First, let me get this Donald Trump issue out of the way: 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. — Mike Godwin — From the Washington Post
I getting very tired of seeing “Godwin’s Law” mentioned when someone is noting the parallels between the Republican Party and the Nazi Party. I was going to write up an article about my frustration and I started to do some basic research on “Godwin’s Law” and I found this article by Godwin himself on the Washington Post website called: Sure, call Trump a Nazi. Just make sure you know what you’re talking about.
Above I quoted the first paragraph from the article. And it says what I wanted to say better and with greater authority than I could have ever said it. The article is well worth reading as Godwin details how and why he created the meme.
To be clear: I don’t personally believe all rational discourse has ended when Nazis or the Holocaust are invoked. But I’m pleased that people still use Godwin’s Law to force one another to argue more thoughtfully. The best way to prevent future holocausts, I believe, is not to forbear from Holocaust comparisons; instead, it’s to make sure that those comparisons are meaningful and substantive. — Mike Godwin — From the Washington Post
All I can add is that it is not enough to single out Trump for comparison with Hitler or the Nazi party. The Republican party and the press are also the ones that must be held accountable for the rise of fascism in the United States. Trump is just the visible tip of the deplorable iceberg.
And by all means be skeptical of Godwin’s Law, too. But you don’t need me to tell you that. — Mike Godwin — From the Washington Post
Regards
Jonathan Gordon (linkage)
