The Reductio ad Hitlerum
It looks to me like Obama has this election about wrapped up. Why?
Some of his opponents are resorting to the tired and fallacious reductio ad Hitlerum (aka argumentum ad Hitlerum).
Exhibit A is this video:
(The original context is this video.)
This stuff is just beyond the pale in so many ways. You can find all manner of other similarly odious political rhetoric at YouTube (just check out the “related videos” category). Also, in 2004 Joe Carter discussed what he called “The Hidden Danger Behind the Hitler Comparisons.”
In real Nazi-related news, today is the fiftieth anniversary of the death of Bishop George Bell, an ecumenist, politician, and friend of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who did his best to support the cause of the nascent opposition movements within Germany.
Some of his opponents are resorting to the tired and fallacious reductio ad Hitlerum (aka argumentum ad Hitlerum).
Exhibit A is this video:
(The original context is this video.)
This stuff is just beyond the pale in so many ways. You can find all manner of other similarly odious political rhetoric at YouTube (just check out the “related videos” category). Also, in 2004 Joe Carter discussed what he called “The Hidden Danger Behind the Hitler Comparisons.”
In real Nazi-related news, today is the fiftieth anniversary of the death of Bishop George Bell, an ecumenist, politician, and friend of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who did his best to support the cause of the nascent opposition movements within Germany.
Comments
#1 2008-10-04 03:10 (Reply)
Reality check, Jordan: Are you really more upset by the comparison made in this video to fascist propaganda than the actual politicization and objectification of children by the Obama supporters in the original video? The former is a direct response to the latter. Using kids as political fodder is creepy. Put on a pious face and tsk-tsk the “odious political rhetoric” if you like, but the reality is that the original video has the stench of fascism and they should be called out on it.
#1.1 2008-10-04 18:51 (Reply)
Are you really more upset by the comparison made in this video to fascist propaganda than the actual politicization and objectification of children by the Obama supporters in the original video?
Yes. Maybe using kids as political fodder is creepy (perhaps often, but maybe not always. There may indeed be exceptions).
But I am certainly more disturbed by the use of Hitler, Nazis, and the Holocaust as political fodder.
Does this video also have the stench of fascism?
It isn’t as if Obama supporters have a monopoly on hero worship and even idolatry of political figures. That phenomenon has a rich historical tradition in American culture.
#2 2008-10-08 14:39 (Reply)
This is as outrageous--if not more so--as “kill” and other things a Palin audience recently shouted.
#3 2008-10-16 00:41 (Reply)
Besides the clip wrongfully associating President elect Obama with Nazi theme. I also felt the clip had a powerful message that anything associated to Nazism could lead to diaster and fear to the nation. That seems like not a fair message at all and even to include kids that symbolizes inocent is really sad.