In 1990, Mike Godwin, a lawyer and author, observed that in online conversations someone will eventually invoke the war against fascism. While social media has evolved into an arena in which respectful conversation is often, sadly, justifiably eliminated, such a phenomena is not limited to the online conversation.
Godwin framed what became known as “Godwin’s Law.” He surmised that, ”As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1” — that is, if an online discussion (regardless of topic or scope) goes on long enough, sooner or later someone will compare someone or something to Hitler or Nazism.
I’d like to refute Godwin’s so-called law.
However…
In 2013… Geoffrey Grider, the founder of “Now The End Begins,” penned a piece identifying the “13 Similarities Between Obama And Hitler” in a so-called “factual comparison.” He compared the sitting American president to Adolf Hitler.
In 2009, author Dick W. Zylstra, published a book about Pres. George W. Bush entitled “Little Hitler,” comparing America’s then previous president to Hitler; he especially pounced on Bush regarding his perceived use of “big lies” to achieve his goals.
And now in 2016, I see current American Republican frontrunner Donald Trump increasingly compared to the German dictator.
I have one thing to say…
Please.
Far too many politicians have lied. Big lies… small lies… manipulative, rhetorical lies. I can’t believe they all lie, but far too many seem to find it the easiest thing to do. Far too many have also seemingly put their personal ambitions above what may be best for our country — and that reference affects both parties — still today. I’ll go out on a semi-stable limb here, and suggest such may include both current party front-runners. I don’t know; my perception is limited. But neither candidate is Adolf Hitler; neither should be compared to a man who may be best described as the ugly manifestation of evil on this planet.
Adolf Hilter murdered millions.
He advocated the killing of the innocent simply because they were Jewish…
… simply because they were disabled…
… simply because they were related to any of the above…
Obama, Bush, Trump, etc. — with all due respect — cannot accurately be compared to Adolf Hitler; they are not he.
My increasing sense is that while many recognize the obvious disrespect evident via actual, disrespectful name-calling, they remain comfortable with disrespectful comparisons; and their comfort in actually employing the Nazi comparison often seems more prompted by their lack of comfort with an Obama, Bush, Trump or Clinton presidency…
There was only one Adolf Hitler.
Thank God.
My only wish is that there was none.
Respectfully…
AR