Godwin’s Law, and Taking Offense

May 6, 2019

Godwin’s Law, and Taking Offense

godwins law

Mark Rubin

A friend Facebook-posted a litany of informational fragments which equate Hitler to Liberals circa 2019. You’ve seen these things: prepackaged “projectiles” which have as their sole purpose provocation.

Usually, I ignore this crap. In particular, I try to leave my friend’s nonsense alone, for he’s a good soul gone wrong when it comes to politics. But, there’s Godwin’s Law! Attributed to Mike Godwin, it holds that “as an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1.” Here, the discussion started with Hitler.

So, with trepidation, I responded: “Not guessing you can possibly understand just how offensive your post is.” Not my finest moment, and maybe I should have taken it offline. My excuse? Physical labor.* Tired and crabby I was!

Anyway, the next day my friend posted: “If the truth is offensive so be it!” Well!

My direct Holocaust losses are few. A great aunt lost her entire family, and we were very close for many years. Otherwise, distant cousins. Among friends, I’m aware of lots of loss, and several good friends’ parents survived.

Then there’s Judaism, today. I served the organized Jewish community for many years. Today, I’m estranged. Over Israel, and I’m not alone. I can’t imagine what life in Israel must be like, and I have no affinity for rock tossing, bomb throwing, missile launching Palestinians. Even less, can I relate to wealthy sponsors in Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the like, who condemn Israel and offer nothing to help solve the problem or elevate the Palestinians’ lot in life. That said, for just shy of 52 years Israel’s overarching policy has not changed. Thumbs down on any opportunities which might bring about positive change. Almost: Peace with Egypt and Jordan did occur, followed by the murders of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. If you keep doing what you’ve always done, your situation will change very little.

I digress only for the purpose of noting the fact that I’m not looking for anti-Semitism. Or matters offensive. Instead, I am addressing silly, provocative comments on FB and other social media sites. Provocative comments express a desire for a response. Mine? Defriending on FB, for I don’t want to see any more thoughtlessness from this guy. Oh, and this blog post, for if you provoke someone who writes, expect a written response.

I did not verify the allegation in the pre-printed post my friend shared. It’s the litany, though, of what my people want for America, and I don’t care a whit whether Hitler was or wasn’t pro-health care for everyone.

Here’s the most complete list of D candidates running to defeat Donald Trump in 2010:

Sen. Michael Bennet; Former Vice President Joe Biden; Sen. Cory Booker; Mayor Pete Buttigieg; Former Mayor Julian Castro; Former Rep. John Delaney; Rep. Tulsi Gabbard; Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand; Sen. Kamala Harris; Former Gov. John Hickenlooper; Gov. Jay Inslee; Sen. Amy Klobuchar; Mayor Wayne Messam; Rep. Seth Moulton; Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke; Rep. Tim Ryan; Sen. Bernie Sanders; Rep. Eric Swalwell; Sen. Elizabeth Warren; Author Marianne Williamson, and Former tech executive Andrew Yang.

It’s a long list, for sure, and it will get longer before it gets shorter. Some lean more left than others, and tactics, strategy, and goals get confused. Regardless, we can be confident that none of these people—and anyone else who might run against Donald Trump, whether as a D or an R—will not channel Adolf Hitler.

To my old friend, I can’t control what you post. But I can control what I read. And I can make sure no one who looks at my feed will have to read your nonsense.

 

*Rubin & Bernstein occupies two buildings, the main office and the annex aka the Foothills office, which is across the street and up the block to the north. About .00007% closer to the mountains. The labor involved moving me into a much smaller space in the annex, and setting up my 432 square feet of space for 3-4 staff people.

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