hitler

Hyperbole Is Literally Deadly

Consider the following:

– People have the right to identify themselves as they see fit.
– Mislabeling groups of people is an effort to dehumanize them.
– Dehumanization is the first step toward legitimizing pogroms.
– Mass vilification is the second step.
– Ya know who mislabeled people in order to vilify and eliminate them? Nazis.
– Therefore, anyone who misapplies the label “Fascist” to their political enemies is a literal Nazi.

That last step is of course a logical fallacy; it’s employed here deliberately in order to illustrate that calling people fascists merely because one dislikes them is in point of fact the identical fallacy. Even if one applies it to only those with an authoritarian bent is dangerously inaccurate; Stalin and Mao were both absolute rulers, and each was about as far away from fascist as it’s possible to be and still lead a cult of personality.

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Sure They Were Faked. So What?

It’s a big photo, well-shot and finely detailed.  Blow it up a little and you can clearly see:  This is to the side of an open vehicle gate.  It is, as we can see from other photos, at a secure parking lot.  Not only does this section of fence hold nobody inside, there’s a great big wide-open hole right next to the cameraman.

If you’re unfamiliar with the subject matter, this is AOC on a promotional photo shoot from when she was first running for office.  She’s seen here weeping crocodile tears for the camera outside a temporary tent city set up for the processing of migrant asylum-seekers.

The Internet is making fun of her for having posed for the pictures.  Her office has issued indignant denials; that’s real emotion, they say.

And I say:  So what? (more…)