[extropy-chat] Re: Gandhi's antipode

[Mike Lorrey]

--- Patrick Wilken <Patrick.Wilken at Nat.Uni-Magdeburg.DE> wrote:
> On 6 Oct 2004, at 16:03, Trend Ologist wrote:
> 
> > I mentioned Hitler & Stalin because their names are invoked so 
> > much plus there is so much misinformation spread about them. Their 
> > principle importance appears to have been to reduce the population
> in 
> > Europe and spur the development of the atomic bomb. So they (as
> almost 
> > everyone knows) had an extremely negative legacy, one that 
> > continues more than 51 years after Stalin death.
> 
> As wikipedia states:
> 
> > Godwin's Law
> >
> > Godwin's Law (also Godwin's Rule of Nazi Analogies) is an adage in 
> > Internet culture that was originated by Mike Godwin in 1990. The
> > law states that:
> >
> > As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a
> > comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one.

It is clear that discussing actual history involving Hitler does not
invoke Godwin's Law. The law applies to when one is analogizing some
other individual or topic with Hitler, esp complaints regarding
list/forum/board moderation issues, software licensing/market
domination/etc, among other things.

There is also debate over the proper application of the law. For
example, in an animal rights debate, if an animal rightist made ad
hominem attacks on hunters or other meat eaters for their alleged
nazi-like genocidal slaughter of poor defenseless Bambi and his
friends, this would be a definite Godwin-invocation. It is
questionable, though, whether mentioning that Hitler himself, was, in
fact, a vegetarian who deplored hunting and meat eating, is a Godwin
offending comment.

Similarly, calling gun owners a bunch of neo-nazi, racist skinhead
idiots would be Godwin invoking, while mentioning that the Nazi regieme
did, in fact, enforce rather draconian gun control laws on the German
population is questionable as to its Godwin-ness.

The distinction lies in whether the statement made is an ad
hominem/hyperbole, or just a statement of historical fact.

=====
Mike Lorrey
Vice-Chair, 2nd District, Libertarian Party of NH
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom.
It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
                                      -William Pitt (1759-1806) 
Blog: http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=Sadomikeyism


		
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