On 18/08/17 13:17, Steve Hayes wrote:
Chap behind Godwin's law suspends his own rule for Charlottesville
fascists: 'By all means, compare them to Nazis'
We did Nazi that coming
Oh dear!
Mike Godwin, creator of Godwin's law, has rescinded his own rule for
those outraged by vile fascists marching the streets of Virginia, USA,
at the weekend.
I don't think he needed to. The whole point of Godwin's Law was that >comparisons with Nazis are normally just a form of excessive hyperbole
(or, if you prefer, exceedingly excessive, over-inflated, and
exaggerated hyperbole on a stick). With a million people crying "Wolf!"
every time they see a rabbit, the term "wolf" becomes devalued to the
point where, if anyone sees a real wolf, they are at a loss as to how to
warn people. Godwin's Law had a remarkable effect on Usenet. But it was >clearly never his attention to suppress genuine political debate about
actual Nazis - and this has always been recognised by experienced Usenauts.
When people are actually flying Nazi flags outside their homes (news
report from a day or two ago), there really is no other word that will >suffice to describe them.
In other words, it's OK to call these un-American white supremacists
exactly what they are: "By all means, compare these shitheads to
Nazis. Again and again. I'm with you," Godwin said on Sunday evening.
I'd be surprised if he said anything else.
The author of the article uses an interesting expression (I'm reading
this in alt.usage.english, where such things matter!): "un-American".
Presumably this is a reference not to the nationality of these "white >supremacist" Nazi thugs, but to the fact that their behaviour runs
contrary to what Americans would expect of their own fellow natives.
<snip>
By all means, compare these shitheads to Nazis. Again and again.
I'm with you.
— Mike Godwin (@sfmnemonic) August 14, 2017
Quite. In fact, let's hear that again. [F/X: tape rewind]
By all means, compare these shitheads to Nazis. Again and again.
I'm with you.
— Mike Godwin (@sfmnemonic) August 14, 2017
And once more. [F/X: tape rewind]
By all means, compare these shitheads to Nazis. Again and again.
I'm with you.
— Mike Godwin (@sfmnemonic) August 14, 2017
Yes, I thought that's what he said.
Mike, when you're right you're right.
Chap behind Godwin's law suspends his own rule for Charlottesville
fascists: 'By all means, compare them to Nazis'
We did Nazi that coming
Mike Godwin, creator of Godwin's law, has rescinded his own rule for
those outraged by vile fascists marching the streets of Virginia, USA,
at the weekend.
In other words, it's OK to call these un-American white supremacists
exactly what they are: "By all means, compare these shitheads to
Nazis. Again and again. I'm with you," Godwin said on Sunday evening.
By all means, compare these shitheads to Nazis. Again and again.
I'm with you.
— Mike Godwin (@sfmnemonic) August 14, 2017
By all means, compare these shitheads to Nazis. Again and again.
I'm with you.
— Mike Godwin (@sfmnemonic) August 14, 2017
By all means, compare these shitheads to Nazis. Again and again.
I'm with you.
— Mike Godwin (@sfmnemonic) August 14, 2017
Chap behind Godwin's law suspends his own rule for Charlottesville
fascists: 'By all means, compare them to Nazis'
On 18/08/17 13:17, Steve Hayes wrote:
Chap behind Godwin's law suspends his own rule for Charlottesville
fascists: 'By all means, compare them to Nazis'
We did Nazi that coming
Oh dear!
Mike Godwin, creator of Godwin's law, has rescinded his own rule for
those outraged by vile fascists marching the streets of Virginia, USA,
at the weekend.
I don't think he needed to. The whole point of Godwin's Law was that comparisons with Nazis are normally just a form of excessive hyperbole
(or, if you prefer, exceedingly excessive, over-inflated, and
exaggerated hyperbole on a stick). With a million people crying "Wolf!"
every time they see a rabbit, the term "wolf" becomes devalued to the
point where, if anyone sees a real wolf, they are at a loss as to how
to warn people. Godwin's Law had a remarkable effect on Usenet. But it
was clearly never his attention to suppress genuine political debate
about actual Nazis - and this has always been recognised by experienced Usenauts.
When people are actually flying Nazi flags outside their homes (news
report from a day or two ago), there really is no other word that will suffice to describe them.
In other words, it's OK to call these un-American white supremacists
exactly what they are: "By all means, compare these shitheads to
Nazis. Again and again. I'm with you," Godwin said on Sunday evening.
I'd be surprised if he said anything else.
The author of the article uses an interesting expression (I'm reading
this in alt.usage.english, where such things matter!): "un-American".
Presumably this is a reference not to the nationality of these "white supremacist" Nazi thugs, but to the fact that their behaviour runs
contrary to what Americans would expect of their own fellow natives.
A recent poll suggests that a majority of Americans think
that white Christians are the most persecuted group in the modern USA.
As a white Christian yourself, I think, you may have an opinion about that.
On 25/08/17 14:06, Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:
A recent poll suggests that a majority of Americans think
that white Christians are the most persecuted group in the modern USA.
As a white Christian yourself, I think, you may have an opinion about that.
(Just as an aside, Athel, I don't recall ever identifying my ethnicity
or skin colour in this group. It's possible that I have done so, but I >suspect I probably haven't. I think you may perhaps maybe might have
jumped to a conclusion there.)
Anyway, that aside: are white American Christians being burned at the
stake, or crucified, or hounded out of town, or forced to live in
ghettos? If so, it hasn't been making the news over here in the UK. So
what does "persecuted" actually mean to the majority of Americans,
according to the poll?
That question is often asked, but there is no single answer. The
answers range to include different examples:
School prayer not allowed
Religious Christmas displays not allowed
Court rulings requiring providers of services must accommodate LGBT customers.
Invocations at meetings must include non-Christian leaders
And so on. You have chosen to define "persecuted" to be a more
intense level of hostility than the word actually stands for.
American Christians *are* being prosecuted in that they are subjected
to hostility because of their religious beliefs. And, I'm all for it
when those religious beliefs interfere with the rights of the
non-religious as they so often do.
On Fri, 25 Aug 2017 16:10:15 +0100, Richard Heathfield
<rjh@cpax.org.uk> wrote:
Anyway, that aside: are white American Christians being burned at the >stake, or crucified, or hounded out of town, or forced to live in
ghettos? If so, it hasn't been making the news over here in the UK. So
what does "persecuted" actually mean to the majority of Americans, >according to the poll?
+1
Isn't that behaviour referred to as "playing the victim card"?
Anyway, that aside: are white American Christians being burned at the
stake, or crucified, or hounded out of town, or forced to live in
ghettos? If so, it hasn't been making the news over here in the UK. So
what does "persecuted" actually mean to the majority of Americans,
according to the poll?
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