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I was surprised that you invoked Godwin's Law on a first level post. Coming from a country that sometimes gets a bad reputation for limiting free speech: I kno

I was surprised that you invoked Godwin's Law on a first level post. Coming from a country that sometimes gets a bad reputation for limiting free speech: I know at least one country part of the 'western culture' where swastikas are (generalizing) illegal. Please list a country where tiny horned figures are illegal. I don't know about the 'white hood w/ burning cross' reference (I assume KKK?), but I guess those aren't a good example either. Are you seriously comparing a) a regime that killed millions of people and started the 2nd world war b) a far-right, violent, terrorist (acc. to Wikipedia, depending on local legislation?) organization with c) a comic style image that might be connected by viewers with a fictional character representing (guessing here, didn't read the novel) all evil? Everyone is free to have their own belief. But you sure overstate the problem here..

fedd 15y ago
i guess he's talking about people who seriously compare a violent regime that killed people with magazines with images of colourful trucks in india decorated with kali, swastikas, skulls etc
tripzilch 15y ago
> I was surprised that you invoked Godwin's Law on a first level post. Not "invoking Godwin's Law" if it's actually relevant. It'd be different if he'd have said "these fundie Christians are like nazis". And the actual Godwin's Law is even different and isn't "invoked". Look it up. I think comparison with a swastika is perfectly reasonable and not at all gratuitous, for being an icon/imagery that evokes strong emotions in many people (myself included). BTW that doesn't mean I agree with the comparison, because I don't, for similar reasons as you state. But referring to "Godwin's Law" in a discussion where the swastika actually is a relevant comparison pisses me off.
marshray 15y ago
I don't know about the 'white hood w/ burning cross' reference (I assume KKK?), Yes, in the US South that is an unambiguous symbol of the KKK and racist violence. It's even recent enough to be in living memory for older people. Are you seriously comparing a) a regime that killed millions of people and started the 2nd world war No, I'm not comparing the acts of one party (the actual Nazis) with the acts of another party (programmers at Berkely) or with a mythological motif. I'm saying that the programmers at Berkley chose a symbol which already had a specific meaning and was thus guaranteed to be confusing. Nerds have a negative stereotype of being passive aggressive, pointlessly confusing, making inside jokes at others' expense, and generally making others look stupid.

fedd 15y ago

i guess he's talking about people who seriously compare a violent regime that killed people with magazines with images of colourful trucks in india decorated with kali, swastikas, skulls etc

tripzilch 15y ago

> I was surprised that you invoked Godwin's Law on a first level post. Not "invoking Godwin's Law" if it's actually relevant. It'd be different if he'd have said "these fundie Christians are like nazis". And the actual Godwin's Law is even different and isn't "invoked". Look it up. I think comparison with a swastika is perfectly reasonable and not at all gratuitous, for being an icon/imagery that evokes strong emotions in many people (myself included). BTW that doesn't mean I agree with the comparison, because I don't, for similar reasons as you state. But referring to "Godwin's Law" in a discussion where the swastika actually is a relevant comparison pisses me off.

marshray 15y ago

I don't know about the 'white hood w/ burning cross' reference (I assume KKK?), Yes, in the US South that is an unambiguous symbol of the KKK and racist violence. It's even recent enough to be in living memory for older people. Are you seriously comparing a) a regime that killed millions of people and started the 2nd world war No, I'm not comparing the acts of one party (the actual Nazis) with the acts of another party (programmers at Berkely) or with a mythological motif. I'm saying that the programmers at Berkley chose a symbol which already had a specific meaning and was thus guaranteed to be confusing. Nerds have a negative stereotype of being passive aggressive, pointlessly confusing, making inside jokes at others' expense, and generally making others look stupid.