Today's letter to my local paper

[thatcrazycajun]

Editorial Page Editor
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
72 Marietta Street N.W.
Atlanta, GA 30303

Dear Editors:

Years ago, in discussions on the Internet's Usenet newsgroups, a rule known as "Godwin's Law" was first codified. It states that in any political discussion, the minute either party makes a comparison to Adolf Hitler or mentions Nazis, the discussion must end, as it has passed the point of any hope for its resolution by reason or logic.

C. Thomas Sowell invokes Godwin's Law in the very first paragraph of his latest screed against what he considers "indoctrination" by allegedly liberal teachers in our nation's classrooms, printed in today's edition of your paper. In theory, this immediately forfeited any serious consideration of his expressed views. Nonetheless, in the name of fairness, I slogged through the rest of the column hoping to find some semblance of a new or cogent argument....and unsurprisingly, found none.

I know Sowell's right-wing views well from having had many of his previous columns inflicted on me; but even for "Uncle Tom," this is a new low. Not even at the height of the previous presidency's abuses of power did I or anyone I know ever compare George W. Bush to Hitler, Stalin or Mao. Sadly, Sowell is only reflecting the foamy-mouthed loathing of conservatives nationwide for Barack Obama. I realize you are trying to present a wide spectrum of views, but must you fan the flames?

Sincerely, TCC

Comments

[sffilk.livejournal.com]

So this hasn't shown up in the paper yet?

My comment

[markiv1111.livejournal.com]

I am trying to figure out how any sane person can possibly be perturbed by schoolchildren writing letters to politicians. Knowing that one has the right and ability to do this may come in very handy when one is mature and writing one's congress-person; or, for that matter, let's say one makes it to one home town's city council and there's a matter that needs to be discussed between someone on the city council and someone in the state legislature. The person who was once a kid writing to the president will feel far more empowered, and more capable, to have this discussion than someone who spent his/her whole life believing that legislators are aloof and untouchable. Also, there is the learning experience that takes place between the kid's first thought, "I wonder what he or she will say?" and the kid finding out what he or she actually says. It's a very winning situation, even if the politician is Obama (noting, unfortunately, that Obama quite likely will not have time to give everybody a personal response). I would also have considered it a winning situation if the kids involved had written to George Bush (either George Bush). What is wrong with Mr. Sowell? (No, I don't consider "he's just another right-wing ideologue, and therefore slimy" to be either a "given" or an adequate explanation.)

Nate

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

Plenty of people I know have compared Dubya -- or more accurately, the movement conservatives who backed him -- to the Nazis. They've done so most carefully, understanding that Godwin's Law was not meant to blind us to the possibility that fascism would rise again. David Neiwert, particularly, has done excellent work pointing out what is and what is not fascism (and debunking the work of the intellectually bankrupt Jonah Goldberg and his piece of crap, Liberal Fascism).

Sowell is a nasty piece of work, who particularly deserves to have a projector branded on his forehead, insofar as he is he perfect example of the concept that essentially all accusations right-wingers make are things they themselves do.

Too bad he has a paying job that allows him to disseminate his fertilizer widely and under the aegis of "news".

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

Actually, Godwin's law doesn't state that the discussion must end. It merely notes that as an Internet discussion continues, the odds of someone drawing a comparison to Hitler and/or the Nazis approaches 1:1.

It is widely considered by most people that a ramification of Godwin's Law is that once this has occurred, nothing useful will occur in the thread from that point on and it is therefore pointless to continue it.

(None of this detracts from your main point, but the misuse of Godwin's Law is a pet peeve of mine for reasons I cannot adequately explain. *grin*)

[dsthomas.livejournal.com]

"
(None of this detracts from your main point, but the misuse of Godwin's Law is a pet peeve of mine for reasons I cannot adequately explain. *grin*)"


Possibly for the same reason that the toilet paper roll must fall over the top from the back. (Unless of course there is a child or pet aka cat who will jubilantly unroll the entire roll onto the floor if placed this way)