Please Stop comparing everything with Adolf Hitler!

Anttech

Apart from the emotional load of this kind of discussion, perhaps it is still a mystery to be solved how a single lunatic managed to become the undisputed deity of an entire population. How can we prevent it from happening ever again? Not by applying taboo rules on the subject.

Hitler was nothing without his henchmen. They (the nazi party) saw a gap in the market (so to speak) and filled it with facism, using many of Mussolini tricks in propoganda they manipulated the populas (of which >40% were unemployed) into thinking the Arien way was the only way, and Hitler was a supprem being of sorts..

I dont think it is such a mystery how the Nazi's came to power, but I aggree we "Should never forget" so as to prevent it from happening again

SOS2008

Quote by jaap de vries

The other day I saw anti-abortion protesters comparing abortion with the holocaust including graphical pictures of dead Jews piled up. Question, if abortion and the holocaust are so similar than why did the pope conveniently remained silent during WOII and is he screaming murder now about abortion?

Your observation is correct. Why are the right-wing conservatives so obsessed with abortion but unconcerned about the babies (or people in general) who are killed in war (i.e., Iraq) or genocide? In other words, be consistent if you're pro-life.

Quote by Andre

Apart from the emotional load of this kind of discussion, perhaps it is still a mystery to be solved how a single lunatic managed to become the undisputed deity of an entire population. How can we prevent it from happening ever again? Not by applying taboo rules on the subject.

The comparison is often over used or inappropriate, but I agree, we should always remember history and learn from it.

As Anttech said: …we "Should never forget" so as to prevent it from happening again

Quote by fourier jr

well right-wingers misuse words like communist, marxist, liberal, anarchist words all the time. when wil they stop assuming that, for example, canada building a national power grid is something that kim kong il would do here? (someone said that on another forum)

True too, which gets back to censorship in general. If one starts limiting views, then where will the line be drawn?

Pengwuino

Quote by jaap de vries

So you agree that the Vatican bases their opinions not solely on religion but more on political gain.

I don't really think you understand the implications of having one of the largest armies ever sitting at your doorstep being headed by a leader who doesn't see anything wrong with killing millions of people because of their religion.

Ivan Seeking

Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. What have we to learn from and compare to but real events?

I don't know how people are using this comparison here, but in some respects analogy and comparisons can by useful and insightful.

edward

If someome wants to make a comparison to someone or some thing truly nasty and evil. Hitler and Nazi are the first things that come to mind.

I think it also happens because they are histroically recent and the most studied. We could compare a politician to Vlad the Impaler, but how many people are fimiliar with Bad old Vlad.

According to the link below a lot of people have been compared to Hitler. The problem with this is that it waters down just how truly evil Hitler and the Nazi's really were.

http://beautifulatrocities.com/archi..._future_e.html

Hurkyl

I don't know how people are using this comparison here, but in some respects analogy and comparisons can by useful and insightful.

The general rule is that comparisons with Hitler and such are not useful and insightful. (You should read the literature on Godwin's law)

These comparisons are almost exclusively used as a synonym for "double plus evil"^*. These comparisons do not attempt to extract any meaningful information out of the comparison; they merely wish to project feelings about the Nazis onto the topic at hand.

Furthermore, even if there is, on some topic a valid analogy to be extracted from Hitler's example, you are unlikely to be able to make the analogy without carrying over the extreme connotations associated with it. (in which the point will almost certainly be lost) Thus, even in this circumstance, it is advisable not to make such comparisons.

*: I find it ironic that newspeak has increased the expressiveness of English.

JasonRox

What about comparing scientists to Einstein?

Everyone compares something with something, but it's always done improperly.

Yes, it does make you look stupid.

ComputerGeek

Quote by jaap de vries

I noticed in many threads that many things are compared to Adolf Hitler and the Gestapo etc.
Why don't we just decide here that we will stop doing that ok, it makes people sound very uneducated.

The other day I saw anti-abortion protesters comparing abortion with the holocaust including graphical pictures of dead Jews piled up. Question, if abortion and the holocaust are so similar than why did the pope conveniently remained silent during WOII and is he screaming murder now about abortion?
Just an observation I made.

Jaap

You know... that comment is so Nazi like...

oh.. wait

Smurf

I'm so dissapointed in you all. Especially you Pengwuino, I expected better.

If I'd been around when this thread was created I would've immediately jumped in with a "Godwin's Law! jaap de vries Loses!".

tsk tsk.

NateTG

Quote by Smurf

I'm so dissapointed in you all. Especially you Pengwuino, I expected better.

If I'd been around when this thread was created I would've immediately jumped in with a "Godwin's Law! jaap de vries Loses!".

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/usenet/legends/godwin/

Hurkyl

Gah, here's a Godwin's law related situation I don't know how to handle!

Quote by person1

What ever happened to the policy of diplomatic engagement?

Quote by person2

The policy of appeasing such regimes ended in 1938.

Although the general rule is that you shouldn't reference Hitler et al, do we have a valid exception when the right answer¹ to a question requires such a reference? Can anyone field this one?

