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The context of this being shared is obvious, but I want to point out that both sides of the American divide right now would likely instinctively identify the ot

The context of this being shared is obvious, but I want to point out that both sides of the American divide right now would likely instinctively identify the other (or their presidential candidate) as the Hitler in this scenario. I say this not to argue that one, or both, or neither, has no reason to make that connection. I say this to illustrate that it's easy to look at superficial signifiers - especially when saturated in fear - and enter the slippery slope of characterization and narrative-building that only deepens said fear, furthering the cycle. Everyone wants to be able to read the tea-leaves. After World War 2 the world collectively asked itself, "what the hell just happened?" Psychological studies were performed to understand the mechanisms that could lead otherwise-decent people down such a horrifying path. Anecdotes were scrutinized for early warning signs that could have predicted what was to come. And I'm not saying that any of this was a waste. But the reality is that no two societies, or trajectories, are exactly the same. There never has been and never will be another Hitler aside from Hitler himself. There have been and will be other tyrants, other psychopaths, other societal downfalls, but none of them will be exactly the same as that one was. And we should be very careful about looking at things through that lens, drawing conclusions based on rough impressions. The human mind is very good at squinting until things look right, especially when fear or preconceived notions are involved. Be aware. Pay attention. There are real dangers to our society right now. But keep your head and don't succumb to blind pattern-matching. Stay focused on our society, and don't lump it in with a perceived archetype.

throwawayxyz123 6y ago
The Weimar Republic was torn to pieces by the fight between Nazis and Stalinists. Either side winning was going to lead to mass murder in the millions. Is there a path for the 2020 USA Republic to survive and not fall for a similar destructive dynamic?
lootsauce 6y ago
Came here to make a similar point. Both political sides in the US can point to the observations in the excerpt as chilling historical illustrations of current and potential near-term events. That illustrates in my mind what is so terrifying right now. That there is something bigger going on than political ideology and I don't think anyone can stop it. In fact I would posit that thinking so makes it all the less likely to be stopped. This is because either side will identify a different source of the problem and both will be wrong.
throwaway11320 6y ago
It's a shame comments like this require throwaway accounts on hacker news. People refuse to consider the other sides perspective, insisting that they are right without doing the mental exercise to even consider the other side having a shred of truth or valuable thought. There are very smart people on all sides of the political spectrum. What makes it worse, is if you don't take the time to consider the other side's perspective, YOU are fueling the hate and polarization. I'd strongly recommend https://www.allsides.com https://www.allsides.com for a relatively quick and easy way to get exposed to both sides.
- m_mueller 6y ago
  I'm not American, but is there really two sides to consider when one calls a US election stolen and has started to replace military officials? I call that an attempt at a coup.
  - throwaway23452 6y ago
    The way I see it, there are three sides right now: the left, the right, and Donald Trump. Much (not all) of the right has been convinced that their only hope of saving the country from an evil, terrible fate is to throw in with Trump. Trump himself acts out of pure, unadulterated narcissism. I honestly think accusing him of attempted coup is giving him too much credit: he simply does whatever he wants, at any given moment. He doesn't want to lose, so he says he didn't lose (without any real plan to prevent it). He is a petulant child. Here's what I know: I have lots of family and some friends on the right. And as confusing and frustrating as the past four years have been, I continue to believe that most of them are good people. I have the ability to mentally frame things in such a way that I can see where they're coming from, how they slipped down this slope, why they think Trump really is their last hope. The reality of the situation - and all of the things that really are very wrong with it - is extremely complicated. But labeling all conservatives as nazis is not only wildly inaccurate, it further marginalizes people and pushes them towards more and more ethical compromises that they feel are necessary to ensure the continuation of their way of life. Nazis exist, and they do tend to align themselves with the right, but treating them as representative of the whole is a gross oversimplification that we can't afford to be making.

throwawayxyz123 6y ago

The Weimar Republic was torn to pieces by the fight between Nazis and Stalinists. Either side winning was going to lead to mass murder in the millions. Is there a path for the 2020 USA Republic to survive and not fall for a similar destructive dynamic?

lootsauce 6y ago

Came here to make a similar point. Both political sides in the US can point to the observations in the excerpt as chilling historical illustrations of current and potential near-term events. That illustrates in my mind what is so terrifying right now. That there is something bigger going on than political ideology and I don't think anyone can stop it. In fact I would posit that thinking so makes it all the less likely to be stopped. This is because either side will identify a different source of the problem and both will be wrong.

throwaway11320 6y ago

It's a shame comments like this require throwaway accounts on hacker news. People refuse to consider the other sides perspective, insisting that they are right without doing the mental exercise to even consider the other side having a shred of truth or valuable thought. There are very smart people on all sides of the political spectrum. What makes it worse, is if you don't take the time to consider the other side's perspective, YOU are fueling the hate and polarization. I'd strongly recommend https://www.allsides.com https://www.allsides.com for a relatively quick and easy way to get exposed to both sides.

m_mueller 6y ago
I'm not American, but is there really two sides to consider when one calls a US election stolen and has started to replace military officials? I call that an attempt at a coup.
- throwaway23452 6y ago
  The way I see it, there are three sides right now: the left, the right, and Donald Trump. Much (not all) of the right has been convinced that their only hope of saving the country from an evil, terrible fate is to throw in with Trump. Trump himself acts out of pure, unadulterated narcissism. I honestly think accusing him of attempted coup is giving him too much credit: he simply does whatever he wants, at any given moment. He doesn't want to lose, so he says he didn't lose (without any real plan to prevent it). He is a petulant child. Here's what I know: I have lots of family and some friends on the right. And as confusing and frustrating as the past four years have been, I continue to believe that most of them are good people. I have the ability to mentally frame things in such a way that I can see where they're coming from, how they slipped down this slope, why they think Trump really is their last hope. The reality of the situation - and all of the things that really are very wrong with it - is extremely complicated. But labeling all conservatives as nazis is not only wildly inaccurate, it further marginalizes people and pushes them towards more and more ethical compromises that they feel are necessary to ensure the continuation of their way of life. Nazis exist, and they do tend to align themselves with the right, but treating them as representative of the whole is a gross oversimplification that we can't afford to be making.