Comparing Bush and Republicans to Nazis, all the cool ignoramuses are doing it!
It never ceases to amaze me how many times I hear people try to compare Bush and Hitler. Victor Davis Hamilton elaborates specifically on this case. Sadly, some people seem to think that if Bush is Hitler, then the Republicans are his Nazi lackeys.
It is a pitifully ignorant comparison. Let's start with Republicans in general. I've heard some people say that their "rabid patriotism" is similar to that in Germany in the 1940's. Hmm, they don't like that Republicans have faith in the people and government of America? Many countries have had periods where many of the people were unwaveringly patriotic, but few have led to Holocausts. Sadly, people take the most well known instances and assume that they must imply future problems.
Interestingly enough, there may be some hypocrisy in these accusations. Some extreme liberals will accuse Republicans of moving towards a Holocaust, but the Democrats are a lot closer to a eugenics program than most people are aware. With abortions and cases like that of Terry Schiavo, many Democrats say that these lives may not be wanted (by one party or another) and that it would be better for them to not be alive in the first place. Hmm, the Nazis didn't want Jews (as well as some Christians) either. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to call Democrats Nazis, but I think that parallels can be found for anything, even if you have to work hard to find them.
And then, there are the comparisons to Hitler of Bush. First off, whatever happened to the laws of slander and libel? These days, you can say whatever you want about anyone. I'm not one to hinder free speech, but it is a shame that people will place an inaccurate description on someone. Freedom of speech should not be misconstrued to say that lying is a right. People must be taken to task for their dishonesty.
Secondly, Bush, in most of his mannerisms, falls on the opposite side of Nazis, as Hanson notes at the end of his piece.
"The final irony? The president who is most slandered as Hitler will probably prove to be the most zealous advocate of democratic government abroad, the staunchest friend of beleaguered Israel, and the greatest promoter of global individual freedom in our recent memory. In turn, too many of the Left who used to talk about idealism and morality have so often shown themselves mean-spirited, cynical, and without faith in the spiritual power of democracy."
These comparisons are incredibly inaccurate and little more than personal attacks in an attempt to make Republicans bad, rather than improve the image of Democrats. I will remind Democrats of their folly in the last two presidential elections. They tried to paint Republicans as evil, but they came across as self-righteous. As long as leftists continue to hold the prominent voice in the Democratic party, Republicans will hold a larger percentage of the public offices than Democrats. Not that I'm complaining. Unlike the liberals, I recognize that moderate Democrats will provide a bigger challenge to Republicans, and might force many of them to reexamine everything they believe, perhaps even fight harder for those things that most need change. But make no mistake, Republicans are far from Nazis; if anything, we would be the first to stand up and condemn true Nazis for what they do and believe.
It is a pitifully ignorant comparison. Let's start with Republicans in general. I've heard some people say that their "rabid patriotism" is similar to that in Germany in the 1940's. Hmm, they don't like that Republicans have faith in the people and government of America? Many countries have had periods where many of the people were unwaveringly patriotic, but few have led to Holocausts. Sadly, people take the most well known instances and assume that they must imply future problems.
Interestingly enough, there may be some hypocrisy in these accusations. Some extreme liberals will accuse Republicans of moving towards a Holocaust, but the Democrats are a lot closer to a eugenics program than most people are aware. With abortions and cases like that of Terry Schiavo, many Democrats say that these lives may not be wanted (by one party or another) and that it would be better for them to not be alive in the first place. Hmm, the Nazis didn't want Jews (as well as some Christians) either. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to call Democrats Nazis, but I think that parallels can be found for anything, even if you have to work hard to find them.
And then, there are the comparisons to Hitler of Bush. First off, whatever happened to the laws of slander and libel? These days, you can say whatever you want about anyone. I'm not one to hinder free speech, but it is a shame that people will place an inaccurate description on someone. Freedom of speech should not be misconstrued to say that lying is a right. People must be taken to task for their dishonesty.
Secondly, Bush, in most of his mannerisms, falls on the opposite side of Nazis, as Hanson notes at the end of his piece.
"The final irony? The president who is most slandered as Hitler will probably prove to be the most zealous advocate of democratic government abroad, the staunchest friend of beleaguered Israel, and the greatest promoter of global individual freedom in our recent memory. In turn, too many of the Left who used to talk about idealism and morality have so often shown themselves mean-spirited, cynical, and without faith in the spiritual power of democracy."
These comparisons are incredibly inaccurate and little more than personal attacks in an attempt to make Republicans bad, rather than improve the image of Democrats. I will remind Democrats of their folly in the last two presidential elections. They tried to paint Republicans as evil, but they came across as self-righteous. As long as leftists continue to hold the prominent voice in the Democratic party, Republicans will hold a larger percentage of the public offices than Democrats. Not that I'm complaining. Unlike the liberals, I recognize that moderate Democrats will provide a bigger challenge to Republicans, and might force many of them to reexamine everything they believe, perhaps even fight harder for those things that most need change. But make no mistake, Republicans are far from Nazis; if anything, we would be the first to stand up and condemn true Nazis for what they do and believe.
posted by CR UVa at 12:37 AM
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