No, actually, through a campaign of propaganda that wasn't stopped.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gleichschaltung
Goebbels himself remarked how stupid the institutions were for granting them freedom of speech:
> When our enemies say: well, we gave you the freedom of opinion back then- yeah, you gave it to us, that's in no way evidence that we should return the favor! Your stupidity shall not be contagious! That you granted it to us is evidence of how dumb you are!
-- Joseph Goebbels, 1935
Re:Cloudflare CEO on the Italy Fines
by marcosdumay on Saturday January 10, 2026 @09:37AM
(#46566051)
> propaganda that wasn't stopped
That's a really misleading way to say it. Because they took charge of the entire structure aimed at stopping propaganda, and used it to amplify theirs.
The more laws and government agencies Germany had to fight propaganda, the easier time the Nazis would have had.
Re:Cloudflare CEO on the Italy Fines
by scrollaway on Saturday January 10, 2026 @10:28AM
(#46566483)
It took many steps, not just a convenient on-topic one. And among those many steps, the US has taken most of them at this stage.
And how did it go from a democracy to a dictatorship? Because he convinced the people to give up their rights in response to a perceived threat.