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by Rod D. Martin
August 2, 2018
An end-of-day note before I leave my desk for dinner.
On this day in 1934, Adolf Hitler became Fuhrer of Germany. He did not achieve this by conquest or coup, by revolution or revolt. Rather, he won an election.
And then he used Germany’s existing constitutional institutions against themselves, until justice was twisted into dictatorship, genocide and war.
I learned of Hitler at a very young age. I studied every book in my county library on the topic of World War II before I was 10. I learned many formative things from that study. But none did I learn so much as this:
Politics matters. Politics is indeed a matter of life and death. It is the blessing by which free men and women are allowed to govern themselves. And it is also the tool by which wicked men and women may enslave us and our children.
Ronald Reagan said many times that we are never more than one generation from losing our inheritance of freedom. And history proves him right, on this as on so many other things.
This is an election year. You owe your ancestors, yourself, and your posterity that civic duty of becoming fully informed, involving yourself, advocating for the truth, and of course voting, to defend that which is good and right against those who, with or without malice, would destroy it.
This is that minimum exertion which every citizen in every nation so blessed with liberty owes his community, his history and his future. And if the lesson of Hitler’s election teaches us anything, it teaches us that failing in this duty is at best negligent, dishonorable, and shameful.
— Why Politics Matters originally appeared as a Facebook post by Rod D. Martin.
Rod is one of our nation’s leading minds. He’s smart, original, and very committed—a combination that one rarely finds.
Rod Martin and [former Howard Dean campaign manager] Joe Trippi are America’s two foremost experts on online politics.
Rod Martin is a Reaganite-Thatcherite conservative…[and] a man who has spent much of his life ministering to and working for the benefit of others. I know Rod as an advocate for freedom, a leader who understands the real changes we need in Washington, and who has the drive and ability to make those changes happen.
Rod Martin is the kind of dynamic leader who has the knowledge, ability and experience to lead us successfully into the 21st Century. His vision for America is compelling.
Rod Martin literally wrote the book on excellence. Humble yet brilliant, a man of love and compassion, with penetrating clarity he illuminates the world around us, and we are both stirred and enlightened.
Rod Martin is a born leader and an outstanding political mind. Anyone who takes him on is going to have a serious fight on their hands.
Rod Martin is a man of uncommon vision and character. Ever since I first worked alongside Rod in the early days of PayPal, I’ve been struck by his powerful vision for the future. Rod understands the intersection of technology, politics and culture in a way that few others do.
Rod Martin wears with uncommon grace an uncanny ability to link his vigorous faith to the practical challenges of both the business world and the political arena. Yet the respect he shows for others carries a warmth and modesty that are both too rare among those who are strong advocates of feisty positions.
America badly needs more leaders who really get the future. We need more Rod Martins.
Rod Martin is a modern day philosopher-statesman. He is a capitalist intellectual, a conservative iconoclast, a gentle adversary and a kind prophet. He inspires us towards a fresh national vision built upon the original founding principles.
Rod Martin is not only effective and efficient, but he is also perceptive, wise and gracious. He gets things done. He is a great friend and a great ally.
Rod is one of the sharpest, most gracious men I know, and one of the most gifted political thinkers today. His ability to analyze issues and communicate thoughtful insights on them have earned him the respect of people across the political spectrum.
I am proud to have been Rod Martin’s friend for a quarter century, and I can tell you that he is one of the finest men and most outstanding leaders in our church and in our country today. He has a knack for turning everything he touches to success.
Rod Martin is a cornucopian entrepreneur and eutropic thinker whose influence radiates through an array of companies, institutions, movements and churches. A renaissance American, he is also a prolific friend of freedom and faith around the globe.
If Rod Martin represents the next generation of leaders, America has nothing to worry about.
A leader and a servant, in public life and in private, Rod Martin strides at the top of his profession, and has nowhere to go but up. He is in the truest sense of the word ‘outstanding’.
Rod Martin is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished thought leaders today. He is a wonderful mentor, a humble role model, and a deep inspiration for the next generation of scientific innovators and entrepreneurs.
Rod’s achievements pale beside his character and his brilliance. He sees what others can’t. He leads when others won’t.
Rod Martin is one of America’s finest young minds.
