Don Moynihan: Mike Godwin, author of Godwin's law: Go ahead and compare Trump to Hitler. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

Mike Godwin, author of Godwin's law: Go ahead and compare Trump to Hitler. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

Opinion | Yes, it’s okay to compare Trump to Hitler. Don’t let me stop you.www.washingtonpost.com My very minor status as an authority on Hitler comparisons stems from having coined “Godwin’s Law” more than three decades ago.

I love how people completely misinterpreted Godwin's Law to mean any comparison to Nazis is hyperbole and that you automatically lose the argument.

Except that Godwin basically signed on with that interpretation, and it was what he really meant from the beginning. He just pretended it was an "observation."

It was also 30ish years ago, when we weren’t quite so far along on our slide into fascism.

Yeah, but as of 20-25 years ago, I watched him on a daily basis telling people not to say racists were acting like Nazis or how something the Bush admin. was doing was actually not wrong, actually. I don't know why he has this cachet among people who otherwise dislike fatuous reactionary centrists.

Sure, it definitely seems like he sucks in a lot of ways. But I also think back then it was a bit more of an extreme statement to call a mainstream politician Hitler compared to the last 5 to 10 years. It’s pretty clear that they’ve shifted way further to the right in a short time.

Sure, it was often way overblown, but we got to the point where you couldn't call *anything* fascist, or you would be deemed unserious. The reaction was even more overblown. "Calm down, it's not that bad" remains, even now, a central tent of both reactionary centrism and the political media.

I mean once you go full "poisoning the blood of the fatherland" we lose the argument if we DON'T compare you to Hitler.

#IfTheShoeFits #PutinsPetPrez

For years the chuds had used Godwin to shut down debate when they were being outright Nazis. Good to know they lost this tool.

Gift link:

Opinion | Yes, it’s okay to compare Trump to Hitler. Don’t let me stop you.wapo.st My very minor status as an authority on Hitler comparisons stems from having coined “Godwin’s Law” more than three decades ago.

Thank you so much. Democracy dies in darkness, dontcha know

I am able to pay for a subscription, so I use my gift articles where I can.

We are on the path to electing a dictator and enough ppl are ok with it. OK with anti immigration. Anti trans. Anti women's rights. They justify bad behavior. Because they don't want to admit they were wrong about him. He said illegal immigrants pollute or poison our blood. Think about that

Great article, btw.

Seriously, fuck that guy. "Godwin's law" is maybe the best example of the kind of thinking that got us here. He can't just disavow it now (which has done a bunch since the rise of Trump: that guy knows nothing better than to milk something for all it's worth and much more).

100% information free comment. Zero value added. Superficial opinion, at best.

Is this meant to be ironic? An empty sentiment, repeated twice, with zero substance, complaining about superficiality. "I hate Bon Jovi. Bon Jovi Sucks. I don't like Bon Jovi."

Do you understand that asserting that YOUR comment is superficial is a substantive assertion? You can disagree with it, or dislike it, but it's progressing the discussion that can be engaged or rebutted. Do you not see the difference?

I think you're being ironic. It took me a second to peel the onion of WTF was going on here. I pointed out that you made no substantive claims here other than that you think Godwin sucks. My claim is that your claim is superficial. Your Bon Jovi example IS the point I was making about your post.

Going just by this, you don't know how to think, or apprehend language, at the most basic level. I cited things Godwin *did*, using verbs and nouns to describe them. You used three adjectives to say, "Nuh-uh, superficial" three times. I'm not interested in interacting with you any further.

Starting with a childish ad hominem attack—so, that’s the kind of person you are. Anyhow, you didn’t cite shit. Do you not know what “citing” is? WTF is going on? This is a clown conversation. WTF are you doing? Jesus Christ. Yeah. No need to continue THIS. Holy shit.

Godwin's Law has been widely misconstrued. It's simply that, the longer an online argument continues, the probablility of someone mentioning Hitler and the Nazis approaches 1. The "whoever mentions it loses" thing was not part of Godwin's Law.

Nah. He dressed it up as mere, critically distant observation, but every day for for several years I watched him tell people that they were overreacting to things when they weren't, and otherwise employing a lot of insufferable, reactionary-centrist tropes. It's his whole deal, really.

The MAGA movement has its own version of the SS Medical Corps constantly threatening to hang pro-vaccine advocates under “Nuremberg 2.0.” They tell supporters COVID was unleashed as part of the “Great replacement theory” to kill off whites, and “experimental” vaccines kill more people than COVID.

Will Calls for Nuremberg Bring Pandemic Justice?petermcculloughmd.substack.com Dr. McCullough Makes Symbolic Visit to Nuremberg for Series of Lectures

Despite his humility here, Godwin is a smart & good dude. People should listen to him.

Boy, do you have a wrong number

In my experience he’s been ornery but solid.

Boy, have you miscalculated.

@mnemonic.bsky.social

“[H]as the sheer absurdity of so many hyperbolic Nazi comparisons in [past] popular culture made us less vigilant about the possible reemergence of actual fascism in the world? …. [C]omparisons to Hitler or to Nazis need to take place WHEN PEOPLE ARE BEGINNING TO ACT LIKE HITLER OR NAZIS.”

Thanks for pointing this out.

Is this news? I am certain that Godwin made this point a while back, especially wrt Tmrup?

this pic goes hard as fuck

Post