Comments on Inebriated Discourse: Will All The Real Fascists Please Stand Up?

Wow, you fail so much at understanding history/pol...

2010-06-05T20:41:41.392-04:00

Wow, you fail so much at understanding history/politics.

Conservative politics are generally anti-authoritarian. You'd think that the near continuous demands for smaller (and less authoritative) government might've been a clue.

The right is sometimes incorrectly seen as being somehow synonymous with nazism. The only real similarities between modern conservatism and nazism is strong nationalism. Everything else about nazism is distinctly left-wing. For example, Hitler was pro gun control, pro universal health care, pro union, pro big government, etc.

The left has been making this accusation for a long time, and now a few on the right are as well. I personally find the comparisons disturbing. Neither Obama nor Beck have the sort of qualities that made Hitler so evil. Comparisons like these are almost invariably unfair and utterly beside the real issues facing our country.

I find your article disturbing at several points. Perhaps most notable is:

"Where conservatives do show evidence of mild to severe mental retardation, however, is in their lack of critical thinking skills and inability to tolerate ambiguity (i.e., creative problem solving). In other words, they tend to think in absolutistic, black and white terms."

You argue that those that disagree with you must suffer from from a mental defect. Can you think of a more black and white view of the world than that? Have you considered the possibility that people might disagree with you because you are wrong?

Also, I've worked with people with both mild and severe mental retardation. (I'm a social worker.) I find your use of their plight to make cheap political points both disturbing and offensive.

Both sides of the political spectrum see the other as being authoritarian on social issues. There is a very simple reason for this: both sides want their social views to become law. Beyond simply being incapable of seeing things from the other side, I'm not sure how you could conclude that social conservatism was definitively authoritarian to the point of nazism. For example, social conservatives support free speech, such as the right for students to pray in school, or wear an American flag on their shirt, while certain people on the left have attempted to halt this behavior.

Empathy is the ability to see things from another's point of view. You might want to try some of that in the future.

Thanks Danielle. I didn't notice that the douche m...

2010-02-26T01:59:37.050-05:00

Thanks Danielle. I didn't notice that the douche misspelled evolution.

yup Sarah Palin=Girl Hitler but dont worry, "It C...

2010-02-26T01:56:41.544-05:00

yup Sarah Palin=Girl Hitler

but dont worry, "It Can't Happen Here"

I know Sarah Palin is going to rap me on the mouth...

2010-02-26T01:55:40.310-05:00

I know Sarah Palin is going to rap me on the mouth for this, but Glenn Beck is a retard. Anyone else notice he spelled evolution wrong on the magical chalkboard? Not surprising.

the holocaust should still scare the world enough ...

2010-02-26T01:54:16.501-05:00

the holocaust should still scare the world enough to make it weary.

That's interesting, because in most parts of Europ...

2010-02-26T01:53:50.862-05:00

That's interesting, because in most parts of Europe, but particularly in Germany and Austria, the extreme right is basically used as synonymous to nazism, moderate right-wing nutters are only defined as nazis by the those far left from the centre. The evidence over here is obvious. The political parties and associations that can be defined far-... See Moreright are historically linked to the historical german nationalism, which is partly fundamental to the popular success of national socialism. Even though leading nazis have been arrested and sentenced after WWII, there is a significant historic continuity between national socialism and the current extreme right wing, as the popular roots have never really been fought.

that's some juicy stuff. sure explains a lot.

2010-02-26T01:53:15.065-05:00

that's some juicy stuff. sure explains a lot.

Thanks ID! That's a good un.

2010-02-26T01:50:48.368-05:00

Thanks ID! That's a good un.