Here is a note to Jewish voters for Trump who are voting for him because he says “he supports Israel.” I see many of these same people maintaining that Holocaust comparisons and comparisons of Trump to Hitler are either insulting or inappropriate:
I disagree. On both counts.
Trump’s facial support for Israel does not cure the fact that he is pulling from a playbook of hate, fear, and fascism.
Jews and supporters of Israel who overlook that very large point – because of blind support for all things Israel – should be wary of who they get into bed with.
In my view, it is irresponsible of any Jew – or any person – to ignore the history of fascist leaders and demagogues who seek to demonize minorities. Trump’s language and proposals about Muslims? Apply that to Jews, and see how it feels.
And being offended that someone would bring up the Holocaust is precisely backwards.
We *should* be bringing it up left and right anytime someone trades on xenophobia, anti-Islam, anti-semitism, racism, anti-LGBTQ sentiment.
Our fear – what should be upsetting to any person, to anyone who really cares about the history of the Holocaust — should be that people will not bring it up, until it is too late.
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I say irresponsible because its an end run around talking about what Trump is saying/doing and basically just playing a guilty by association angle. Mind you I am not defending Trump but I’m more receptive to being informed on what Trump is doing than just saying he is Hitler.
Doing the former gives reason why we should rally against Trump. Doing the former is trying to use fear of one person as a proxy in order to generate hate against another. This isn’t 1939 Europe, its 2016 America.
The comparisons are warranted in this case. Far as that Godwin’s law thing goes, the original version was an actual social-sciencey observation that if a thread gets big enough, someone will eventually make the comparison. There part where the discussion is over and the person who makes the comparison loses the argument is a thing newsgroup moderators made up to cut down on flame wars. (Remember when we used to say “flame wars?”) From the Wiki page: Godwin’s law itself can be abused as a distraction, diversion or even as censorship, fallaciously miscasting an opponent’s argument as hyperbole when the… Read more »
It skirts irresponsibility but there are times when it’s necessary. This may be one of them. I’m leery of violating Godwin’s Law but I don’t see cogent arguments to the contrary supporting Trump’s benevolence. He shares disturbing traits with the gutter Fuehrer s of the 30s.
What’s worse: sounding like Hitler, or running the country like a fascist state? Trump’s like a school bully trying to rule the sand box, while his parents Hillary and Obama are actually giving orders to kill people. Many of the things you’re afraid of him doing as president, they are ALREADY doing. For example, guess which president has deported more immigrants than any other? http://fusion.net/story/252637/obama-has-deported-more-immigrants-than-any-other-president-now-hes-running-up-the-score/ And don’t miscontrue this as support for Trump or establishment Republicans, either. Stop believing the magician’s illusions, and look behind the mirror… Read this article by a well respected international journalist: http://johnpilger.com/articles/why-the-rise-of-fascism-is-again-the-issue This is a… Read more »