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Here's the problem with the Hitler thing.
Is there things that Obama has done that one could equate to being similar to what Hitler did in some cases? Yes.
Is the same true with GWB? Yes.
Clinton? Yep.
Bush I? Yep.
Reagan. Yep.
There's things EVERY President does that could be related in some fashion, in some way, to various actions taken by Hitler in hims time presiding over Germany. He was essentially their head of state, and there was a government; there are going to be similarities.
The thing is, you could also compare some things Obama has done or wishes for to relatively unknown world leaders, likely to well known ones like Ariel Sharon or Tony Blair or Margret Thatcher, or to other more questionable ones such as Arafat or Gorbachev. You could even compare some of what he's done to FDR, Nixon, or even Reagan.
Same thing for the other Presidents I named.
So why always the focus on Hitler? Those that do it, in the moment, say "I'm just comparing something he's doing to something Hitler did, I'm not saying he's killing millions of people". But WHY Hitler, when there's likely another example?
And the reason is obvious...
Hitler is well known first, second, and third for the murder of the jews and the world war that he began. Most of the various other things are well behind those two factors. Which means immedietely in the vast majority of the population those are the imagery and the thoughts that pop into their mind when you think "Hitler". To suggest that, at the very least, someone is not trying to connect that extreme negative connotation that Hitler has to the individual that's being compared to him over an issue NOT having to do with the two above is absolutely disingenuous because if not they'd equally use any number of other historical examples. While the individual may not be trying to say "See, Hitler did this, [President X] is doing this, they're alike and he's leading us to Nazi-ism and killing millions" blatantly (and some people do even do that), what they are doing is trying to go "Know all of your hatred you have towards Hitler because he murdered millions of jews and plunged the world into war? Well you should have that hatred towards [President X] becaus his [Policy Y] is similar in some way to Hitler's [relatively minor or less important/known Nazi Policy Z]".
Its the attempt to connect the parties emotioanal hatred for Hitler...which is predicated primarily off the two things I stated above for most people...to the other individual by connecting a completely seperate issue to try and say "they're similar".
Its a dirty, decietful trick, and its poor political discourse on all levels from all sides. At times reality trumps factuality, and the REALITY is that no matter how factually true it may be that "Random health care plan X" is similar in 5 ways to "Random Nazi Health Care Plan Y" all you're doing by making that comparison is riling people up NOT because of the particular legislation but because of the joining of the hatred for Nazisim/Hitler due to the hollocaust/WWII and the emotions associated with it to the other side.
Is there things that Obama has done that one could equate to being similar to what Hitler did in some cases? Yes.
Is the same true with GWB? Yes.
Clinton? Yep.
Bush I? Yep.
Reagan. Yep.
There's things EVERY President does that could be related in some fashion, in some way, to various actions taken by Hitler in hims time presiding over Germany. He was essentially their head of state, and there was a government; there are going to be similarities.
The thing is, you could also compare some things Obama has done or wishes for to relatively unknown world leaders, likely to well known ones like Ariel Sharon or Tony Blair or Margret Thatcher, or to other more questionable ones such as Arafat or Gorbachev. You could even compare some of what he's done to FDR, Nixon, or even Reagan.
Same thing for the other Presidents I named.
So why always the focus on Hitler? Those that do it, in the moment, say "I'm just comparing something he's doing to something Hitler did, I'm not saying he's killing millions of people". But WHY Hitler, when there's likely another example?
And the reason is obvious...
Hitler is well known first, second, and third for the murder of the jews and the world war that he began. Most of the various other things are well behind those two factors. Which means immedietely in the vast majority of the population those are the imagery and the thoughts that pop into their mind when you think "Hitler". To suggest that, at the very least, someone is not trying to connect that extreme negative connotation that Hitler has to the individual that's being compared to him over an issue NOT having to do with the two above is absolutely disingenuous because if not they'd equally use any number of other historical examples. While the individual may not be trying to say "See, Hitler did this, [President X] is doing this, they're alike and he's leading us to Nazi-ism and killing millions" blatantly (and some people do even do that), what they are doing is trying to go "Know all of your hatred you have towards Hitler because he murdered millions of jews and plunged the world into war? Well you should have that hatred towards [President X] becaus his [Policy Y] is similar in some way to Hitler's [relatively minor or less important/known Nazi Policy Z]".
Its the attempt to connect the parties emotioanal hatred for Hitler...which is predicated primarily off the two things I stated above for most people...to the other individual by connecting a completely seperate issue to try and say "they're similar".
Its a dirty, decietful trick, and its poor political discourse on all levels from all sides. At times reality trumps factuality, and the REALITY is that no matter how factually true it may be that "Random health care plan X" is similar in 5 ways to "Random Nazi Health Care Plan Y" all you're doing by making that comparison is riling people up NOT because of the particular legislation but because of the joining of the hatred for Nazisim/Hitler due to the hollocaust/WWII and the emotions associated with it to the other side.
