Godwin’s Law Has Been Repealed
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The world of cyberspace was stunned when Godwin’s Law was repealed on Monday, 14 March. The law, which was first proposed by attorney and author Mike Godwin in 1990, states that “As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1,” a situation also known as “playing the Hitler card”.
When reached for comment, Godwin himself said, “The comparisons between Trump and Nazis have reached a tipping point where invoking my rule has become meaningless.”
Lawrence DiMilo, the president of the internet Federation for the Advocacy of Policy and Procedures (iFAPP), the governing body for maintaining and enforcing arbitrary internet rules, elaborated on the reasons for the suspension of one of cyberspace’s longest standing principles: “Donald Trump has completely and singlehandedly broken the rationale behind Godwin’s Law. There are just too many Nazi comparisons to ignore! The real problem is not that those comparisons are inappropriate, inordinate, or hyperbolic – the very situation that the Law is supposed to address – but that they are completely appropriate. Trump and his followers are acting like Nazis.”
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Subbing as well. (Hi, E.A!)
Hi, Diane! It’s been a long dry spell for my postings, but I think I’m getting over my bad bout of writer’s block.
I’m looking forward to more from you. 🙂
Subscribing to comments.
Noted; thanks!
I’ve argued many times that this alleged law is an effort to make Hitler sound like a singularity never to be repeated and bey9ond compare to anything in the world. In my contrary opinion Hitler is just another avatar of an evil principle, an evil propensity that humans are heir to. Given the right circumstances Hitler always happens and All the SS, the Brown Shirts, the concentration camp guards and Gestapo needed to turn the US into the 4th Reich could easily be recruited from any city or town in our great country. It’s just a step to the right: a vote for Crusader Cruz or a Heil Drumph away.
Sad though, and infuriating that so many followers of Herr Drumph see themselves as the Bielskis, the partisans in the woods, the “renegades” and “mavericks” rebelling against a tyrannical government — just as John Wilkes Booth once did. Lots of them have guns and bunkers and supply caches waiting.
Glenn, I don’t think that I agree. Hitler IS a singular case. Stalin and Mao are both responsible for more murders of innocents, and yet Hitler still stands out! And Drumph (to use the historic family name that John Oliver discovered) is definitely too reminiscent of him to deny!
His singularity, and I have to agree that he’s unique so far, would not in any way argue that another one might someday appear. The conviction that it can’t happen again and worse that it can’t happen again here seems a dangerous idea to me. I think it could happen anywhere. Genocide is an ancient theme and I think it’s built into the human mind.
His supporters are now trying to militarize, and that is reminiscent of the Third Reich.
Yeah, I’ve argued this out with many people, including a few Russians who had parents or grandparents who lived (and died) under Stalin. I made the point earlier today, to someone else, that all these guys were dictators, and dictators are their own breed. One can call himself Socialist, Communist, Fascist or whatever, but in the end he’s just a dictator. They all kill, they all seize power, and they all take away the rights and property of their citizens.
I personally hold the belief that Hitler was to some degree, worse than Stalin, but it’s kind of like comparing Lung Cancer to Leukemia. I think we can all agree that either could be called worse, but neither is desirable.
I agree with your Lung Cancer to Leukemia comparison. In my opinion they were both cruel dictators we are better off without. Then, of course, there is Kim Jong Un, who is doubtless the Pancreatic Cancer member of the equation.
You raise some valid points Glenn. I disagree only in that in my estimation Hitler was worse for 2 reasons. 1) Where Stalin and Mao killed their own citizens, Hitler invaded other countries and killed their citizens. 2) Only Hitler actually created actual Death Factories. It’s a volume thing. Neither Stalin, nor Mao, were ever killing some 10,000 per day. Small distinctions, perhaps.
And, FWIW I’m not building bunkers in the woods. If you read my comment, the last line is, “My keyboard is my weapon.” Writing things that enlighten people is a far cry from carrying out guerilla warfare.
No really, I think you misunderstand. What I am saying is that TRUMP SUPPORTERS see themselves as taking to the streets and as guerrillas and renegades against tyranny and I worry about how they will behave when he inevitably loses.
I have no intention of leaving the US if the Great Pumpkin is elected and I would join you at the keyboard since I’m too old to take to the woods like Bielski and with today’s technology, that wouldn’t work anyway.
Again, yes Hitler is an icon of evil, but like Gods and Devils he can be a model for others. His theories haven’t lost credibility to millions of people, nor his actions. What I think is wrong is simply to ignore patterns because sure as hell people are modeling their jihads and crusades after Hitler and Goebels as we speak.Worst so far does not men there can’t be another or a worse one.
The Godwin thing is usually used to scoff at comparisons to Hitler. I think that’s wrong — Hitler is always in us in more ways that one.
The Hitler comparison does come to mind with the Trump campaign. remember the social and economic conditions at the time when Hitler got himself elected?
Now think a bit about the experience of long-lasting unemployment, evictions from homes bought with junk mortgages and then repossessed by banks etc.
Or the inner-city families whose youngsters could only get a half-decent education if they were sent to schools run by the Defence industry.
Or those many who have to get by on insecure zero-hours contracts and leftovers at food banks.
Or those whose lives and health are harmed by fracking or water pollution as in Flint…
There must be so many with huge causes for grievance in today’s US, just as there were in the Weimar republic.
Hitler’s election depended on his plausible appeal to the disgruntled. Could Trump – who likes to read Adolf’s speeches – possibly be using that earlier campaign as a template?
Stalin killed tens of millions of his own people by intentionally starving them, and that’s just the beginning. He was easily killing 10K a day. Just finished reading a biography of him. A seriously bad guy, like the other two, but worse in my humble opinion.
Oops. The above reply was supposed to go here.
Yes, and I – one of the law’s ardent adherents – am guiltier than most. However, as you’ve so well stated above, in this case it is neither hyperbolic or inaccurate. Having seen his performance in Kansas City, I am convinced. Trump is the modern day Hitler, and his Reich will pale the original by comparison.
How can a 21st c. America not be outraged at this? How are we letting our fear of the Brown Bogey Man outweigh our fear of living in a murderous police state? How can people who call themselves patriots want to see all that this country stands for — and was built upon — in ashes?
I have said before, and I will say again — If Trump is Hitler, than I can be his Bielski, his Sophie Scholl. My keyboard is my weapon.