 3.5 points. In other news, a man has denounced his racist views after joining the army with Mexican soldiers. [[citation||Hero Image Credit: NBC News]]

Spike Lee has compared Donald Trump to Hitler during his acceptance speech at the New York Film Critics Circle.

The filmmaker was given a special award for his short New York New York, which was filmed during the pandemic, and it was presented to him by fellow filmmaker Martin Scorsese.

Lee went on to slam the former president in his pre-recorded acceptance speech, which was filmed on January 6 - the day of the Capitol riots.

"It's a very sad day in the history of America," said Lee of the incident which led to Trump's second impeachment.

In the video below, Nancy Pelosi says Trump was "a stain" on America and "unworthy to be president":

"We're at the crossroads now…and everybody please be safe. This is not a game… This president Agent Orange will go down in history with the likes of Hitler," he continued before adding that those who have stood by the former president are "on the wrong side of history."

As Lee expressed his gratitude to the New York Film Critics Circle, he explained that his work was never just entirely his own creation and took the opportunity to thank those who have worked with him behind and in front of the camera since his time at NYU film school.

However, he ultimately returned to his original point and said: "All of us, as true Americans, have to really think about what's important."

Credit: PA Images

Lee's words come after Donald Trump's niece, Mary Trump, said that her uncle "enjoyed every second" of the Capitol riots.

Per The Huffington Post, Mary, who has been an outspoken critic of the former president, stated:

"He enjoyed every second of it. He is a physical coward but he’s perfectly happy when other people commit violence on his behalf.

"Secondly, again, he really thought that that was a way to change the results of the legitimate election."

The former president's niece also told MSNBC back in November that her uncle's state of mind was "desperate" and "flailing," after Joe Biden's then-projected victory in the 2020 presidential election.

The full NYFCC virtual awards ceremony is available to watch here.

In the wake of the reprehensible displays of racism and intolerance in Charlottesville, passions have been running high. President Trump, initially appearing reluctant to condemn members of the "alt-right" in the aftermath of the violence, had ostensibly taken steps to mollify those who had been left outraged by his insipid, vague soundbites on Monday when he issued a sterner rebuke to the racist groups involved. Perhaps inevitably, though, it wasn't long before the President had swerved down another abrupt u-turn, when, during an ill-tempered press conference in Trump Tower, Manhattan, he reserved criticism for what he referred to as the "alt-left". He said; “I think there is blame on both sides. “You had a group on one side that was bad. You had a group on the other side that was also very violent. Nobody wants to say that. I’ll say it right now.” President Trump has faced almost universal condemnation for his words, from members of his own party and other world leaders. [[heroimage||http://cdn.junglecreations.com/wp/junglecms/2017/08/charlottesville.jpg]] Social media and newspaper column inches have been ablaze with strong condemnation of the President - and anyone else who attempts to find a moral equivalency between white supremacists and those who protest against it - and now, one 89-year-old woman has had enough. Marianne Rubin fled pre-war Germany to escape the Nazis, and took to the streets of New York City in the wake of Charlottesville to denounce the very same views that forced her to flee Germany. She carried a sign that read "I escaped the Nazis once. You will not defeat me now", and a photograph of her carrying the powerfully-worded message was shared by CNN anchor Seth Lemon, in a Twitter post that has captured the imaginations of thousands. [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/Seth_Lemon/status/896870552048160768]] 89-year-old Rubin described the catalyst for her decision to leave Germany to Seth Lemon thus;  "My father was pushed down and I helped him get up and then we went to France... and then we came here," as she continued, "It's sad. It's terrible. All I can say is it's so bad that... they voted for him". Rubin's granddaughter, meanwhile, shared a similar photograph of the inspirational activist, writing, "90-years-old and my beautiful grandmother is still out here fighting & inspiring (and reminding the world what happens when we're silent)". [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BXwaJg4HDu0/?taken-by=lenaolivias]] The images have been shared thousands of times and appear to have given heart to many in the midst of an entirely regrettable period of time; comments have ranged from branding Rubin as a "hero" to admiring observations about her strength of character, "Now, that's a face of resilience & resolve. I wouldn't want to mess with her, that's for sure", wrote one user. Though Marianne Rubin's image is undoubtedly an iconic and heartening one, it also serves as a poignant reminder; hate has been allowed to fester in society before, and we should all be mindful of its ability to percolate once more if it is not peacefully challenged. Another unsung hero who made a stand against the Nazis during the war is Nicholas Winton, the "British Schindler" who amazingly saved 669 young children from Hitler's clutches.

Joe Rogan has sparked backlash online after sharing a controversial video that compares Covid vaccines to the Holocaust.

The podcast host shared a video on Instagram of himself making the comparison, and in it, he discusses the concept of "freedom" and how the US represents this ideal, Indy100 reports.

As he discusses freedom in relation to Covid vaccines, Rogan plays footage that adds a whole new context to what he is saying.

Watch the controversial video below: 

Rogan makes his point by showing footage of Jewish ghettos in 1940s Europe, Adolf Hitler, the SS, and a concentration camp in Majdanek, Poland, which Indy100 reports was the site of the mass murder of at least 78,000 people.

"As soon as you give politicians power, any kind of power that didn’t exist previously, if they can figure out a way to force you into carrying something that lets you enter businesses or lets you do this or lets businesses open, historically, they are not gonna give that power up," Rogan says.

"They find new reasons to use it. We have to protect those freedoms at all cost, whether you agree with people's choices or not, because it is the foundation that this country was founded on: freedom."

Rogan doesn't explicitly mention the Holocaust or Nazis, however, the images coupled with the context or what he is saying make the metaphor clear.

The video sparked instantaneous backslash on social media and people were quick to take to Twitter to express their distaste.

Reacting to the footage, one Twitter user wrote: "This may be the most ignorant and insensitive thing he has ever done. And that's a big ask!!"

A second added: "This isn't about freedom. Freedom has limits, we don't all need to do what ever we want. Why ? Because we all live here together, and we want different things as individuals. 'Freedom' doesn't mean putting others in danger or make them sick, knowingly or not. [sic]"

A third wrote: "Jesuschrist joe rogan, holocaust analogies ten seconds in [sic]."

A fourth questioned: "Can one of Joe's previous, intelligent guests come back and talk some sense into him?"

Indy100 reports that Rogan has been open about his anti-Covid vaccine stance and even encouraged "healthy 21-year-olds" to not get vaccinated, despite the jabs being recommended by CDC.

Featured image credit: Alamy / Sipa US