Godwin's Law

[solemole]

This should be a sticky post in this forum.

Proposed extensions of Godwin’s Law - Paul Krugman Blog - NYTimes.com

Proposed extensions of Godwin’s Law

Godwin’s Law — which says that in any sufficiently long online discussion, someone will compare his opponent to Hitler — is often interpreted to mean that if you do, in fact, start making Nazi comparisons, you’ve lost the argument and can no longer be taken seriously. I’m all for that. (Does this mean that we should no longer take any significant figure in the Republican Party seriously? Yes, it does.)

But there are a lot of moral equivalents of Nazi comparisons, and they should receive the same treatment. I propose that we officially declare that anyone who

1. Responds to calls for more government action in some area — employment creation, health care, whatever — by invoking the example of the Soviet Union

or

2. Responds to suggestions that moderate inflation and/or dollar depreciation is acceptable by invoking the example of Zimbabwe

or

3. Responds to any demonstration that projected debt levels, while high, are within the range advanced countries have successfully dealt with in the past by invoking the example of Argentina

be summarily consigned to the outer darkness.

Make it so.

^Now known as Krugman's Law.

 

[indra]

(Does this mean that we should no longer take any significant figure in the Republican Party seriously? Yes, it does.)

No longer...you mean people take them seriously now?

 

[Kieran McConville]

Some good points there.

On the issue of Godwin's Law itself, I have always felt a little uncomfortable about it although I understand the silliness of Hitler comparisons in almost any imaginable contemporary discussion.

There is, however a little rule of thumb I hold dear: it's ok to call your opponents fascists when they, in fact, are.

 

[the iron horse]

No longer...you mean people take them seriously now?

I vote Libertarian in U.S. elections, but if you seem to be so down on the Republicans, what political party do you take SO seriously?

 

[indra]

I vote Libertarian in U.S. elections, but if you seem to be so down on the Republicans, what political party do you take SO seriously?

None, darling.

 

[2861U2]

(Does this mean that we should no longer take any significant figure in the Republican Party seriously? Yes, it does.)

Give me names. Give me examples of every leader of the GOP making Hitler comparisons: Boehner, McConnell, Romney, Gingrich, Cantor...

I assume then that you also assert that Democratic politicians like Alan Grayson, Keith Ellison, Dick Durbin, Major Owens (and so on) are incapable of making any coherent arguments? Because they've all made such comparisons.

 

[the iron horse]

None, darling.

I agree


We live in a political world,
Love don't have any place.
We're living in times where men commit crimes
And crime don't have a face

~Bob Dylan

 

[solemole]

Other than the first and last line of my post, the rest is the blog article from NYT Paul Krugman.

 

[2861U2]

^ My mistake. I didn't click on the link. Still, I'd like to direct my remark to Krugman, then.

 

[BVS]

Hell both sides have done it... but you're right, it's a sign that you have already lost.

 

[Vincent Vega]

Nazicommunists!