How Fast and Furious 2011 is like the Reichstag Fire 1933

"It's like ATF created or added to the problem so they could be the solution to it and pat themselves on the back," says one law enforcement source familiar with the facts. "It's a circular way of thinking."

German Reichstag Fire, 1933

Followup story here: Left vs. Libertarian on Fast and Furious

Answer to title: Both events were attempts by the political classes to grab power in their respective republics.

In the case of the Reichstag* Fire (Reichstagsbrand), the National Socialists of Germany succeeded in scaring the public into thinking they needed more National Socialists and fewer International Socialists to protect them, along with bestowing more power on an already wildly popular Chancellor Hitler.  However, nobody died in the Reichstagsbrand.

Chancellor Obama?

How is the US federal government "Fast and Furious" operation similar to the Reichstagsbrand?  The latest news indicates that it was an effort by the Obama administration to infringe upon Amendment II to the United States Constitution.  While nobody died in the Reichstag fire, Agent Brian Terry's death is the direct result of operation Fast and Furious.

Via CBS News - Documents: ATF used "Fast and Furious" to make the case for gun regulations

On July 14, 2010 after ATF headquarters in Washington D.C. received an update on Fast and Furious, ATF Field Ops Assistant Director Mark Chait emailed Bill Newell, ATF's Phoenix Special Agent in Charge of Fast and Furious:

"Bill - can you see if these guns were all purchased from the same (licensed gun dealer) and at one time. We are looking at anecdotal cases to support a demand letter on long gun multiple sales. Thanks."

On Jan. 4, 2011, as ATF prepared a press conference to announce arrests in Fast and Furious, Newell saw it as "(A)nother time to address Multiple Sale on Long Guns issue." And a day after the press conference, Chait emailed Newell: "Bill--well done yesterday... (I)n light of our request for Demand letter 3, this case could be a strong supporting factor if we can determine how many multiple sales of long guns occurred during the course of this case."

This revelation angers gun rights advocates. Larry Keane, a spokesman for National Shooting Sports Foundation, a gun industry trade group, calls the discussion of Fast and Furious to argue for Demand Letter 3 "disappointing and ironic." Keane says it's "deeply troubling" if sales made by gun dealers "voluntarily cooperating with ATF's flawed 'Operation Fast & Furious' were going to be used by some individuals within ATF to justify imposing a multiple sales reporting requirement for rifles."

Here is some email between the the ATF and a licensed gun dealer.
Email 1

Email 2

ATF's group supervisor on Fast and Furious David Voth assures the gun dealer there's nothing to worry about. "We (ATF) are continually monitoring these suspects using a variety of investigative techniques which I cannot go into detail."

Two months later, the same gun dealer grew more agitated.

"I wanted to make sure that none of the firearms that were sold per our conversation with you and various ATF agents could or would ever end up south of the border or in the hands of the bad guys. I guess I am looking for a bit of reassurance that the guns are not getting south or in the wrong hands...I want to help ATF with its investigation but not at the risk of agents (sic) safety because I have some very close friends that are US Border Patrol agents in southern AZ as well as my concern for all the agents (sic) safety that protect our country."

"It's like ATF created or added to the problem so they could be the solution to it and pat themselves on the back," says one law enforcement source familiar with the facts. "It's a circular way of thinking."

More at the CBS website.
This latest That revelation comes from the same administration that has nationalized a large segment of the automobile industry without any Congressional approval and  has nationalized the health care industry during a period of same-party domination of both houses of Congress.  National Socialism?  Yes.

Update 9 DEC 2011 from The Daily Caller:

Georgia Democratic Rep. Hank Johnson accused the tea party movement and the National Rifle Association of creating an “manufactured” controversy over Operation Fast and Furious Thursday.

Johnson’s comments came during an interview with The Daily Caller outside the House Judiciary Committee hearing room. Attorney General Eric Holder was testifying before the committee about Fast and Furious — a Justice Department program where Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents facilitated the sale of about 2,000 guns to Mexican drug cartels.

“I think this is another manufactured controversy by the second amendment, NRA Republican tea party movement,” Johnson said.

Bolding mine.
This is growing to be identical to what the National Socialists pulled in 1933.

Before anybody assumes (since I have not mentioned it on this blog before this) that I am comparing the Obama administration's actions to the 1938 German Weapons Act at all.  That act deserves a post of its own, since the 1938 German Weapons Act bears more similarities to Wilsonian and FDR era gun restrictions targeting race: Jews were forbidden from the manufacturing or ownership of firearms and ammunition. (page 22)  Otherwise, the much misstated Hitler-era German law expanded citizens rights to be armed.


More On Obama And His Fast And Furious National Socialists

*German Parliament of the Weinmar Republic