Tennessee Republican Says Hitler an Inspiration for How Homeless Can Escape Poverty

In support of a bill currently going through the Tennessee state senate, Republican state senator Frank Niceley wants folks to know people can work their way out of homelessness, explaining that "I want to give you a little lesson on homelessness. In nineteen and ten, Hitler decided to live on the streets for a while. So, for two years, Hitler lived on the streets and practiced his oratory, his body language, and how to connect with citizens - and then went on to lead a life that got him into history books. So, a lot of these people, it's not a dead end. They can come out of these homeless camps and have a productive life.”

Like it or not, Sen. Niceley does make a good point. If you ever find yourself homeless, rather than try and immediately find a job or some sort of housing, the first move you should consider making - is invading Poland. Because it’s important for people to know that if you just pull yourself up by your bootstraps, you too can go from a struggling and desperate homeless person - to a murderous, psychopathic dictator.

Now, what I find most interesting is that this Republican could have picked any one of hundreds of inspirational examples of people who’ve managed to overcome poverty and homelessness, yet the best example he could think of was that of Adolf Hitler. I suppose that means Hitler must be polling quite well among Republicans in Tennessee this year.

Anyway, given the popularity of authoritarian strongmen among conservatives of late, it’s sort of a shame Hitler isn’t available to speak at CPAC this year. Why, his fiery speeches attacking minorities and immigrants, would instantly make him the star attraction of the conference. Of course, because Hitler’s dead, he won’t actually be able to physically attend CPAC. On the other hand, whenever there's a large gathering of conservative Republicans, Hitler will always be there in spirit.

Now, my take on all this nonsense is that Republicans are just pissed because they’re getting so much blowback in their effort to criminalize poverty. This is why, when Sen. Niceley sees homeless people on the street, he immediately asks himself, “Now, what would Hitler do?” Well, the fact is, that’s really not such a difficult question to answer - he committed suicide.

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