The latest brilliant dialogue of the extreme left?... Hollywood Vandals Brand Bush a Nazi. Exhibit A for ya:
What's frightening is not that the billboard was vandalized. That's a common occurrence here in sunny Southern California, but it's that it's even a consideration to call Bush a Nazi. This generation's lack of historical understanding and knowledge is appalling. It's enough to almost make one cry. The fact that it's an option to equate Bush and Hitler is simply beyond ridiculous. (I'm really struggling to find words because I'm so baffled by this constant foolishness.)
It's really easy for people who've grown up in the United States to call Bush a fascist because they have absolutely no concept of what fascism is. None, nada, none. Talk to Holocaust survivors to find out what fascism's really about. Talk to Europeans who fled their native countries to avoid rape, concentration camps, being flayed alive, etc. Ask them what fascism is. It's in no way even close to President Bush.
Everyday, I'm horrified more and more by my generation's lack of critical thinking skills, lack of moral judgment, and complete lack of well, brain power or knowledge all together. It's sad and almost makes me lose hope thinking that people who irresponsibly throw around swastikas and reckless, inflamatory language are the future leaders (God forbid) of this nation. Until that day, I'm still here tellin them like it is. :)
Posted by Portia at February 18, 2005 04:35 PMWell said.
Posted by: Dee at February 18, 2005 05:28 PMmy greatgrandparents escaped just before the death camps. it makes me sick whenever people call Bush hitler because they don't know what they're talking about.
Posted by: marta at February 18, 2005 05:32 PMWow, they're right. I completely forgot about all the death camps the Bush administration set up all over the place. They're so smart! I feel so defeated knowing now that I am a complete and utter idiot. How could I be so blind and ignorant??
This just furthers my theory that the United States has way too many communications majors and way too few history and political science majors.
Posted by: Libertas at February 18, 2005 06:50 PMI don't think Bush is a fascist either, but I think you need to give a better explanation of your point. The Holocaust is not the sum total of fascism, or even of what was bad about fascism. The Holocaust didn't really start until 1941, but Hitler was in power since 1933, and Mussolini since 1922. In the 20s and 30s what was particularly troubling about fascism was the glorification of violence and the subversion of democracy in the name of the people against scapegoated enemies: gays, communists, etc.
In our county I'm particularly troubled by the widespread use of detention camps in which there are few legal rights and systematic use of torture. I'm also troubled by the administration's curtailment of civil liberties and use of paid propaganda, both by bribing journalists and by creating fake news stories. I also don't like the scapegoating of gays, liberals, and Muslims and the glorification of militarism as a distraction from real economic problems.
I don't think these add up to fascism by any means, but I think you need to discuss them rather than the Holocaust if you want to object to inappropriate labeling of Bush.
Posted by: ziggy at February 19, 2005 10:11 AM...yet another person accusing Bush of "setting up death camps all over the place." Where in the heck is "all over the place?
History and polysci majors are the least in the brain-power category; no critical thinking involved, revisionist history or no history taught. High school and college students were asked who Mengele was. Answer: I dunno. (Quick, do a google search before you answer:)
Posted by: Dee at February 19, 2005 10:12 AMDee I hope you are not attributing that quotation to me. I did not say Bush has set up "death camps." He has set up detention camps in Cuba, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other secret locations, incarceration in which does not require a trial or any formal due process, but they are not extermination camps. If you are referring to Libertas, he was clearly being ironic.
Posted by: ziggy at February 19, 2005 02:31 PMOne other thing. The swastika was vandalism. I don't think you can attribute this act to "the left" in general any more than you can attribute the painting of a swastika on a Jewish temple, or the burning of a cross on a black family's lawn, to "the right."
Posted by: ziggy at February 19, 2005 02:34 PMUm....Ziggy...did you forget that there was a moveon.org commercial almost completely saying that Bush was the modern incarnation of Hitler?
And I do agree with your earlier posting, for the most part. However, the Nazi death camps are the end result of Fascism because you need a scapegoat. Bush isn't really offering a scapegoat for his apparent "militarism". He's calling the entire world to combat terrorism. If you want to call that a scapegoat, go ahead.
Posted by: Peter at February 22, 2005 08:57 AMAre you referring to the commercial that was entered in their "Bush in Sixty Seconds" contest? That commercial was not produced by Moveon.Org, although they did choose it as one of the finalists in the competition, if I remember correctly.
On the other hand, the Bush campaign did intersperse images of Hitler, taken from that ad, with images of Democratic candidates shouting in one of their commercials, which seemed to imply a comparison.
Posted by: ziggy at February 22, 2005 01:28 PMWell, if that happened, I'm against it. Anyone comparing anyone else to Hitler in our country is horrible.
Posted by: Peter at February 23, 2005 11:25 AM