Godwin's Law, European and American Variants

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is livid about a crack from Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi comparing a German legislator to a Nazi concentration camp guard. Schroeder, as you may recall, was himself on the receiving end of some righteous indignation about an ill-considered Hitler reference not so long ago. Meanwhile, neighbors of a real-life Nazi (or at least henchman of Nazis) who turned up in Michigan describe him as the "nicest guy in the world."

Comments

[Madog]

Well, the Nazis did have the best uniforms. I have to give credit to the USSR too though. Love those hats.

[Stephen Fetchet]

Hmmmm... Social Democrats... aren't they the party that won in last fall's general elections, by running on a "Bush and Ashcroft are Nazis" line?

Just wondering.

[sopwith]

Joe, "the SDs were the only major political force that went down swinging."

Swinging at what? The carpet bombs that came dropping down on them?

[personally affected by holocau]

It's all about the banality of evil.

Let's remember that there's no statute of limitation on the crime of murder--and that's how it ought to be.

[erf]

So will the nazi be treated as an "enemy combatant?"

[Anonymous]

would anyone complain if he was? being a nazi is not politically correct, unlike islamist bomber "activists."

[Hogan's Zeros]

Nazi concentration camp GUARDS? Those guys are pipsqueaks compared to the cooks. If they didn't like you they would only give you half a serving of scalloped potatos!!!

[joe]

Many thousands of SDs were imprisoned, tortured, and murdered by the Nazis for the political beliefs, asshole.

[Anonymous]

cause they had asshole political beliefs?

[Anonymous]

Many more SD's proudly joined the Nazis than were ever slaughtered by them, hot buns.

[joe]

While the conservatives and Communists sided with the NSDAP, the SDs were the only major political force that went down swinging.

[Anonymous]

yeah they voted, lost, went home and most likely became concentration camp guards. yah yah, real heros.

[Anonymous]

yeah, they "went down swinging" in nightclubs after spending the day working for their Nazi buddies.
Joe, last great defender of Nazis and terrorists.

[brutus]

Helmut, cut it out! World War II was 60 years ago. First of all, they didn't have scalloped potatoes back then, and secondly, 80% of Reason's audience can't even identify with this ancient history. You might as well be talking about Julius Caesar doing a regime change in Gaul, for all they know.

[joe]

Oh fer Chrissakes! Read "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" by William L. Shirer, and stop writing stupidities.

[brutus]

OK, I'm back, Joe! Just finished reading ?The Life & Death of Nazi Germany,? by Robert Goldston. Went looking for it, but couldn?t find your "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" by Shirer.

(Sorry. I was in a stupidly silly mood when I wrote that about Julius Caesar.)

But I got through Goldston?s.

Verrry interestung! But it still left me hanging ...

How could so literate a country, the country of such writers as Heine, vonSchiller, Mann, become the scene of book burning and thought control?

And how could so sensitive a people, the people of Strauss, Bach, Brahms, and Beethoven, participate in the pitiless mass slaughter of millions of defenseless and innocent men, women, and children?

Why DID such an intellectually developed nation, a nation that once produced geniuses like Goethe, Luther, and Albert Einstein, launch itself on so basically stupid an adventure as world conquest?

I?m puzzled.

[joe]

My guess, Brutus, is that it could happen anywhere. The important question is why it hasn't happened in places like the US, Canada, etc.

Anyway, my flame wasn't aimed at your reasonable comment.

[Anonymous]

Leave Joe alone. He will always defend Nazis, for that is what he is.
Note: Please refer to Joe's previous posts on the inherent inferiority of blacks and gays.

[Cassius]

Oh, get a life, anonymous! Why don't you go crawling back under that landfill where you came from and follow your own advice: "Leave Joe alone."

I don't know Joe. But I can tell by the way he writes, that he is primarily a scholar who loves history and who reads much -- unlike some anonymous snivelards we know.

If Joe were such a died-in-the-wool ?Nazi,? as you impute, why would he write remonstrations like this: ?Many thousands of SDs were imprisoned, tortured, and murdered by the Nazis for their political beliefs.? (See July 3, 2003 11:45 AM above)

Don?t know why we?re even wasting words on bitter folk like you.

[tonio-k]

anon- too bad your carnival where you're employed is near a place where there's electricity. RESPECT Joe for his views and the fact he has the balls to eloquently state them. agree or disagree, you gotta respect the man. plus he gives his name. scheisstroll.

[Mini Strator]

At least an alias is far better than some ghostly, anonymous zombie who shuns the light of blog.

Not to worry, though (heh-he) we've got your IP.

[Anonymous]

no, joe couldn't be an alias