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Mike Godwin Interviewed

Posted by samzenpus on from the nationalsozialistische-deutsche-arbeiterpartei dept.

theshowmecanuck writes CBC Radio in Canada has just posted an interview with Mike Godwin, the originator of the famous Godwin's Law. Unbelievably it comes after a week where Canadian politicians started flinging the H word at each other. Part of the interview reads: "I really wanted people not to make silly or glib comparisons that really show no awareness of history... and I think that to that extent Godwin's Law has succeeded."

12 of 89 comments (clear)

  1. Jeesh, history is important by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    But the guy doesn't have to be a nazi about it.

  2. OK, but... by Brett+Buck · · Score: 4, Insightful

    In fact, many cases of Hitler references trivialize the almost inconceivable magnitude of the evil of the 3rd reich. But some cases - the Khmer Rouge or ISIS, for example - it really is appropriate. Yet Godwin is used to stifle the discussion. I think in that sense it has been a disservice.

    1. Re:OK, but... by khasim · · Score: 4, Insightful

      No. If X (not Hitler) is doing Y and Y is very bad then you should be able to explain how come Y is very bad WITHOUT BRINGING HITLER INTO THE DISCUSSION.

      Dragging Hitler/Nazis into a discussion is a lazy way to try to claim some moral high ground.

    2. Re:OK, but... by OzPeter · · Score: 4, Funny

      Dragging Hitler/Nazis into a discussion is a lazy way to try to claim some moral high ground.

      Says you, whose entire argument is based around mentioning Hitler.

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    3. Re:OK, but... by waynemcdougall · · Score: 4, Funny

      No. If X (not Hitler) is doing Y and Y is very bad then you should be able to explain how come Y is very bad WITHOUT BRINGING HITLER INTO THE DISCUSSION.

      Dragging Hitler/Nazis into a discussion is a lazy way to try to claim some moral high ground.

      That's just the sort of thing Hitler would say.

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    4. Re:OK, but... by theshowmecanuck · · Score: 4, Insightful

      And Godwin says you are wrong. If it is appropriate to make the comparison, then it is appropriate. He does not believe that a comparison should never be made. Neither do I and never have. Your position is horribly dogmatic and is akin to people who believe goto statements in programming should never be used no matter what. This is in fact complete bunk.

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    5. Re:OK, but... by ZeRu · · Score: 3, Informative

      And yet that's exactly how most Godwin invokers act. It's enough for you to mention Hitler, no matter the context, and they'll immediately scream "Godwin's law, you lose the argument" like little spoiled brats.

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    6. Re:OK, but... by Opportunist · · Score: 2

      That works in any time with any people, as long as the prerequisites are in. Hitler is only the proof that it neither takes an intelligent nor an organized person to pull it off. Only someone full of himself with enough misplaced self esteem.

      What it takes is a faltering economy, a population that used to think their country is big and strong only to be internationally humiliated, fear of enemies abroad and domestic and politicians or other leaders that are obviously or at least perceived as ineffectual, bumbling fools only looking out for themselves and their cronies.

      In other words, Putin sure has everything he needs to pull off his own version. And give the US a few more years and whoever follows Obama has the same perconditions.

      The main difference is that I don't think Putin is as much of a delusional fool as Hitler was. Which makes the whole thing quite a bit more scary.

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  3. Re:Unbelievably? by msobkow · · Score: 2

    This.

    The big problem with comparing someone to Hitler or their rule to the Nazis is that nobody takes the warning signs seriously until it's too late, like with ISIL. Harper is guilty of so many anti-democracy actions and downright un-Canadian legislation in this country that has been overturned by our courts it's not even funny.

    In all seriousness, the man should be arrested and tried for treason.

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  4. Not entirely fairly applied. by Yaztromo · · Score: 5, Informative

    For those who aren't aware of what was said, in the case of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau's comments, I don't think Godwin is being appropriately applied.

    Mr. Trudeau didn't compare the government to that of the Nazis. He didn't compare it to Hitler. He didn't claim that a government policy was as bad as the Holocaust.

    What he did say is that current anti-Muslim government policies are akin to the Canadian policy just after World War II of "none is too many" when it came to Jewish immigrants to Canada, which the Government of Canada has since admitted was wrong.

    In essence, it compared a current policy to a previous policy that the Government had admitted was wrong. I don't see why everyone is so upset, other than that the government would like to try to make this into a Godwin-like comparison in order to score cheap political points. For the record, according to the interview (for anyone who doesn't RTFA), Mr. Godwin agrees with this analysis.

    Minister Blaney, however, seems in my mind to have skirted the line much more closely, specifically bringing up the Holocaust as an example to try to prop up support for an unpopular bill. His specific statement, that the Holocaust didn't begin with the gas chambers, but with words is correct -- however I have to agree with MP Randall Garrison (FWIW, he represents my riding, although admittedly I didn't vote for him in the last election) who said that this was "over-inflated rhetoric".

    So in essence we have one instance worthy of invoking Godwin against, and another that had nothing directly to do with the Holocaust, but instead a Canadian policy that happened around the same time, and affected the same people, which mirrors in some respects what the current Government is attempting to do with a different population, for which Godwin shouldn't apply (but which is being brought out in some corners in an attempt to score political hay).

    Yaz

  5. But Few Even Post on Usenet Now by Bing+Tsher+E · · Score: 3, Informative

    Godwin's law is a usenet phenomenon, intended to describe the period when a usenet thread could go on and on for weeks. So a thread woud be 'officially ended' by Godwin's Law when someone invoked the hitler mentioning.

    On today's modern web, i.e. on Slashdot, theads never last more than a few days because blog site operators close down the comments after a few days or a week has passed. The agenda of discussions is driven by the operators by means of throwing up new 'articles' all the time.

    Essentially, Godwin's Law is obsolete and doesn't pertain. Certainly not in the context that it was created to operate within.

    It's just a meaningless meme now that people use to shut down discussions even more prematurely than blog operators like Slashdot do by shutting closing off comments and adding new topics.

  6. stop with your logic and reason and understanding by circletimessquare · · Score: 3, Funny

    you nazi fascist

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