The Hitler Insult

Editorials in the local newspaper have been angrily denouncing a tea-party type who allegedly appeared in a local rally carrying a sign depicting Obama with the little Hitler mustache. Letter writers who are presumably supporters of the president expressed outrage at such unfair and uncivil misrepresentations.

It got me thinking about how the most popular insult of politicians these days involves comparisons to Hitler. Such comparisons are no more valid for Obama than for his predecessor, but it's interesting to note that they were made far more viciously and frequently against Bush. It certainly is a valid question to pose with these outraged editorialists, whether they were also outraged when the left side of the political spectrum continually invoked Hitler, even going beyond that to openly advocating or hoping for Bush's assassination.

National Socialists probably had more in common politically with Democrats than Republicans. They were, in fact, socialist, which is anathema to American Conservatives. They believed in centralized government control over the means of production, which is a hallmark of current Democrat philosophy.

It's Hitler's idea of the Aryan supremacy and his desire to purge the Jewish people from the face of the earth that makes him the most hated figure in modern history. Of course, no one can reasonably charge the Right with anything close to these attitudes, but Leftists love to try. Their twisted logic suggests that because the Right opposes socialist policies and those policies "help" the poor, and a large proportion of the poor are racial minorities, then the Right must be somehow Aryan supremacists.

The current president is showing hostility to Israel, but even that doesn't necessarily meet the Hitler standard of working for the destruction of the entire Jewish population.

Such name-calling by either side is counterproductive. While some fellow travelers might cheer Hitler comparisons of those they oppose, such comparisons have nothing but negative impact on those who are on the fence. And considering both sides understand that it's the fence-sitters they need to court to attain political power, they would be wise to abandon the Hitler references.

I don't get overly exercised when either side puts up a picture of their opponent with the little mustache added by a Sharpie pen. It's juvenile and silly, and means little. I do think the Tea Party should try to exert some control over their members and stop them from giving their opponents the opportunity to change the subject by painting the entire group with a broad brush, based on one guy carrying around the Obama poster with the Hitler mustache.

Perhaps the most accurate insult someone could make of Obama is to depict him as Jimmy Carter, who is his closest political twin. But I suppose only Conservatives would get it.