Imagine this scenario

Germany in 1933. Hitler takes power. Things go as they did, historically---except that Hitler does not scapegoat and persecute the Jews. He also defers to his generals and advisors.

Einstein does not leave the country. Honored and rewarded for his work, he helps Germany develop atomic energy, which other scientists apply to making an atomic bomb.

Listening to his armaments minister, his generals, and Goering, Hitler does not start a war until Germany has a huge technological advantage over its rivals. When he does decide to invade Poland in 1945, Germany has:

1. Nuclear weapons.

2. Ballistic missiles.

3. Cruise missiles.

4. Surface-to-air guided missiles.

5. Jet aircraft.

6. The most advanced tanks in the world.

7. Nuclear powerplants.

8. An advanced highway system and a highly mechanized army.

9. The world's best pretzels.

France and England are quickly overrun. Russia sues for peace after Moscow and Leningrad are nuked. Hitler takes his time and builds a massive invasion fleet, and the US lasts about a year before it is destroyed.

We came very, very close to something like this happening. It's sobering to think how close Germany came to crushing everybody as it was. Hitler probably couldn't have conquered North America at first, but eventually...

Dam!! You had me at pretzels!!.

So, . . . . . like, . . . . . what's the downside ?

The downside of Nazi Germany dominating the earth? Well, for one, lox and bagels would be illegal.

I was thinking about this and realizing that Germany's racial discrimination ultimately kept it from winning the war. The resources they spent on persecuting and murdering the Jews were wasted.

Are we making the same sort of mistake by keeping the next Einstein out of our country? To the Germans, he was just another filthy Jew. What filthy Hispanic are we keeping out of the country who will go on to make incredible scientific discoveries---somewhere else?

Kevin Lewis explains: "Well, for one, lox and bagels would be illegal."  

Hey back on 14 January at 9:18pm Kevin Lewis wrote: "Hitler does not scapegoat and persecute the Jews."

So, what's up with "illegal bagels" ? ? ? 

I was stating a hypothetical situation. I didn't think anyone would need me to preface the sentence with "Let us suppose that..."

You asked the fairly dumb question of what would be the downside to Nazi domination of the earth. I answered in a tongue-in-cheek way. As to why bagels would be illegal even if the Nazis didn't persecute the Jews, I'd think that pretzels would be the only approved baked snack. So, no croissants or biscuits, either.

Der Fuhrer's twisted reasoning is just a collection of hypothetical situations. The truth is not his friend.