Godwin's Law

Azalea

Why is there such an internet obsession with and fear of this?

It's ok to make comparisons to the nazis if relevant - people don't have to apologise for doing so.

The reason the term was coined was due to people making comparisons to a regime of racial extermination for really silly reasons. Comparing Obama or Enda to Hitler would be Godwin's Law at play, but not comparisons with another dictatorship, or cruel, inhumane system.

Medusa22

I agree with you that there is nothing wrong with making a comparison to Nazism if it is actually a useful comparison or if the topic is on a par with Nazism. Like you said though, so many threads and internet discussions end up with a comparison to Nazism somewhere down the line, and often for the most ridiculous or tenuous of reasons.

BenedrylPete

Coined in an era where any criticism of a minority group no matter how legitimate could be used as an indication of nazism.
Thankfully we have moved on.


Kind of.

La Fenetre

It's an internet rule invented by the right wing, to ensure Nazi like behavior is never highlighted as such.

Banjo String

La Fenetre wrote: »

It's an internet rule invented by the right wing, to ensure Nazi like behavior is never highlighted as such.

Worse than Hitler.

sligojoek

In before thread is closed by Nazi mods.

thee glitz

Banjo String wrote: »

Worse than Hitler.

Sure you wouldn't find Hitler playing jungle music at 3 o'clock in the morning.

KomradeBishop

There should be a version of Godwins law, pointing out the inevitability of someone bringing up Godwins law in a debate as time increases.

It is used incorrectly though yea - to dismiss legitimate comparisons to fascism.

Azalea

La Fenetre wrote: »

It's an internet rule invented by the right wing, to ensure Nazi like behavior is never highlighted as such.

It's not. The person who came up with it was making a fair point - but it gets used to take a dig at any mention of the nazis at all now.

La Fenetre

The do love their little internet rules

biko

That's how nazism started.

RDM_83 again

KomradeBishop wrote: »

There should be a version of Godwins law, pointing out the inevitability of someone bringing up Godwins law in a debate as time increases.

It is used incorrectly though yea - to dismiss legitimate comparisons to fascism.

I'm not sure, most of the instances I see the Nazi's referenced a better example would be Italian or Spanish fascism as it tends to be used to rebut Right Wing reactionism and Nationalism.

feargale

From Wikipedia:
"Godwin's law (or Godwin's rule of Nazi analogies)[1][2] is an Internet adage asserting that "As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1"[2][3]—​that is, if an online discussion (regardless of topic or scope) goes on long enough, sooner or later someone will compare someone or something to Hitler or Nazism.
Godwin's law itself can be abused as a distraction, diversion or even as censorship, fallaciously miscasting an opponent's argument as hyperbole when the comparisons made by the argument are actually appropriate.[9] Similar criticisms of the "law" (or "at least the distorted version which purports to prohibit all comparisons to German crimes") have been made by Glenn Greenwald.[10]

Godwin's law does not claim to articulate a fallacy."

As with all scriptures, people tend to quote Godwin's to suit themselves. The Great Godwin One never pronounced comparisons with the unmentionable one to be a mortaller.
Remember the blasphemer being stoned in the Life of Brian? Here goes: Hitler, Hitler, Hitler. Now stone me, all lazy thinkers.

feargale

feargale wrote: »

Godwin's law (or Godwin's rule of Nazi analogies)[1][2] is an Internet adage asserting that "As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1"[2][3]—​that is, if an online discussion (regardless of topic or scope) goes on long enough, sooner or later someone will compare someone or something to Hitler or Nazism.

I believe that Himmler has something sim'lar. :pac:

feargale

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I believe that Himmler has something sim'lar. :pac:

And poor old Goballs, had snowballs, that's all. :pac:

feargale

feargale wrote: »

And poor old Goballs, has snowballs, that's all. :pac:

Wasn't there one about a German jail as well? :pac:

timthumbni

Not sure about Godwin's law but there is some amount of people on here who use the word 'fascist' needlessly on various threads. It takes away from the word a bit when it's used for every farts end. Calling someone racist for spurious reasons seems to be the same.

The Rape of Lucretia

timthumbni wrote: »

Not sure about Godwin's law but there is some amount of people on here who use the word 'fascist' needlessly on various threads. It takes away from the word a bit when it's used for every farts end. Calling someone racist for spurious reasons seems to be the same.

Hey, there was a fine debate about Godwins Law going on here until you came along and starting using the word 'fascist' needlessly. The last group that had a bee in their bonnets about that term were Nazis.

feargale

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Wasn't there one about a German jail as well? :pac:

Stop! You're in breach of Godwin's Law. :pac:

P.S. See how respectful I am, using capitals 'n all.

feargale

The opening words of Wikipedia's featured article today:

"Very little is known for certain of the ancestry of the Godwins,"

I knew there was something iffy about the guy.