Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks reads from Hilter's 'Mein Kampf' while bashing Democrats,media

[*michaelsean*]

(03-28-2019, 12:15 AM)Benton Wrote: In 2018 more than 50 people in the US died in violence by white nationalists. That's spreading globally, as you've got guys like the Christchurch shooter noting Donald Trump as part of his white identity. Joviality about race and religion based attacks doesn't do a lot to help the problem. Neither does trying to equate political opponents with Nazis or Communists or socialists or any other giant scary ideology, especially not when we have literal Nazis in the mix.

Nothing here helps the problem, and nothing here hurts.  Do we want to go back and look at how many times allusions have been made to fascism and Nazis?  And not always just small comments.  Novella sized comparisons.  If you are speaking as moderator, then what you says goes, but I find the outrage several years late.

[CJD]

(03-27-2019, 11:46 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Mine was just more of right place, right time.

They had a booth set up at one of our weekly cross burnings. 

Hitler comes to y'alls cross burnings? Man, that's crazy.

All we get at ours is David Duke...

[*bfine32*]

(03-28-2019, 08:47 AM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: Hitler comes to y'alls cross burnings? Man, that's crazy.

All we get at ours is David Duke...

This is not helping. Be prepared. 

[Benton]

(03-28-2019, 08:45 AM)michaelsean Wrote: Nothing here helps the problem, and nothing here hurts.  

"Here" as in the board?

Sure it does. That's the issue. The more we misuse terms and the more we lighten up, the more acceptable as a culture something becomes. That's how we went from fighting white nationalists to having elected officials say 'hey, they're not so bad.'

Quote:Do we want to go back and look at how many times allusions have been made to fascism and Nazis?  And not always just small comments.  Novella sized comparisons.  If you are speaking as moderator, then what you says goes, but I find the outrage several years late.

As a moderator, no, just as a poster. 

[CJD]

(03-28-2019, 12:29 PM)bfine32 Wrote: This is not helping. Be prepared. 

I mean, I think David was just confused. This was a liberal cross burning, so we weren't doing it in a KKK way. More in an atheist, baby killing way.

It was an understandable mistake. 

[*bfine32*]

(03-28-2019, 01:34 PM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: I mean, I think David was just confused. This was a liberal cross burning, so we weren't doing it in a KKK way. More in an atheist, baby killing way.

It was an understandable mistake. 

Stand by for your reprimand.

We can only be jovial about certain subjects and apparently making light of the assertion that Trump supporters are Nazi acists is going too far.

[Dill]

(03-28-2019, 08:45 AM)michaelsean Wrote: Nothing here helps the problem, and nothing here hurts.  Do we want to go back and look at how many times allusions have been made to fascism and Nazis?  And not always just small comments.  Novella sized comparisons.  If you are speaking as moderator, then what you says goes, but I find the outrage several years late.

Mike, I don't think the moderators have a problem with discussions of fascism and Nazis or allusions thereto.

And I didn't take Benton to be laying down a rule as moderator, just acting as another poster expressing his view on the seriousness of the topic. He spoke against both 1) trivializing racist violence and 2) calling or implying one's political opponents are Nazis or communists or whatever--but not against civil discussion of Fascism, Nazism, Communism, or any other political -ism out there.

Also, I do think discussing such issues here "helps the problem," insofar as the problem is that people on one side of the spectrum don't know what the other side thinks. This message board is one of those places where people's views are (or can be) shaped by discussion with those who hold other views.  I find it quite valuable for that reason. We can't stop Trump from shutting down the border, but we can all become wiser voters through our interactions here.  That's good.