Steve Cohen's comment demonstrates why bringing Nazis into the political

[cali]

conversation is fruitless. Do the Republicans practice the dubious art of the big lie? Sure. And pointing that out is a good thing. Using Nazi references to do so, is just plain pointless. Why? It becomes all about the person making the comment instead of the issue at hand. Is that right? It doesn't really matter. The point is that there are more productive ways to make the point. Oh, and Goebbels and the Nazis were hardly the first political regime to engage in wholesale lying.

[FiveGoodMen]

1. Those who can't remember history are doomed to repeat it.

So are those who aren't allowed to talk about it.

[cali]

2. you are allowed to talk about it.

and no one is suggesting forgetting history- although it invariably is forgotten, or the wrong things are remembered or it's rewritten. I wish people wouldn't simply use that phrase like some sort of magic bullet that inoculates them against actually thinking. There is no law saying Cohen or anyone else can't compare republicans or dems or anyone else to Hitler or Nazis, but there's no obligation for everyone to laud such comments either.

Personally, I don't find the comparison objectionable. I think it's apt enough, but it's a lousy use of rhetoric because the reaction was so predictable. Again, it became all about him rather than the issue of the republicans lying about the Health Care Bill.

[FiveGoodMen]

4. In other words, for our own good, we should not mention the parallels

between our current situation and one of history's starkest object lessons.

[cali]

10. mention away. compare to your heart's content

I'm simply noting that it's not a particularly productive approach. Doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. Certainly it doesn't mean you can't do it. People do it here quite frequently.

[saras]

3. Fruitless, perhaps, but true

As long as it's 'fruitless', profoundly important parts of American politics, like the connection between captured Nazi officers and the formation of the CIA, and American industry's close connection with fascists before, during, and after WWII, will simply be unable to be discussed rationally.

We need to get over the romantic idea that the Nazis were some kind of bizarre aberration, completely unrelated to other values and attitudes. We won't understand corporations until we understand why they supported, and worked for, the Nazis during that war.

[cali]

6. Why? What is the connection? Why not point out the specifics of a lie?

I don't think that calling the republicans liars like Goebbels advances discussing the issues that you bring up.

And in many ways the Nazis were unique. In fact, all genocidal regimes are distinctive in their own ways.

[EstimatedProphet]

5. That's it exactly

That's why Godwin's Law is Godwin's Law. Once Nazis start being thrown around, the argument stops being about the subject matter and becomes about the terms of the argument.

[FiveGoodMen]

9. Only because of people who quote Godwin's (terrible) Law

[EstimatedProphet]

11. Good, bad, indifferent - it's the way people think

[emilyg]

7. 100% k/r

[Johnny2X2X]

8. Canceled out

You are right, this one stupid reference has effectively canceled out hundreds of Nazi and Hitler references from the Right Wing media and it's politicians. Now it will be more of, "Both sides do it."