Brenton
No, YOU’RE like Hitler
June 16th 2007 09:14
As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one. This well accepted fact of the Internet is known as Godwin’s Law, also referred to as Reducto Ad Hitlerum.
Basically, it refers to the inevitable practice of somebody being compared to Hitler, or a group being compared to Nazis, within a debate or disagreement.
This is problematic. The main issue I can see is that when people compare to Hitler it is rarely expressed in a direct ideological comparison. Instead, usually it is designed to simply portray that other individuals ideas as ‘bad’. And the reason of why it’s bad is usually given as – because it’s like Hitler/Nazi’s.
This is where it gets sticky. Because the next question is – why is Hitler bad? Obviously because he was a genocide warmonger.
However, this is rarely relevant to the discussion. Usually the subject will be something totally separate to WWII. Which makes comparisons to Hitler over things such as Environmentalism (yes, I have seen this) quite bizarre, as they rarely take into account the fact that the reasons Hitler was considered ‘evil’ are separate to the elements of the debate that they are depicting him as having similarity with.
Basically what I’m getting to, is the argument is always the same. So and so shares X attribute with Hitler. Therefore So and so is as bad as Hitler. Hitler is not bad because he did what so and so did. Hitler is bad because Hitler is bad.
This is the risk we face when we as a society begin to turn history into mythology. By changing our view of Hitler from ‘a man who committed evil acts’ to ‘the personification of evil’, we no longer recognize the lessons learned from the man and his acts – one can avoid being Hitler simply by ‘not being evil’ – in which the inference is, nobody could be like Hitler because he’s an ethical absolute – nobody could be pure evil so nobody can be Hitler. Therefore, nobody has anything to learn from WWII as it was caused by pure evilness, which is not something we individually are capable of.
When society builds facts into mythology it paves the way for ignorant arguments, based on pretty much nothing to hold strong emotional power over the masses, twisting words into powerful pieces of propaganda.
Just like Hitler did.
Original Image and visual concept
Basically, it refers to the inevitable practice of somebody being compared to Hitler, or a group being compared to Nazis, within a debate or disagreement.
This is problematic. The main issue I can see is that when people compare to Hitler it is rarely expressed in a direct ideological comparison. Instead, usually it is designed to simply portray that other individuals ideas as ‘bad’. And the reason of why it’s bad is usually given as – because it’s like Hitler/Nazi’s.
This is where it gets sticky. Because the next question is – why is Hitler bad? Obviously because he was a genocide warmonger.
However, this is rarely relevant to the discussion. Usually the subject will be something totally separate to WWII. Which makes comparisons to Hitler over things such as Environmentalism (yes, I have seen this) quite bizarre, as they rarely take into account the fact that the reasons Hitler was considered ‘evil’ are separate to the elements of the debate that they are depicting him as having similarity with.
Basically what I’m getting to, is the argument is always the same. So and so shares X attribute with Hitler. Therefore So and so is as bad as Hitler. Hitler is not bad because he did what so and so did. Hitler is bad because Hitler is bad.
This is the risk we face when we as a society begin to turn history into mythology. By changing our view of Hitler from ‘a man who committed evil acts’ to ‘the personification of evil’, we no longer recognize the lessons learned from the man and his acts – one can avoid being Hitler simply by ‘not being evil’ – in which the inference is, nobody could be like Hitler because he’s an ethical absolute – nobody could be pure evil so nobody can be Hitler. Therefore, nobody has anything to learn from WWII as it was caused by pure evilness, which is not something we individually are capable of.
When society builds facts into mythology it paves the way for ignorant arguments, based on pretty much nothing to hold strong emotional power over the masses, twisting words into powerful pieces of propaganda.
Just like Hitler did.
Original Image and visual concept
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Comment by Damo
Anti smoking nazi.
Femonazi
Endless nazis to choose from.
Comment by Ahmed
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
You put it downn really well, we compare too many things to hitler, we could just as well say that ' you breath, like Hitler, therefore you are evil!'.
Comment by Ahmed
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
You would appreciate the movie Max.
