5 ms·

It's a valid and appropriate comparison, given that the OP is essentially promoting the Nuremberg defense.

davidw 12y ago
Any article and ensuing discussion that degrades into who is or is not behaving like Nazis in less than 2 hours is one that should be removed ASAP. Edit: I don't give a shit who is "right". My point is that any discussion that degrades this badly should not be here. Go somewhere else to discuss this stuff.
- DanielBMarkham 12y ago
  Apologies. I'd delete my comment, but there's too many responses by now. A lot of times we disagree, but this is not one of them. If we're off in Nazi territory, there's no constructive conversation to be had. I knew it'd be sensitive, but I had no idea.
- geographomics 12y ago
  As we are discussing the immoral actions of a government and its agents, most notably imprisonment without trial in military-run camps, in which inmates are tortured based on instructions from the top of the hierarchy - this has clear parallels with some of the actions of Nazi Germany. To compare this behaviour is not 'degrading' the conversation at all, on the contrary it's quite relevant to compare and contrast.
  - davidw 12y ago
    > As we are discussing the immoral actions of a government and its agents And that's exactly why it's off topic. It's politics.
- okal 12y ago
  Are Nazi analogies to be rejected out of hand, even when grounded in fact? How does this hurt the conversation, in your view?
  - davidw 12y ago
    Politics are off topic here: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6120530 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6120530 You have the whole internet to talk about politics - do you really need to wreck this site with this stuff? Also, haven't you people ever heard of Godwin's law?
    - geographomics 12y ago
      That link is about appropriate submissions, not the comments below the submissions. As this article has already been upvoted over 200 times (implying some interest from hackers), trying to stifle further discussion is rather a lost cause.
    - okal 12y ago
      The guidelines don't unequivocally support your position, IMHO. Your comment, though, makes a good case for it. I'll stop now, since this is getting off-topic, but I appreciate you taking the time to clarify your stand. EDIT: I think everyone on HN has heard of Godwin's Law. It's useful, but can also be a lazy way to quash meaningful discussion.
      - davidw 12y ago
        Honest question: on average, how much "meaningful discussion" happens after you make a Nazi comparison, even if you happen to be correct?
        okal 12y ago
        On average? Not a lot, I'd imagine. But it occasionally will. This tangent we've gone on off on, for example, though I'm not sure you'd agree. I think @hemantv's assertion would have served the discussion better had it been framed as a question: "Isn't this a lot like the Nuremberg defense?", for example.
        npizzolato 12y ago
- woah 12y ago
  Government agents kidnapped, rape, beat, tortured, and killed innocent people. This is pretty similar to what the nazis did and it is a fair comparison.

Any article and ensuing discussion that degrades into who is or is not behaving like Nazis in less than 2 hours is one that should be removed ASAP. Edit: I don't give a shit who is "right". My point is that any discussion that degrades this badly should not be here. Go somewhere else to discuss this stuff.

DanielBMarkham 12y ago
Apologies. I'd delete my comment, but there's too many responses by now. A lot of times we disagree, but this is not one of them. If we're off in Nazi territory, there's no constructive conversation to be had. I knew it'd be sensitive, but I had no idea.
geographomics 12y ago
As we are discussing the immoral actions of a government and its agents, most notably imprisonment without trial in military-run camps, in which inmates are tortured based on instructions from the top of the hierarchy - this has clear parallels with some of the actions of Nazi Germany. To compare this behaviour is not 'degrading' the conversation at all, on the contrary it's quite relevant to compare and contrast.
- davidw 12y ago
  > As we are discussing the immoral actions of a government and its agents And that's exactly why it's off topic. It's politics.
okal 12y ago
Are Nazi analogies to be rejected out of hand, even when grounded in fact? How does this hurt the conversation, in your view?
- davidw 12y ago
  Politics are off topic here: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6120530 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6120530 You have the whole internet to talk about politics - do you really need to wreck this site with this stuff? Also, haven't you people ever heard of Godwin's law?
  - geographomics 12y ago
    That link is about appropriate submissions, not the comments below the submissions. As this article has already been upvoted over 200 times (implying some interest from hackers), trying to stifle further discussion is rather a lost cause.
  - okal 12y ago
    The guidelines don't unequivocally support your position, IMHO. Your comment, though, makes a good case for it. I'll stop now, since this is getting off-topic, but I appreciate you taking the time to clarify your stand. EDIT: I think everyone on HN has heard of Godwin's Law. It's useful, but can also be a lazy way to quash meaningful discussion.
    - davidw 12y ago
      Honest question: on average, how much "meaningful discussion" happens after you make a Nazi comparison, even if you happen to be correct?
      - okal 12y ago
        On average? Not a lot, I'd imagine. But it occasionally will. This tangent we've gone on off on, for example, though I'm not sure you'd agree. I think @hemantv's assertion would have served the discussion better had it been framed as a question: "Isn't this a lot like the Nuremberg defense?", for example.
      - npizzolato 12y ago
woah 12y ago
Government agents kidnapped, rape, beat, tortured, and killed innocent people. This is pretty similar to what the nazis did and it is a fair comparison.