Brown and Balls - confused with Hitler and Goebels?

Several people I've spoken to have likened the current government to Hitler's fascists or the former Russian communist party, both of whom sought total control over the population and intrusive surveillance / monitoring.

Regardless of my personal thoughts on this score I was quite surprised to read this article by Melanie Phillips telling the tale of Ed Balls trying to bully a Spectator journalist to withdraw an article accusing him of lying about the economy and then his visit, with Gordon Brown to Fulham Cross school where both the local MP and the council leader were snubbed with attempts to keep them away whilst Balls and Brown paraded for the press.

For similarities with our current government and the Nazis perhaps visit Wikipedia and look up Gleichschaltung. Any of it sound familiar?

http://www.spectator.co.uk/melaniephillips/3727551/the-schools-secretary-forgets-where-he-is.thtml
http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/3725688/talking-balls.thtml
http://conservativehome.blogs.com/centreright/2009/06/how-not-to-be-prime-ministerial-on-a-pm-visit.html