Why Is Hitler Not Ok, But Jim Jones Is? Kool it with the Jonestown References!
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Here’s a question. Why is it that every time someone invokes Hitler’s name (Godwin’s law, we in the geek Internet circles call it), everyone goes “OoooOOoooOooh! You can’t say that!” But it’s perfectly ok to invoke the Jonestown tragedy, in all sorts of situations, and nobody lifts an eyebrow??
My gawd. During the Jonestown tragedy *parents* gave their CHILDREN poisoned Kool-aid, knowingly killing their own children!
WHY is it ok to compare people’s actions to that horrific event?
It isn’t.
And the most recent offender is none other than a very high profile executive at a very high profile company, aimed at another very high profile company. Shame, shame.
John Thorne, a Senior Vice President at Verizon, and their Deputy General Counsel to boot, said of Google this week that their desire to continue to access consumers over Verizon’s cables for free demonstrated that Google had drunk “spiked Kool-aid.”
So, he is calling Google baby killers. Or, in the kindest light, he is calling them suicidal.
Which they may be, based on some of their other antics over the course of the past month.
But that doesn’t excuse invoking Jonestown.
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February 9th, 2006 at 9:13 am
Right on sister-friend! You are right - that is an awful story. And quite honestly, if I have to compare the two, I will say it, Hitler was a phenomenal leader and much more worthy of mention in many situations. Not saying that I in anyway agree with the atrocities of the Holocaust, but let’s be honest, Jim Jones managed to be the orchestrator of 900 some-odd deaths. Woo Hoo. That is a pittance compared to the death of millions. Throughout history, we have learned MUCH more from Hitler’s story than Jim Jones’. Why is it so un-PC to talk about Hitler? Ignoring it and talking about it will not make it go away! If anything, not talking about it as if it never happened is doing an injustice to the victims. They deserve to have it talked about. All these people after 9/11 run around with their car stickers that say, “We will never forget”, how about rockin’ one of those for the Holocaust? Hitler, bin Laden, Sadaam, why not talk about it? It happened - we can despise them and yet, learn from them. I wish we had a leader that had half of the leadership abilities of any of them. Not saying that I wish our leader would orchestrate another Holocaust, but that is the point - those leadership skills can be used for both good and evil. Sorry, I guess I am going off on my own rant.
February 9th, 2006 at 4:58 pm
You’re absolutely right - but I’m of the mind that we should be able to use Hitler’s name just as freely as any other world leader, or any other person for that matter. Hiding our collective heads up our rear ends isn’t going to make the bad stuff go away, and we’re becoming far too PC these days.
February 10th, 2006 at 3:22 am
Huh? What a dumb thing to rant about — get a life.
March 31st, 2006 at 3:23 pm
I think this all falls under the ‘assume this if they say that’ knee jerk reaction syndrome that some PC individuals seem to suffer. It is not just Hitler that gets this type of reaction. If I say ‘I am proud I am White’ the PC knee jerk syndrome sufferer will cry “RACIST.” I’m not a racist of course by Mr. PC will now never take anything I say in any other fashion than as a way to express “my racism.” Its muddleheaded think really.