Thursday, September 21, 2006

Playing the Hitler Card

I am hesitant to do the above, but sometimes it is apropriate, in the context of the use of language. As he wrote in Mein Kampf:
in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily; and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods. It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously. Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt and waver and will continue to think that there may be some other explanation. For the grossly impudent lie always leaves traces behind it, even after it has been nailed down, a fact which is known to all expert liars in this world and to all who conspire together in the art of lying. These people know only too well how to use falsehood for the basest purposes
The "big lie." It still works, especially when coupled with the powerful, almost instinctive forces of nationalism and patriotism. It allows a president, with a complete disregard of more than 200 years of history, to describe an act of criminality as an "attack" executed "with a barbarity unequaled in our history." Using the big lie, a president can turn a law enforcement problem involving disaffected individuals motivated to some degree by offensive U.S. policies into "the decisive ideological struggle of the 21st century, and the calling of our generation."

Mr. President, you may be "calling"--but I'm not answering.

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