Does Godwin's Law make Nazi comparisons to Drump invalid?

[kairos12]

Just asking. I've been mulling this over for a while. I haven't reached a conclusion yet.

Thanks in advance for your responses.

[malthaussen]

1. Godwin's Law is like any other touchstone.

It is not applicable to all cases. Any comparisons, however, Nazi or otherwise, should be subject to careful appraisal to make sure they are accurate and relevant.

-- Mal

[kwolf68]

2. No

Where is the Godwin's law for Communism?

The right is just getting out in front. Put some sort of "law", an intellectual edifice in place and viola', they (Democrats) can't do to us (Republicans) what we've been doing to them all those years (calling them names of the extreme of their ideology).

Just throwing around fascist is careless, BUT if the similarities are there then BY DAMN we should speak out.

NO, they won't be persecuting Jews, but they WILL persecute someone. And just because they are not building or won't build concentration camps does NOT mean there are no fascist underpinnings to what these people promote.

What the right would like is to use Godwin's Law to diffuse ANY legitimate criticism. Same way they yell "Liberal media", in that any objective piece that doesn't placate their narrative is dismissed because it's the "Liberal media". This is the same tactic.

[Wounded Bear]

3. Hell NO!

There are parallels aplenty to what Trump has been doing with Hitler and Mussolini, among other former dictators.

If our electorate was truly well educated, they would recognize them. Hell, Trump even has the Mussoline stance and expressions down pat.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ3dz369A3pzP7fHx-6PE9_VZRH50doZYbUrEYYWYN1yfqmUBx5hQ

[pinboy3niner]

5. +1

[Stinky The Clown]

20. Bingo!

[Bluenorthwest]

4. "Godwin's Law" is an internet fantasty, a contrived stance designed to serve fascists

by claiming it is not fair to compare them to the worst fascists. "Godwin" says 'never even say Hitler' while the activists I support say 'Never forget'.

Such bullshit as "Godwin" makes such comparisons necessary.

[librechik]

9. +1 n/t

[Adsos Letter]

19. Spot on. n/t

[liberal N proud]

6. Looks like a Nizi and talks like a Nazi

Must be!

[cheyanne]

7. If someone says Trump sounds like Hilter, they should publish

a quote or two to prove that he does.

Most of the comparisons can't be proved, but I think that one could.

[kwolf68]

12. There is PLENTY to show the comparison

Are you asking to find Trump making a direct quote from Mein Kampf? It's not that simple.

An objective reading of the German condition at the time of the rise of NSDAP will have scary and striking parallels to what is happening here.

Yea, the names and faces have changed, even the issues diverge. They don't talk about "blood" like Hitler did, in that blood should be pure, but they talk of "our America", "take our nation back", "real America". Code words. Maybe the Conservatives are less interested in the purity of blood, rather they long for "purity of culture". There are a MYRIAD of similarities between the two:

-persecution of undesirables
-hostility toward left wing groups
-idolatry of the police state
-love of military
-jingoism / nationalism
-merging of state power with a clique of a select few business people
-victimhood of nation. blame "someone or something"
-hostility toward the arts and intelligentsia

The above list is a playbook of the German fascists of the 1930s and it sounds pretty damn much like what we're seeing today.

And to throw the cherry on top, Hitler himself said that the nazi ideology had to be wrapped up in a egalitarian policy to gain favor. This explains why parts of Trumps speech last night sounded like a Democrat. Hitler did the same thing, promising left wing initiatives initially (full employment for example). Trump had some conciliatory comments last night. He merely needs to fake out just enough people.

The only difference in Trump and Hitler as far as I can see it is I don't think Trump is a true fascist in that he believes the ideology. It just happens that most of the shit he is doing or promoting are.

[sofa king]

8. sofa king's corollary:

As media coverage of the Republican Party continues, the chances of recreating a scene from Triumph of the Will approaches one. Example:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=2268159

[Mendocino]

10. Not if the jackboot fits.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

11. To the extent there really is such a "law" ( and not an Internet meme),

I think it's been suspended for the duration of this election.

[pinboy3niner]

14. Bazinga! nt

[heresAthingdotcom]

13. The receptivity of the great masses is very limited, their intelligence is small....

Like Trump said, 'I could shoot someone in the middle of times square and they would still vote for me....'

Absolutely...

What many often forget, however, is that Hitler was not only a coldblooded tyrant but that he was also a brilliant persuader of men. He personally oversaw the deaths of millions of people, including the near extermination of the Jewish race while maintaining the full support of the German people.

The entire German population was certainly not as heartless and cruel as Hitler was, so it stands to reason that Hitler must have been a masterful propagandist in order to persuade the Germans that his policies were necessary and just.



At this point in his career, Hitler began to unleash his propaganda upon all of Germany. He had previously used his persuasiveness to further himself in the Nazi Party and to gain supporters, but it was not until he was dictator that that his persuasive style was fully manifested. Adolf Hitler’s persuasive method was built upon the foundation of treating the German people as a group, rather than as individuals.

He explained this technique in the following statement:

The receptivity of the great masses is very limited, their intelligence is small, but their power of forgetting is enormous. In consequence of these facts, all effective propaganda must be limited to a very few points and must harp on these in slogans until the last member of the public understands what you want him to understand by your slogan. As soon as you sacrifice this slogan and try to be many-sided, the effect will piddle away, for the crowd can neither digest nor retain the material offered. (“Adolf Hitler: quote on propaganda”)


https://owlcation.com/humanities/Adolf-Hitlers-Tremendous-Persuasive-Ability


Trump takes a page from Hitler's play book .... not surprised that 40% of Trump's supporters will stick with him....Hitler's supporters stuck with him....

In the words of Heinrich Himmler "My honor is my loyalty."

[treestar]

15. Godwin's law is a fallacy

It tries to make any such comparison invalid. Any comparison can be made. Some will fail and show more contrast and others will show a similarity.

It is odd how people try this "how can you compare that?" You always can. I can compare Bill Clinton to Hitler and find no similarities other than both being white men. Compare the Donald to Hitler and you have more similarity than that. Maybe there are differences too. But Donald is sure coming off as an authoritarian and using scapegoating and racial fears to appeal to white people.

[Rex]

16. No, Trump is a big fan of Hitler.

So he disqualifies himself.

[LanternWaste]

17. Godwin's Law is a bumper-sticker giggled at by anyone who's read more than three academic books

Trendy internet memes like Godwin's Law are hardly anything to invest concern into. If or when it becomes part of the actual standard, like Elements of Style, or is a portion of coursework in a Logic Class, then it I'll re-evaluate it.

Until then, Godwin's Law is either the butt of jokes, or (more often) a bumper-sticker giggled at by anyone who's read more than three academic publications in their lives and used primarily by dullards and half-wits who want to sound clever.

[Mc Mike]

18. Nay

or 'nein', for the benefit of dRumpf repugs who need a translation.

[Hekate]

21. Not if you actually know history and aren't just using it as a casual slur

I sincerely wish more people knew the difference.

[Onyrleft]

22. First They Came

First they came for the similes
But I didn't speak out because I wasn't a simile
Then they came for the metaphors
But I didn't speak out because I wasn't a metaphor
Now there's no way to explain what happened next

[backscatter712]

23. Godwin's Law is dead.

Trump killed it.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

24. See:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_law
In December 2015, Godwin commented on the Nazi and fascist comparisons being made by several articles on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, saying that "If you're thoughtful about it and show some real awareness of history, go ahead and refer to Hitler or Nazis when you talk about Trump. Or any other politician."[13]