Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Is Slobodan the new Adolf?

Just wondering. If comparing the Conservative’s softwood sellout to the failed appeasement of Nazi Germany is bad (I think it is, and so did she) then isn’t it also bad to compare, say, the Premier of Ontario or Vancouver City Council to practitioners of ethnic cleansing?

I'm genuinely curious here.

Also, while it seems that while Germany circa World War Two comparisons are out, it looks like Germany circa World War One comparisons are just fine.

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9 comments:

Bailey said...

The links at SDA point to the opposite one that it should, just giving you a heads up.

Jeff said...

Opps, thx.

Anonymous said...

FWIW - the very fact that a euphanism as misleading and sanitized as "ethnic cleansing" is even in common use is an abomination. It strips the acts of mass murder and genocide of their horror and degrades their victims.

In a saner world, terms like "ethnic cleansing" would exist only to ridicule the type of silliness demonstrated in Vancouver by the armies of the politically correct.

The sooner the phrase is retired from the language, the better. Rendering it meaningless through hyperbole is part of that process.

Jeff said...

That's an interesting theory, attempting to change the meaning of the term through repeated use in other ways. We'll see how it goes. To most, though, I think the term does bring to mind images of mass murder and genocide, as you said. Hyperbole or not, that's the link that most make when they see that term.

KC said...

Far be it from Kate at SDA to go ridiculously over the top. This is someone who still actually uses the "Libranos" slur.

KC said...

FYI: Now she is calling Spanish Leader Zapatero anti-semitic without providing the tiniest piece of evidence--and than smears ALL socialists as anti-semitic. Pretty sanctimonious coming from someone who is so clearly racist against First Nations People.

Someone needs to start a kate watch website!

http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/archives/004316.html#comments

Anonymous said...

Actually Kyle, I don't just "use" the term "Libranos" - I created it.

Jeff said...

While mobsters might not appreciate being compared to Liberals, I have no problem with the whole Libranos thing. Frankly, I think it's silly and played, and those that use it in the midst of political debate just make themselves look foolish, leaving the impression they're unable to make an intelligent argument and so resort to namecalling.

Socialist=anti-semite though? No doubt just trying to render the term meaningless through hyberbole, I'm sure.

I'm going to try to do the same with facism, starting now: Scratch a conservative and underneath you'll find a facist. They're all facisty facists. Facists.

Merriam Webster, you're welcome.

KC said...

Wow Kate you should be so proud. Way to bring the level of debate down a notch or two.