3 ms·

Are you kidding me? That poem is literally about the Nazis, and how you have to fight them before they exterminate you.

leereeves 9y ago
That poem is indeed literally about the Nazis, but it's a warning about any extremist group that gains power by attacking other extremists, wherever they fall on the political spectrum. The first line, "First they came for the Socialists", is about communists, another despised group who certain politicians in America have targeted to their profit and our lasting shame. The remaining lines are about other groups the Nazis attacked by associating them with communists, in the same way Hollywood was once associated with communists in America. In our hatred for Nazis, let's not forget our basic values the way we once did when McCarthy waved communists in front of us like a matador.
- TheAdamAndChe 9y ago
  > it's a warning about any extremist group that gains power by attacking other extremists I believe you may have misinterpreted the poem. It's not about preventing "attacks" towards other extremists, it's about _suppressing_ them. It's one thing to argue with someone, fight with them, make your disagreements known, and whatever. That advances the conversation. It's a completely different issue to silence and suppress your enemies. That leads to authoritarianism, whether from the left or the right. In my opinion, it is right of the majority to make their disdain towards the Nazis known. It is right of them to denounce their behavior. I personally don't feel it's right to suppress their ability to express their views, however.
  - leereeves 9y ago
    I have a problem with people who focus on the worst. Advancing the conversation isn't possible when "the conversation" is each side claiming the other is represented by the worst people imaginable. It's the same thing as claiming BLM is represented by cop killers, or Islam is represented by ISIS.

That poem is indeed literally about the Nazis, but it's a warning about any extremist group that gains power by attacking other extremists, wherever they fall on the political spectrum. The first line, "First they came for the Socialists", is about communists, another despised group who certain politicians in America have targeted to their profit and our lasting shame. The remaining lines are about other groups the Nazis attacked by associating them with communists, in the same way Hollywood was once associated with communists in America. In our hatred for Nazis, let's not forget our basic values the way we once did when McCarthy waved communists in front of us like a matador.

TheAdamAndChe 9y ago
> it's a warning about any extremist group that gains power by attacking other extremists I believe you may have misinterpreted the poem. It's not about preventing "attacks" towards other extremists, it's about _suppressing_ them. It's one thing to argue with someone, fight with them, make your disagreements known, and whatever. That advances the conversation. It's a completely different issue to silence and suppress your enemies. That leads to authoritarianism, whether from the left or the right. In my opinion, it is right of the majority to make their disdain towards the Nazis known. It is right of them to denounce their behavior. I personally don't feel it's right to suppress their ability to express their views, however.
- leereeves 9y ago
  I have a problem with people who focus on the worst. Advancing the conversation isn't possible when "the conversation" is each side claiming the other is represented by the worst people imaginable. It's the same thing as claiming BLM is represented by cop killers, or Islam is represented by ISIS.