1: Or at least what one thinks to be the right answer.

Art

Quote by Hurkyl

Gah, here's a Godwin's law related situation I don't know how to handle!

Although the general rule is that you shouldn't reference Hitler et al, do we have a valid exception when the right answer¹ to a question requires such a reference? Can anyone field this one?

1: Or at least what one thinks to be the right answer.

The link appears to be diplomatic engagement = appeasement = rise of Nazis.

Exactly why diplomatic engagement is being equated to appeasement totally eludes me??

Modern business management practices promote the win-win scenario rather than the old 'hah, I win you lose' approach to negotiations.

Most civilised countries today follow the modern win-win approach to settling differences through diplomatic engagement without any appeasement and so making a ridiculous leap from diplomatic engagement to appeasement apparently to justify dragging nazism into it to my mind does invoke Godwins law.

Hurkyl

I didn't bring this here to debate the correctness of person2's answer.

Presumably, person2 thought his answer was right -- the question is about how he should proceed. (Based on his thoughts, not yours

)

Art

Quote by Hurkyl

I didn't bring this here to debate the correctness of person2's answer.

Presumably, person2 thought his answer was right -- the question is about how he should proceed. (Based on his thoughts, not yours

)

Presumably anybody who draws a parallel between a current event and nazism does so because they think they are right. It was to prevent folk from broadcasting such delusions that Godwin's law was formulated.

Smurf

Quote by Art

Presumably anybody who draws a parallel between a current event and nazism does so because they think they are right. It was to prevent folk from broadcasting such delusions that Godwin's law was formulated.

Nah, Godwin's law was created to parody Usenet discussions. Then some dumbasses got their hands on it and said "No No No! Let's use this to HELP people talk in a more sophisticated manner on the internet", and thus crap such as this was created.

BobG

Great! Now we've just lost a key international diplomatic debate to Venezuela! Rumsfeld likens Venezuela’s Chavez to Hitler

Quote by Venezuela invokes Godwin's Law against US

In a stunning maneuver, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez invokes Godwin's Law against US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and the US. Due to an obscure article in the UN Charter, the UN Security Council had no choice but to vote unanimously for sanctions against the United States. US Ambassador John Bolton loudly abstained from the vote.

Quote by Bush Claims Executive Branch Exempt from Godwin's Law

President George Bush, backed by the U.S. Department of Justice, insisted a joint resolution passed by Congress days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks granted him sweeping wartime powers to protect the nation against future catastrophic terrorism. The Justice Department lays out numerous historical and legal precedents from the country's past armed conflicts to justify the comparison of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to Hitler.

"The comparison of leaders in evil regimes to Hitler has been one of America's key weapons dating back to World War I, when Joseph Joffre's 'Plan XVII' was compared to Hitler's blueprint for invading Russia", Bush responded in a speech to France's National Assembly, "Heck, in World War II we compared Germany's leader to Hitler nearly every day. And it was hard work."

Okay, I admit it. The two stories in the quote boxes aren't real.

SOS2008

Quote by BobG

Great! Now we've just lost a key international diplomatic debate to Venezuela! Rumsfeld likens Venezuela’s Chavez to HitlerOkay, I admit it. The two stories in the quote boxes aren't real.

Very funny...

But Rummy did say this:

Rumsfeld likens Venezuela’s Chavez to Hitler
Defense chief expresses concern at ‘populist leadership’ in Latin America
Associated Press
Updated: 10:00 a.m. ET Feb. 3, 2006

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld likened Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to Adolf Hitler...

Rumsfeld, asked during a National Press Club appearance Thursday about indications of a deteriorating general relationship between Washington and parts of Latin America ...he said... “We also saw corruption in that part of the world. And corruption is something that is corrosive of democracy.”

“I mean, we’ve got Chavez in Venezuela with a lot of oil money,” Rumsfeld added. “He’s a person who was elected legally — just as Adolf Hitler was elected legally — and then consolidated power and now is, of course, working closely with Fidel Castro and Mr. Morales and others.”

Corruption is corrosive to democracy, huh? And a leader who is elected legally (with no irregularities/fraud?) but then consolidates power, pehaps by invading another country thus becoming a Wartime President...is…like Hitler?

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Ivan Seeking Recognitions: Gold Member Science Advisor Staff Emeritus	Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. What have we to learn from and compare to but real events? I don't know how people are using this comparison here, but in some respects analogy and comparisons can by useful and insightful.

JasonRox Recognitions: Gold Member Homework Help	What about comparing scientists to Einstein? Everyone compares something with something, but it's always done improperly. Yes, it does make you look stupid.

Smurf	I'm so dissapointed in you all. Especially you Pengwuino, I expected better. If I'd been around when this thread was created I would've immediately jumped in with a "Godwin's Law! jaap de vries Loses!". tsk tsk.

Hurkyl Recognitions: Gold Member Science Advisor Staff Emeritus	I didn't bring this here to debate the correctness of person2's answer. Presumably, person2 thought his answer was right -- the question is about how he should proceed. (Based on his thoughts, not yours )