To those who have been suggesting "We have nothing to fear, if we have nothing to hide."

[kpete]

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_Santayana


updated to add:
I am not calling anyone ANYTHING,
i am simply pointing out that history often repeats itself.
I am calling for vigilance,
awareness...
kp

[DontTreadOnMe]

1. A Hitler comparison? Really? from you Kpete...

disappointing.

[boston bean]

2. No a historical reference point.

The words are the same. Something to make one think. That is all.

[DontTreadOnMe]

7. Nazi scientists were hired by NASA to help put Americans on the moon

How is that for a historical reference?

[Scootaloo]

6. When Nazis are relevant, it's fair to bring up nazis.

When the origin of a phrase is from Goebbels, then there's nothing wrong with saying "You know, Goebbels came up with that phrase."

[oldhippie]

11. Where do you see a Hitler comparison?

Or for you just any old Nazi close enough?

[Zorra]

18. It is a Nazi comparison. It's not about Hitler. nt

[HipChick]

25. It's a sad day on DU when Du'ers are being compared to Nazi..

It's like comparing Obama to Hitler...oh wait..

[Mojorabbit]

37. I guess if the shoe fits..... nt

[sibelian]

44. It's not a comparison, it's an isomorphism.

It's not "alike". It's "identical". Not a similar idea, the same idea.

[sabrina 1]

43. A warning, from history. Why is there this resistance to reference and learn from history?

There is not much good that can be taken from that monstrous period in what is relatively recent history, but one thing we can do is focus on it, what caused it, how it happened, why and why the people were so apparently complacent and learn from it.

Fear was used to 'get the people to go along'.

Does that sound familiar to you/

[el_bryanto]

3. Who has been suggesting that? nt

[boston bean]

4. A bunch of peeps. You haven't seen it, anywhere?

[el_bryanto]

5. Not around DU - not in those terms.

Even people who support the administration completely generally have some misgivings - although they get riled up at the attacks on the administration.

Bryant

[boston bean]

8. I've seen it. Mostly saying I have nothing to hide.

My life is boring, they can read and listen all they want. Intimating those that have a problem with it have something to hide.

[Bluenorthwest]

15. Yep. It's all about them 'They can listen in on me, it'll bore them senseless! Yock yock!'

It is the exact argument as the statement in the OP. Over and over again. 'I'm so boring! They should tap my phone!' Disgusting.

[DontTreadOnMe]

10. I haven't seen it either... can someone point to the pro-Nazi post here on DU?

Kpete wins "Hair on Fire" Thread of the Day Award

[hobbit709]

12. Look up some of G4A's posts. He was quite happy about any and all sorts of surveillance.

And saying Nothing to hide is not pro-Nazi no matter what you think.

[Hissyspit]

39. I have seen it and responded to those posts.

Last edited Fri Jul 12, 2013, 03:13 AM - Edit history (1)

Over the past couple of months I have come across more than a couple of persons who have posted almost those exact words or variations of them. And, no, I don't remember exactly where and I'm not going to waste a huge amount of time tracking them down.

So, deleting your criticism of kpete as well as the tired 'hair on fire' insult meme might be advisable. You don't have to, of course.

[zeeland]

46. Hardly pro-Nazi

but several posts on this thread that make me uncomfortable, others I disagree strongly with.
I suppose it will depend on your point of view.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2978629

[Neoma]

9. I've seen it.

There was one guy that just didn't budge and kept saying he didn't give a shit what the NSA knew about him. I think he said something like the OP.

[boston bean]

14. Yup! For sure..

I knew I couldn't be the only one.

[progressoid]

17. Graham4anything has actually been pushing for more govt survellience

Others here have also said it OK to read their emails because they have nothing to hide.

[Catherina]

21. Correction: "Was pushing"

Someone mentioned this earlier today, to my surprise

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=280518&sub=trans

[frylock]

22. awwwwwwhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..

what a tremendous loss.

[quinnox]

27. lol

Yep, DU will have to go on somehow...

[frylock]

28. we shall keep calm and carry on!

[progressoid]

24. Yeah,

I just found out about that too.

Such a great loss to this forum...

[Lex]

33. That was way overdue. nt

[Hissyspit]

34. Any clue as to the specific cause?

One day he just showed up and was posting first in every post he could. The word salad did not bother me as much as my suspicion of his motives.

