As Twitchy reported, members of the Metro D.C. Democratic Socialists drove DHS chief Kirstjen Nielsen out of a restaurant Tuesday night, and then protesters chanting “NO JUSTICE NO SLEEP!” and “FREE THE KIDS!” surrounded her home Friday morning, disturbing the neighbors and yelling “Shame!” as Nielsen emerged.
Also, people have been using LinkedIn and other forms of social media to out ICE agents with the promise to harass them while they’re off the clock, whether at shopping malls or picking up their kids from school. And comedian Kathy Griffin has already riled up her followers to demand a new series of Nuremberg trials for ALL members of the Trump administration.
Man, people sure got worked up quickly over a viral photo of illegal immigrant kids in cages … taken in 2014.
But if any of the above disturbs you, consider the words of Noah Smith, a Bloomberg opinion writer who says it’s important that we compare the Trump administration to Nazi Germany now, rather than wait until it’s too late and the genocide has started.
The idea that you shouldn't compare any regime to the Nazis until the genocide actually begins is crazy. Why should we wait until it's too late to start having pointed discussions about incipient totalitarianism?
— Noah Smith (@Noahpinion) June 20, 2018
If we can't compare someone to the Nazis until they've already carried out a genocide and started a war of extermination that killed tens of millions, then the historical lesson of the Nazis seems pretty useless, doesn't it?
— Noah Smith (@Noahpinion) June 20, 2018
"Oh, huh. Well, they did commit genocide and start some wars. So I guess they WERE like the Nazis after all…Well, except their genocide and wars only killed 9.2 million people instead of 30 million, so they weren't REALLY like the Nazis. Let's keep our comparisons appropriate!"
— Noah Smith (@Noahpinion) June 20, 2018
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"Actually, world population was much lowerin 1942 than it was in 2022, so the comparison with the Nazis is even *less* appropriate."
"Good point, @mike43268514342. They're even less like the Nazis than I originally allowed."
— Noah Smith (@Noahpinion) June 20, 2018
On a more serious note, good reasons to compare the Trump administration to the Nazis include:
1. Being able to discuss out loud the chance that Trump might someday do Hitler-esque things
2. Decrying the ways Trump has already gone more in a Nazi-like direction than we'd like
— Noah Smith (@Noahpinion) June 20, 2018
That’s generous — Trump isn’t literally Hitler, he’s just more like Hitler than we’re comfortable with.
If everyone is afraid to bring up Trump-Nazi comparisons out of fear of alienating the (incredibly flighty) center-right, then we can't even have a productive public discussion about whether Trump or his successors *might* someday commit genocide or start big wars, etc.
— Noah Smith (@Noahpinion) June 20, 2018
Also, while throwing kids in camps at the border isn't nearly as bad as the things the Nazis eventually did, it's more Nazi-esque than our country should be willing to tolerate!
You can be TOO Nazi-like without being AS BAD as the Nazis.
— Noah Smith (@Noahpinion) June 20, 2018
Sure, there are probably lots of more appropriate historical analogues for Trumpism SO FAR (Pinochet? Chavez? Suharto?).
But the reason we use the Nazis as a historical cautionary tale is precisely so that we never get close to having an ACTUAL repeat of the Nazis.
— Noah Smith (@Noahpinion) June 20, 2018
In sum: Although Trump isn't competent enough to be Hitler, and though his successors may never be as destructive as the Nazis, it's perfectly fine to suggest comparisons between Trumpism and the Nazis in specific situations, if those comparisons are warranted.
(end)
— Noah Smith (@Noahpinion) June 20, 2018
And this is the sort of thinking that brought us the antifa mobs that dress in matching black hoodies and shut down conservative speakers on college campuses before vandalizing the town surrounding the campus.
https://twitter.com/JonTurn13893341/status/1010342631493099520
This is a ludicrous argument, masquerading as cogent. It’s ludicrous because it allows you to compare ANY regime to the Nazis, which is likely the most extreme regime ever to achieve power. This equates to “any regime with which I disagree is basically Nazism”.
— Anthony Visceglia (@FAVisceglia) June 21, 2018
The argument against this comparison is it reduces every policy into “you’re a nazi” vs. “I’m moral” which lacks any nuance, ignores real issues & makes both sides more extreme
— Seth Rosenberg (@SethGRosenberg) June 21, 2018
But according to the pundits, Trump is literally running internment camps or concentration camps (the Left can’t quite decide) by detaining illegal immigrant children in shelters — not unlike his predecessor.
No. Trump isn't Hitler. The modern USA with countless news stations, Twitter, FB, etc., isn't 1930s Germany. The education level of 1930s Germans isn't that of the US where a third have college degrees, and their all-white, German heritage doesn't reflect modern Americans.
— Dave Fisher (@rehsif02) June 21, 2018
As much as people would like to paint this as a race issue, like the Japanese internment was, this is an illegal immigrant issue. US citizens aren't being rounded up. Trump doesn't have the approval ratings Hitler did, the youth and energy, etc.
— Dave Fisher (@rehsif02) June 21, 2018
The left can't go on and on about fear-mongering by conservative leaders (which is valid) and then go around pretending this deeply unpopular border situation is anything like that with the Nazi's. It IS crazy talk. Let's stop wasting time pointing fingers and fix things
— Dave Fisher (@rehsif02) June 21, 2018
It simply deligetimizes you, strengthens your opposition and makes any meaningful conversation on important issues impossible. As to Trump, he has literally created more jobs and opportunities for minorities than ever IN OUR HISTORY, the Nazis GASSED MINORITIES TO DEATH. Schmuck
— Clarence Penn (@ClarencePenn_) June 21, 2018
Unless of course Trump’s master genocidal plan is to first make minorities richer and fatten then up so he can eat them all later Hansel and Gretal style… that’s possible I suppose… keep up the good fight!
— Clarence Penn (@ClarencePenn_) June 21, 2018
You deliver your points with a forceful passion and rhetorical flair. Reminds me of Hitler
— Ruminative Orangutan (@Ruminorang) June 21, 2018
https://twitter.com/CraigLFrench/status/1009759855299694595
Radical left is literally behaving like Nazis and advocating fascist methods.. as Orwell once said: “the fascists of the future will call themselves anti-fascists”
— Igor Schatz (@Copernicus2013) June 21, 2018
Related:
Joy Reid panelist: President Mike Pence would have all gays in concentration camps https://t.co/EBfsA5jnOH
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) April 28, 2018
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