The idea that you shouldn't compare any regime to the Nazis until the genocide actually begins is crazy. Why should we wait until it's too late to start having pointed discussions about incipient totalitarianism?
If we can't compare someone to the Nazis until they've already carried out a genocide and started a war of extermination that killed tens of millions, then the historical lesson of the Nazis seems pretty useless, doesn't it?
"Oh, huh. Well, they did commit genocide and start some wars. So I guess they WERE like the Nazis after all...Well, except their genocide and wars only killed 9.2 million people instead of 30 million, so they weren't REALLY like the Nazis. Let's keep our comparisons appropriate!"
"Actually, world population was much lowerin 1942 than it was in 2022, so the comparison with the Nazis is even *less* appropriate."
"Good point, @mike43268514342. They're even less like the Nazis than I originally allowed."
"Good point, @mike43268514342. They're even less like the Nazis than I originally allowed."
On a more serious note, good reasons to compare the Trump administration to the Nazis include:
1. Being able to discuss out loud the chance that Trump might someday do Hitler-esque things
2. Decrying the ways Trump has already gone more in a Nazi-like direction than we'd like
1. Being able to discuss out loud the chance that Trump might someday do Hitler-esque things
2. Decrying the ways Trump has already gone more in a Nazi-like direction than we'd like
If everyone is afraid to bring up Trump-Nazi comparisons out of fear of alienating the (incredibly flighty) center-right, then we can't even have a productive public discussion about whether Trump or his successors *might* someday commit genocide or start big wars, etc.
Also, while throwing kids in camps at the border isn't nearly as bad as the things the Nazis eventually did, it's more Nazi-esque than our country should be willing to tolerate!
You can be TOO Nazi-like without being AS BAD as the Nazis.
You can be TOO Nazi-like without being AS BAD as the Nazis.
Sure, there are probably lots of more appropriate historical analogues for Trumpism SO FAR (Pinochet? Chavez? Suharto?).
But the reason we use the Nazis as a historical cautionary tale is precisely so that we never get close to having an ACTUAL repeat of the Nazis.
But the reason we use the Nazis as a historical cautionary tale is precisely so that we never get close to having an ACTUAL repeat of the Nazis.
In sum: Although Trump isn't competent enough to be Hitler, and though his successors may never be as destructive as the Nazis, it's perfectly fine to suggest comparisons between Trumpism and the Nazis in specific situations, if those comparisons are warranted.
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