[Hissyspit]

42. Oh, here we go:

http://upload.democraticunderground.com/10023229937

[kas125]

35. It's about freaking time! That one was really getting obnoxious.

There are a few more who ought to go, too.

[Hissyspit]

36. "getting?"

[kas125]

40. You're right, he was always annoying.

But I have to admit, my first husband's name was Graham so I was a little biased from the start, lol.

[kas125]

41. I think there should be a list somewhere that announces when they've

been tombstoned, like that list on the latest page of people who post for the first time.

[sibelian]

45. Not before fricken time. Nothing but a bandwidth thief.

Christ, he really brought out the worst in me...

[madinmaryland]

30. Hillary-45/80-20 Will happened~!!

salad words palin lbj, new york quinne 4 anything

[progressoid]

32. Nader Ron Rand Paul!

[sbh]

13. One major difference. Germany did not have our 4th Amendment.

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

Our government is violating its own Constitution. Germany had no such violation because it had no such law.

Minor detail.

[Uncle Joe]

19. Apparently we don't either.

Any Constitution or civil right is only so good or strong as the entrusted government and citizenry are to defend it.

Furthermore there seems to be a pattern of today's "violation" becoming tomorrow's "precedent."

[sbh]

20. We used to have one.

[kas125]

38. We don't have it anymore, either. And we aren't allowed to ask about it.

If we say we plan to ask about it, we hear, "I'm sorry ma'am, your name is on a list of people who are not allowed to attend."

That actually happened to me for posting online that I planned to ask the head of the CIA at a speech he was giving that had a question and answer period after. The day before I was approved, for the second time after having given all my info to them by email again, and after posting that I planned to ask if he's actually read the 4th amendment and why he thinks they don't need probable cause to spy on us, I was told that I was on a list, generated by the speaker, and was not allowed to attend.

Just wait til something like that happens to these people saying they have nothing to hide; let them hear the words "your name is on a list" and they'll change their minds...

[treestar]

48. Part of the Constitution involves judicial review

You appear to pick out the parts you know about/like and ignore the others. And the case law.

And duh, that's why we won't become Nazi Germany. We have 200 plus years of history of the rule of law.

[BarbaRosa]

16. My first thought was about a decade ago,

when cheney/bush instituted their warrantless wiretapping and domestic spying, the right wingers/teabaggers were all about if you have nothing to hide. . .

[NineNightsHanging]

23. For those who complain about Nazi comparisons, lets explore some history

The neoconservative movement IS a form of Crypto-Fascism. Beginning with Leo Strauss (who wanted to contrast an ethnic-free Fascism to counter the Nazis) down to Michael Leeden (whose fascination with the idea of a "Universal Fascism" is well known in intellectual circles), the hidden premise of Neoconservatism was to use exterior threats to unify the nation, mouthing the rhetoric of freedom all the while mainting firm control over the ignorant population. Now consider Russ Tice's claims regarding Cheney's directives to the NSA..

If you think ideology is just some think-tank pud-pulling, consider how the Iraq war came about, study the New American Century manifesto, and consider how the foreign policy of neoliberalism is ultimately just a softer version of their neocon cousins.

Intellectuals and pseudo-intellectuals CREATED Italian fascism, lets not forget. These are far, far from just idle games for bookworms.

The Proxy war in Syria, the attack in Libya..Actions by Obama that fit in PERFECTLY with the neocon agenda... as they openly declared. Let's remember---

Obama CONSULTED with Bill Kristol (son of the Neocon guru Irving Kristol) right before attacking Libya

http://dailycaller.com/2011/03/30/bill-kristol-declares-obama-a-born-again-neo-con-days-after-consulting-with-him-on-libya-policy/

[Laelth]

51. +1 Well said. n/t

-Laelth

[quinnox]

26. K&R, excellent and timely post

If some are disturbed by it, that shows just how on point the comparison is. Anyone who says something like this about nothing to hide, or along the lines of this sentiment, is showing they are a "Good German" type, to the nth degree.

[alc]

31. does my congressman have anything to hide?

They can find out everything about ME and it's no big deal. But if they find out everything about EVERYONE, that includes a lot of people who's actions affect me and many who probably do have something to hide.

[treestar]

47. No one suggested that nt