Just a Thought: Is it EVER Okay to Bring Up Nazis or Allege Racism?

From time to time, a thought enters my head, and I can't shake it until I write it down. Fortunately, I have a blog, where "writing it down" is pretty much the job description.  So, I'm introducing "Just a Thought," a banner beneath which I will toss out these random brain droppings.  I'll not promise coherence. 


Godwin's Law: "As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1." (Source: Wikipedia)

Kind of a bad idea. . .

It is a good rule of thumb to not use Nazis, Nazi Germany or Adolph Hitler as analogies in any situation.  In general, nobody is as bad as Nazis, and nothing compares to the evil committed by Hitler.  But here's the thing I got to thinking about.  One of the most commonly quoted phrases arising out of the aftermath of Nazi Germany is, "Never forget." This would mean--I assume--that we are not to forget the lessons learned from that period of time.  And that we should heed any sign of a repeat of those events.

But how do you heed supposed warnings, if any comment referencing similarities to Nazi Germany are immediately deemed to be a shut down of serious discussion?  No analogy is ever perfect, but there are sometimes similarities between events, even extreme events.  This doesn't mean that I support anti-Obama tea baggers who paint--with no foundation--President Obama as a Nazi.  With any analogy, there must be some sort of underlying similarity, and none exists there.  It seems to have come in response to Bush and Cheney being similarly portrayed. But at least there was some foundation to build upon there, and many more years in office before those sorts of analogies started to be drawn.  Anyway. . .

On a tangent, this subject for some reason directs my brain to a different one. That of recognizing and commenting on veiled racism.  If for example one were to posit that there are racist elements in the Tea Party movement, one would be immediately slammed for playing "the race card."  Now, put aside for a moment whether you believe or disbelieve my premise.  Just notice how alleging racism is now equivalent to being racist.  If you "play the race card," you've done pretty much the same thing--in today's politics--as making a Nazi analogy. You've effectively ended all serious discussion.  Not that pictures like the above merit serious discussions of either subject. I think we can all agree that it is just a bad idea.

Ann Coulter Blames Obama "Hitler" Signs on Liberals

The funniest thing about this video to me is that Ann Coulter believes there are whack-job "outliers" in the tea party movement, or that the nuttiest of the fringe are liberals in disguise. How would one be able to tell the difference between a "mainstream" or a "fringe" tea bagger, exactly?

The other noteworthy thing about this video, is that President Obama is clearly pointing out the inherent WTF? things about the tea bagger movement, in this case the Hitler imagery as it pertains to health care reform. It makes about as much sense as the "Socialism" signs with Obama as The Joker. Again, WTF?

Random Unhinged Anti-Health Care Reform Protesters

Sheesh. "God will take care of health care." "The U.S.S. Constitution." Referring to the Constitution as a book. Communism. Socialism. Marxism. Abortion. Obama's a Muslim. Hitler.

These people are really all over the place. And to claim that the Constitution does not provide for health care reform, when it clearly states "support the general welfare," is just goofy. I used to be impressed (and depressed) about how the GOP and the party faithful used to be unified, and lock-step on message. Now I'm just exasperated by this--hopefully not literal--shotgun approach.

A Kid Named Adolph Hitler Denied Birthday Cake

Photo from source, New York Daily News

I understand that there are white separatists in this country. I don't understand why, but I understand that they exist. I also understand that they sometimes name their children oddly, to reflect their odd beliefs. It takes a rare set of parents though, with the chutzpah (Yiddish word chosen intentionally), or the outright stupidity to name their kid Adolph Hitler. They showed no more intelligence with the selection of "Aryan Nation" for their daughter's name, but at least squeezed those names between her first and last name.

So, tell me. While folks were voting against my right to marry, is organized religion out there organizing against potential parents like this? And by the way, the white separatists are free to separate--I'd think without complaint from anybody--from the rest of us, other white people, included.

[Excerpt]

Happy birthday, Adolf Hitler! Boy with nazi leader's name denied ShopRite cake

This Hitler youth is blond-haired, blue-eyed and just turned three.

Adolf Hitler Campbell is the middle child of three kids given Nazi-themed names by their parents, including a dad who denies the Holocaust occurred and decorates his home with swastikas. . .

Read more at: New York Daily News

Proposition 8 Spokesman Compares Gays to Hitler

Sigh. Godwin's law seems to apply to more than internet message boards. Apparently, any political issue will eventually invoke Adolph Hitler and/or the Holocaust. This is the spokesman for the (unfortunately successful) Proposition 8 in California, to remove the right of same-sex marriage.

His name is Brad Dacus. And he is really, really happy that gay people can't get married anymore. And he's comparing the fight to the fight with Hitler. And gee, he's kinda handsome there in that suit. Trim too. You don't suppose he's had a proposition or two (or eight) himself, do ya? That maybe it made him question something about himself? Or maybe he did more than something? Maybe something that made him feel it necessary to re-assert his manliness? At full volume? To a crowd? Kinda joking, but kinda not. . .

Julie Brown Takes on Sarah Palin: New Song!

Photo from HX

I've loved Julie Brown (the funny one, not the untalented one) since I was shortly out of high school, which was way-y-y-y back in 1984. Video stores had just started popping up, and they had very little backlog--rentable video tape having just been invented and all. So after I got through every horror and sci-fi movie, I was down to the comedy section.

I found a "Comedy Videos" tape, and discovered The Hitler Rap by Mel Brooks, Where's the Beef? by Ruth Buzzi (a lame attempt to cash in on Wendy's Clara Peller), and The Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun by Julie Brown. The last song was the best, and still is very funny (if you remember that school shootings were much more rare in those days, and when they did occur, they weren't rampages). The song is lampooning 50s and 60s "tragedy" songs much more than school shootings.

After that song, Julie had a series of other funny tracks like, Trapped in the Body of a White Girl, I Like 'Em Big and Stupid, Girl Fight Tonight! and my favorite, 'Cause I'm a Blonde. She Incorporated some of these songs into her movie, Earth Girls are Easy, also starring Geena Davis, Jeff Goldblum, Damon Wayons and Jim Carrey. She's been in several (usually short-lived) shows that belong in the category, Brilliant but Cancelled. And she's made me laugh all the way.

Most recently, Julie has taken to making fun of Vice Presidential candidate, Sarah Palin. A worthy endeavor by any measure, made better by the fact that she can impersonate Palin's voice and appearance very well. Not bad, considering she's a full decade older than Palin. Below is an audio-only YouTube video (I know, that sounds weird), of Julie's appearance on a recent airing of The Stephanie Miller Show, where she released the premiere of "The Ex-Beauty Queen's Got a Gun/The Girl V.P.'s Got a Gun."

It's very, very funny stuff, but feels a bit like a work in progress. The backing track is from the original song, with some words still audible. And the title needs work. But it's still Julie Brown, and I'll take her any way I can get her!

And here's the original, just for fun. . .

Frivolity Break: Mel Brooks' Hitler Rap

I'm preparing for the big wedding trip to California, so I really don't have a lot of time for the blog tonight. So rather than carpet bomb the site with political posts, I thought I'd give you a fun thing or two to watch. And, if you're new to the site, you might not know that means something fun and weird. . .

This was a music video by Mel Brooks to coincide with his early eighties movie, To Be or Not to Be. As far as I know, it does not appear in the movie. Take a little of the rap song he did for History of the World, Part I (It's Good to be the King), throw in a bit of Springtime for Hitler (from The Producers), and for some reason some porny looking Nazi men and women, and you get The Hitler Rap! Enjoy.