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Without getting political (expecting downvotes), what comparable "terrible things" have happened under Trump that are at all similar to Soviet Russia or Nazi Ge

Without getting political (expecting downvotes), what comparable "terrible things" have happened under Trump that are at all similar to Soviet Russia or Nazi Germany?

skookumchuck 8y ago
The point isn't really what Trump has done, it's that leftists are suddenly discovering that it won't always be "their guy" with all that power, and that misusing that power against them is a real possibility. Be very, very careful what excuses one makes when "your guy" is overreaching and expanding power.
MereInterest 8y ago
In terms of things that have happened so far, the responses to your sibling post cover it pretty well. However, that was not was being referred to. GP's post refers to the feeling that such things could not happen in the United States. There has, for a long time, been a sense that atrocities were not able to occur in the United States, due to some combination of individualism, enumerated rights, American exceptionalism, etc. Rising white nationalism and racism was a driving force in Trump's election. Since then, he has been a symbol for a darker sides of politics that people previously imagined to be absent in the US. It is not that terrible things on a similar magnitude to Soviet Russia or Nazi Germany have happened. It is that the US is not immune to those things happening. (This is not meant to imply that family separation, rolling back of trans rights, and tacit approval of white supremacist violence are not terrible. They are deplorable actions, and I do not want to lessen their impact.)
- Moodles 8y ago
  They feel such things can't happen in the United States... and the example they give to contradict that is Trump? I merely ask how it is comparable to Nazi Germany. I still find it amusing merely asking my question rewards me with downvotes. I don't care about my own HN karma, but it's a shame to see comments in general getting downvoted for this. It's a ridiculous comparison.
  - cbg0 8y ago
    > expecting downvotes > asking my question rewards me with downvotes > I don't care about HN karma, but it's a shame to see It sounds to me like you do care about HN karma quite a bit. Anyway, I'll point you out to this popular tweet which may give you an understanding as to why people are comparing America today to Nazi Germany: https://twitter.com/1SarahRose/status/826116204301516800 https://twitter.com/1SarahRose/status/826116204301516800 As to why people blame Trump for it, though he is definitely not the only one to blame, as POTUS I feel that he has a responsibility to bring people together, regardless if they voted for him or not, and instead he's doing the opposite.
    - Moodles 8y ago
      What I mean is that I don't care about my own personal downvotes; I care a bit that Hacker News would downvote a comment because it calls out their kinda ridiculous political views, without even discussing it, as that means HN is going a bit downhill. It's just a bit absurd, wherever you are on the political spectrum, to seriously think the US is at all similar to Nazi Germany now. You have to live in an echo chamber if you think Trump and Hitler are comparable. Stalin was was even very left wing, btw.
      - cbg0 8y ago
        For complaining about downvotes and HN going downhill, see https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html (You'll also notice that politics discussions are frowned upon) Also, you call other people's political views 'ridiculous' and then you wonder why they won't engage with that and instead downvote you? If you want a serious discussion, start with better kindling. > You have to live in an echo chamber if you think Trump and Hitler are comparable. Again, insulting the reader instead of offering some serious counterpoints which could spark a debate.
        Moodles 8y ago
        It's too ridiculous a topic to even seriously discuss though. The holocaust, invading Europe, the gestapo, gulags... It's not the same as the current US President. Like, do you seriously think there is merit in comparing Hitler to Trump? Do you think you would bother breaking down Hitler vs Obama?
corey_moncure 8y ago
The downvote button is the mind killer. Every time you push it, you forfeit a chance to examine a disagreement and change a life-- yours or theirs, who's to say? I prefer to assume we've all found our way here to be earnest, intellectually honest, 'truth-tracking cognitive systems', as one HN-front-page-linked article has put it. It's easy to be steered into echo chambers and algorithmic news bubbles. Let's answer earnest questions with earnest answers. Leave the downvote button for things that break with the rules or good faith.
- AlexTWithBeard 8y ago
  Sometimes when I feel a strong urge to downvote someone, I realize that in real life we would probably have a fantastic (may be a bit heated) conversation. So I don't. How great would it be if we could just gather over a beer and chat.

