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Comment by cjambassador318 | Hacker News Reader

When will the sheeple wake up and realize that the US is literally Nazi Germany.

It isn't and it won't be. "The West" is "inoculated" against Naziism having had it once already. What emerges here will be something perhaps similar but ultimately different enough to once again sneak up on the sensibilities of the common man.

Its far from clear if it will be as serious sickness or merely an unpleasant bout with the flu. What is true is that like the Germans of the 30's, ultimately our apathy will decide.

"If fascism came to America it would come wrapped in the flag and whistling 'The Star Spangled Banner.'" -- Halford E. Luccock, paraphrasing Sinclair Lewis.

Careful with the Nazi card http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_law

There is a big difference between the US government and Nazis.

Doesn't mean we accept it, but Nazi is really not it.

It's inappropriate to invoke Godwin's Law here, because discussion is regarding authoritarian governmental practices. Therefore the Nazi's are on topic. The problem with saying "There is a big difference between the US government and Nazis" is that when we think of the Nazis we think of everything that they did at the end of their reign, after they had a death grip on Germany. But the history of the Nazi Party doesn't begin in the late 30s. The groundwork began before 1920.

Indeed, World War II is one of the most focused upon subjects in the study of history because it is a very important subject. If we knee-jerkedly banish all discussion of the Nazis until we are dealing with a government that is in fact like the Nazi party of the late 30s, then it's far too late. I don't think that anybody is saying that government spying on everyone is akin to the worst actions of the Nazis, but it is the sort of consolidation of power that could, in part lead to similar authoritarian regimes in the future.

On the other hand, I'm not signing onto the "sheeple" comment. I'm just pointing out that discussion of the Nazis should not be off limits for this topic in general.

[edited for clarity, and added the caveat at the end.]

here is another Wikipedia article for you

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thought_terminating_cliche

Heh. In February 2012, Canadian Public Safety Minister Vic Toews actually defended a bill for an unconstitutional warrantless spying program by saying its opponents "can either stand with us or with the child pornographers." You can't make this stuff up.

Bush: Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists. (Applause.)

If this is all they've got, they are naked; I've seen children debating better than this.

http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/200...

Interestingly, 'thought terminating cliche' is also a thought terminating cliche.

Thanks, I've been wanting a term for that idea. Needs to be shorter and catchier thought, otherwise it's just a <insert term for idea dismissed out of hand for being too egg-heady>

You're saying that the US tries its civilians under military law.

That's worse than Nazi Germany.

Well even military law itself doesn't seem all that right to me and the idea that teenagers or 20-somethings know what the hell they are signing into for any military service - to obey without question any order or face serious consequences, it's a huge problem.

But still, the US is not Nazi Germany. That is an ultimate extreme and to use it as a reference point guarantees you won't be able to have a serious conversation with the "other side".

But we are indeed turning into a very strange, unjust and highly unbalanced society.

The fact the government feels like they've lost control - and NEED to control - all of society with so much spying on EVERYONE, is a very bad sign.

As I keep saying, just wait until there are dozens of drones over every city 24/7. Then it's going to start bothering average people because it's no longer virtual.

cjambassador318, you're getting rather repetitive

https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=cjambassador318

Unfortunately this account is just rage trolling and sabotaging the HN discussion quality.

If you think a user's comments are repeatedly not constructive and just there to stir up hate you can always flag a comment. You need to click on |link| next to the commenter's nick and then on |flag|.

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