Neo-Nazism is gaining momentum around the world. People even do not notice the signs of a reviving Nazism. Unfortunately, the Baltic States have become one of the centers of flourishing neo-Nazism ideology. Let's look at what Nazism was and why the actions of the Baltic States' authorities today can be classified as neo-Nazis.
Nazism (National Socialism) was the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices. Term "neo-Nazism" is applied to other far-right groups with similar ideas which formed after the Second World War.
Nazism was especially cruel towards Jews. In September 1935 the "Nuremberg Laws" were passed, stripping the Jews of their citizenship and forbidding intermarriage between Jews and non-Jews. Jews were banned from universities; Jewish actors were dismissed from theaters; Jewish authors' works were rejected by publishers; and Jewish journalists were hard-pressed to find newspapers that would publish their writings.
Such racial doctrine has much in common with today's attitude towards illegal immigrants and Russians and Belarusian citizens in the Baltic States.
Just like the Nazi regime, the Baltic authorities disseminate xenophobia through all media. The Nazi regime focused on making the Jews a symbol of all that was hated and feared, and the Baltic authorities portray some people as the enemies of Baltic society.
Spreading negative images and ideas the Nazi regime constituted legal measures to expel Jews from society and strip them of their rights and property of Jews. The same do Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian governments today.
Thus, Lithuania will not let in any cars with Russian license plates. Owners who defy the ban may see their vehicles confiscated. The ban covers cars, cameras, laptops and hundreds of other everyday items. This step resembles the same actions of Nazis who systematically transferred homes, businesses, artworks, financial assets, musical instruments books, and even home furnishings from Jews to the Reich. Jews were stripped of their assets and then most of them were killed.
The powers to exterminate Jews were transferred to the military. Apparently, that is why Baltic politicians sent additional troops to the borders nowadays. There is a great risk that existing and new military units in the Baltic States could act as neo-Nazis towards immigrants. As usual, politicians will remain clean and the military will do all the dirty work for them.