Without getting political (expecting downvotes), what comparable "terrible things" have happened under Trump that are at all similar to Soviet Russia or Nazi Germany?

skookumchuck 8y ago

The point isn't really what Trump has done, it's that leftists are suddenly discovering that it won't always be "their guy" with all that power, and that misusing that power against them is a real possibility. Be very, very careful what excuses one makes when "your guy" is overreaching and expanding power.

MereInterest 8y ago

In terms of things that have happened so far, the responses to your sibling post cover it pretty well. However, that was not was being referred to. GP's post refers to the feeling that such things could not happen in the United States. There has, for a long time, been a sense that atrocities were not able to occur in the United States, due to some combination of individualism, enumerated rights, American exceptionalism, etc. Rising white nationalism and racism was a driving force in Trump's election. Since then, he has been a symbol for a darker sides of politics that people previously imagined to be absent in the US. It is not that terrible things on a similar magnitude to Soviet Russia or Nazi Germany have happened. It is that the US is not immune to those things happening. (This is not meant to imply that family separation, rolling back of trans rights, and tacit approval of white supremacist violence are not terrible. They are deplorable actions, and I do not want to lessen their impact.)

Moodles 8y ago
They feel such things can't happen in the United States... and the example they give to contradict that is Trump? I merely ask how it is comparable to Nazi Germany. I still find it amusing merely asking my question rewards me with downvotes. I don't care about my own HN karma, but it's a shame to see comments in general getting downvoted for this. It's a ridiculous comparison.
- cbg0 8y ago
  > expecting downvotes > asking my question rewards me with downvotes > I don't care about HN karma, but it's a shame to see It sounds to me like you do care about HN karma quite a bit. Anyway, I'll point you out to this popular tweet which may give you an understanding as to why people are comparing America today to Nazi Germany: https://twitter.com/1SarahRose/status/826116204301516800 https://twitter.com/1SarahRose/status/826116204301516800 As to why people blame Trump for it, though he is definitely not the only one to blame, as POTUS I feel that he has a responsibility to bring people together, regardless if they voted for him or not, and instead he's doing the opposite.
  - Moodles 8y ago
    What I mean is that I don't care about my own personal downvotes; I care a bit that Hacker News would downvote a comment because it calls out their kinda ridiculous political views, without even discussing it, as that means HN is going a bit downhill. It's just a bit absurd, wherever you are on the political spectrum, to seriously think the US is at all similar to Nazi Germany now. You have to live in an echo chamber if you think Trump and Hitler are comparable. Stalin was was even very left wing, btw.
    - cbg0 8y ago
      For complaining about downvotes and HN going downhill, see https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html (You'll also notice that politics discussions are frowned upon) Also, you call other people's political views 'ridiculous' and then you wonder why they won't engage with that and instead downvote you? If you want a serious discussion, start with better kindling. > You have to live in an echo chamber if you think Trump and Hitler are comparable. Again, insulting the reader instead of offering some serious counterpoints which could spark a debate.
      - Moodles 8y ago
        It's too ridiculous a topic to even seriously discuss though. The holocaust, invading Europe, the gestapo, gulags... It's not the same as the current US President. Like, do you seriously think there is merit in comparing Hitler to Trump? Do you think you would bother breaking down Hitler vs Obama?

corey_moncure 8y ago

The downvote button is the mind killer. Every time you push it, you forfeit a chance to examine a disagreement and change a life-- yours or theirs, who's to say? I prefer to assume we've all found our way here to be earnest, intellectually honest, 'truth-tracking cognitive systems', as one HN-front-page-linked article has put it. It's easy to be steered into echo chambers and algorithmic news bubbles. Let's answer earnest questions with earnest answers. Leave the downvote button for things that break with the rules or good faith.

AlexTWithBeard 8y ago
Sometimes when I feel a strong urge to downvote someone, I realize that in real life we would probably have a fantastic (may be a bit heated) conversation. So I don't. How great would it be if we could just gather over a beer and chat.