(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Previous Guy's shtick and the End of Democracy, because Godwin's Law [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-12-26 Did nazi that coming. Apparently revisionist history is speading: “The new World History textbook for high schools in Russia quietly informs kids that Donald Trump was denied presidency in 2020 as a result of 'obvious falsifications' by the Democratic Party”. It could be a reverse cargo cult in that those under oligarchic rule think everyone else’s governments are also shams where any upcoming election will be automatically “rigged”, no different than the claims made under trumpism about perpetual election denial. There is an inverted cargo cult and the shtick at his rallies and other appeals to merchandising are markets for falsehood and false consciousness. It’s all unaffordable luxury consisting of bads rather than goods. "We have to overcome our reluctance to use strong language and admit that America is now beset by a dangerous antidemocratic movement masquerading as a party," Unsurprisingly, though, there are plenty of people who push back whenever anyone or anything gets compared to Hitler or the Nazis — or to related subjects like the Holocaust or the confinement of Jews to ghettos or the systematic killing of civilian populations. Masha Gessen relearned that lesson recently after writing an article for the New Yorker that raised — in an exemplary, thoughtful, nuanced way — the question of whether modern Germany’s promotion of a particular way of thinking about the Holocaust might forbid public questioning of the morality of Israel’s choices in retaliating for Hamas’s brutal Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Gessen was set to receive the Hannah Arendt prize for political thought, but the New Yorker article troubled two sponsors of the event enough to pull out of the award ceremony that had been set to take place in Bremen, Germany. Although Gessen ultimately received the award, the controversy raises two peculiar Godwin’s Law-related issues. First, has the sheer absurdity of so many hyperbolic Nazi comparisons in popular culture made us less vigilant about the possible reemergence of actual fascism in the world? I think it shouldn’t — comparisons to Hitler or to Nazis need to take place when people are beginning to act like Hitler or like Nazis. Second, is Germany’s specific culture of remembrance — which privileges the idea that the Holocaust is unique — working, as some have said Godwin’s Law has also functioned, to quash appropriate comparisons of today’s horrors to the 1930s and 1940s? I continue to insist that Godwin’s Law should never be read as a conversation-ender or as a prohibition on Hitler comparisons. Instead, I still hope it serves to steer conversations into more thoughtful, historically informed places. www.washingtonpost.com/... x My Washington Post op-ed has been posted. You'll never guess what it's about. https://t.co/vrXe9ksXQE — Mike Godwin (@sfmnemonic) December 20, 2023 x Five ways that Hitler was preferable to Trump 1. He fought for his country 2. He never used a teleprompter 3. He was nice to dogs 4. He wrote his own books 5. He never played golf 6. He wasn't a big fat slob Five ways Trump is preferable to Hitler 1. He doesn't practice… — John Cleese (@JohnCleese) December 27, 2023 Five ways Trump is preferable to Hitler 1. He doesn't practice genocide 2. He has nicer hair 3. 4. 5. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/12/26/2213980/-Previous-Guy-and-the-End-of-Democracy-because-Godwin-s-Law?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/