David Weinberger on Hitler rhetoric
David Weinberger writes a thoughtful response to all the Hitler-comparisons running through the media these days.
[C]omparing Bush to Hitler is worse than stupid. But we forget the lesson that we should have learned if we don’t publicly notice that some steps our country has taken could lead our great nation into evil:
* Demonizing enemies
* Questioning the patriotism of dissenters
* Monitoring the political expressions of citizens
* Establishing a special class of offenders who are removed from the protections of the judicial system
* Lowering the intensity of the threat required to justify preemptive action
* Disregarding world opinion
* Playing on fear in order to sway public opinion
* Lying in order to get us to invade another country[…] [W]e should take such steps with open debate and genuine trepidation. Shutting off the conversation does not help us preserve our genuine American values.