I have been labelled a movie "Nazi" more than once, I take it as a compliment in that context.
Totally agree that to mythologize evil is to stop pondering what motivates it.
Comment by Brenton
Dr Spin
Tales From The Other Side
Blip Blog
Gadget Museum
You see it all the time.
Why did Hitler succeed in convincing an entire nation to follow him of a bloody quest for world domination?
Becasue he was evil.
Why did terrorists attack the united states on 911?
Because they were evil?
Why do Isreal and Palistine fight?
Because (the one you like least) is evil.
Etc.
Comment by Damo
Comment by Nickoftime's Sanity Corner
thought provoking post...It does seem like every time you turn around someone is calling you a Nazi...
You're a:
Fitness Nazi
Food Nazi
Clothes Nazi
I've been accused of being a Nazi so many times it's getting boring...why is it everytime you express freedom of speech you're likened to Hitler?
Makes you wonder doesn't it...
Fantastic post, very deep...
Take care,
Nick
Comment by Howard
Real Crash
Comment by Ahmed
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
Thats the oddest comment I've ever seen, do you want to defend your right to cal people nazis? Perhaps it makes you feel better, kind of difficult to argue points when you know you're wrong. Now if you can't call or compare people to hitler/nazis you won't have anything to one up on the other person.
Nice.
Comment by Howard
Real Crash
Comment by Ahmed
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
You call people what you like to, because it makes you feel better, that doesn't mean they are what you say.
Comment by Howard
Real Crash
Ahmed, you have heard of "marketing" haven't you? Well some of the same people or their proteges are marketing the same mass murder, and "Nazi" policies under environmentalism. That doesn't mean there are not real needs for clean and abundant water, air and even forests. The new scandal of the BAE (British Aerospace) and their $100 billion slush fund may expose the people depriving Americans, and Iranians from a future. Prince Bandar and his British friends are much more witting than Pres. Bush.
Comment by Ahmed
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
In your eyes, am I a nazi because I believe in environmental conservation?
Comment by Brenton
Dr Spin
Tales From The Other Side
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Gadget Museum
The point I make is when we begin to use words like Nazi as interchangible to 'evil' we loose the true meaning, and thus the lesson inherent with in their genuine historical role.
Comment by Howard
Real Crash
A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet.
Comment by Ahmed
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
Because that reasoning is flawed on so many levels, as is the whole 'environment conservation is about starving people to death' when in fact it's the exact oppossite: About improving the quality of life of people as a whole.
Comment by Brenton
Dr Spin
Tales From The Other Side
Blip Blog
Gadget Museum
Anyway, my point was nothing to do with Environment and simply saying that Nazi references are almost defunt now due to the cultural mythologisation of nazis and WW2.
Comment by Howard
Real Crash
Complications in strategy that made Winston Churchill, et al. turn against the Nazis in 1938 does not change what these guys set into motion.
Comment by Brenton
Dr Spin
Tales From The Other Side
Blip Blog
Gadget Museum
Comment by Ahmed
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
As for Al Gore, yeah, I guess he wants to kill all the black people in Africa, good for him I suppose, I don't undertsand just how he plans to because right now things are going well in Africa, people are dying quite consistantly.
Comment by Howard
Real Crash
Comment by Ahmed
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
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Comment by Howard
Real Crash
Don't be afraid of paradoxes. The one who wants to garden the earth needs nuclear and fusion energy. Lots of energy. And then there's the whole solar system...
We are getting to the point that we will have civilization and no more aggressive war, or we will all be Nazi beasts, I believe.
Comment by Ahmed
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
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Comment by Howard
Real Crash
With nuclear energy, we either garden the world, or blow it up. Remember the USA can go back to FDR, Lincoln, G. Washington, etc, not perfect, but a real nation. check it out. OK?
Comment by Ahmed
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
We already are being ruled by oppresive governments, we already are slowly having our rights taken away and most people don't mind it, they're scared and don't like being scared.
As for Nuclear power, that should simply be a stop over on the way to alternative power, Nuclear power may be good in the short term, but all that radioactive waste is bound to cause problems.