In 1995, right-wing Israeli demonstrations opposing any political accommodation with the Palestinians featured posters depicting Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in the uniform of a Nazi SS officer. The message was duly received. On November 5, 1995, Yigal Amir, a far-right Israeli law student, assassinated Rabin at a Tel Aviv peace rally.
Members of Israel’s mainstream right-wing political parties, some of whom had spoken at the demonstrations in question, were quick to distance themselves from Rabin’s murderer. This was not what they had intended, they said. They did not see the posters. They could not be held responsible for the insane behavior of a deranged extremist.
We should keep the Rabin assassination in mind as Rush Limbaugh, arguably the most influential ideologue of today’s American conservative movement, compares the Obama administration’s health care reform initiative to Nazism and the president himself to Hitler.
“Obama’s got a health care logo that’s right out of Adolf Hitler’s playbook” and “Obama is asking citizens to rat each other out like Hitler did,” Limbaugh told the millions who faithfully tune in to his radio show. The president “is sending out his brownshirts to head up opposition to genuine American citizens who want no part of what Barack Obama stands for and is trying to stuff down our throats,” Limbaugh continued, and “Adolf Hitler, like Barack Obama, also ruled by dictate.”
Limbaugh is not alone in making the Hitler analogy. Demonstrators disrupting town hall meetings on health care reform have brandished images of President Obama with a Hitler-like mustache and signs with “Obama” written under a swastika. Earlier this year, the president of the Republican Women of Anne Arundel County in Maryland wrote on the group’s Web site that “Obama and Hitler have a great deal in common.”
From the outset, the strategy of some Republicans has been to delegitimize Barack Obama by depicting him as somehow dangerous and “un-American.”
First they brayed his middle name, Hussein, and noted that Obama sounds a lot like Osama. Then they called him a Muslim. When that didn’t stick, they accused him of “palling around with terrorists,” and then of being a socialist and a communist, all to no avail.
That was conventional politics, albeit of the gutter variety. By comparing President Obama to Hitler, however, Limbaugh is sending his national audience a subliminal but clear message of a wholly different sort. He may just as well be shouting “fire” in a crowded theater.
Abraham Foxman, the Anti-Defamation League’s national director, has condemned the Nazi analogies in the health care debate as “outrageous, offensive and inappropriate.” Americans, he believes, “should be able to disagree on the issues without coloring it with Nazi imagery and comparisons to Hitler.”
Foxman is right, of course, but he does not go nearly far enough in his criticism. The problem is not just one of civility in political discourse. The real issue is that Limbaugh, with the tacit acquiescence of his corporate sponsors and the GOP establishment, is calling for sedition and worse.
If Limbaugh in his radio broadcast had made, in the words of the relevant federal statute, “any threat to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States,” he would have been thrown off the air and would be awaiting trial on felony charges. But his likening of Obama to Hitler is the functional equivalent of calling for an act of violence against the president of the United States.
According to a recent Gallup Poll, a plurality of Americans consider Limbaugh to be “the main person who speaks for the Republican Party today.” John McCain sees Limbaugh as “a voice of a significant portion of our conservative movement in America” who “has a lot of people who listen very carefully to him.” Mitt Romney calls Limbaugh “a very powerful voice among conservatives. And I listen to him.” Rudy Giuliani has said that “to the extent that Rush Limbaugh energizes the base of the Republican Party, he’s a very valuable and important voice.” And Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele has anointed Limbaugh “a national conservative leader.”
McCain, Romney, Giuliani and Steele should now either unambiguously repudiate Limbaugh’s ugly rhetoric or be deemed to condone it. To paraphrase the old labor movement song, we are entitled to know which side they are on.
It is time for Republican leaders to take responsibility for Limbaugh’s words before they have dire if not tragic consequences.
Menachem Z. Rosensaft is an adjunct professor at Cornell Law School and vice president of the American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Their Descendants.
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Where was this article when George W. Bush was referred to as Hitler? Where was it when that fictional book came out describing his assassination? Where was it when Bill Clinton was referred to as Hitler, for that matter?
If Republican officials are supposed to "take responsibility" for the words of a private citizen made in public as a member of media (or not), then Democrats will have to do the same. This would mean they'd have to take more direct and indirect responsibility for an awful lot more hate speech about the forty-third president than can be perceived or interpreted about the current one.
Well not to worry-Before long Frank, Alan, & the rest of Team Nuthouse will be here suggesting that anyone who supports civility in public life is just an anti-Semite or a Jewish self hater!
As a Jew here is the reason I am voting for an independent like Trevor Drown in Arkansas US Senate. The republicans have given up. They have not put forth a candidate in any congressional race in the last two elections. No one running against the Governor and they have lost their conservative base. When they close the books on this chapter in history, Senator Blanche Lincoln, will be remembered as the Mother of Modern Day McCarthyism. She started calling concerned citizens that were exercising their 1st Amendment right of free speech and assembly Un-Americans. At the same time, the President created a department designed to keep track of those that voiced opposition to his plans. In the white house the Minister of Propaganda put out talking points for all the goose-stepping democrats as they headed off to their community meetings, What is next? Acorn and AmeriCorps form their own security apparatus, which now becomes a modern day version of the brown shirts. All I can say is: Thanks MOM
The Liberal Intelligensia needs to do the same. Pelosi falsely claimed last week that citizens expressing their opinions against healthcare legislation,as set forth by Obama and the Congress, were nazis carrying swastikas and an angry mob. All lies by the Democrats.
Hitler provided centrally planed altruism. It sounds like a good thing, but history has proven otherwise.
The mexicans are our jews
All of these Hitler (or Stalin, etc...) comparrisons to political figures we don't like (whether Obama or Bush the II) are rediculous. I find it even more shameful on the few occasions that a Jew has made these comparrisons.
It is a slap in the face to history and sense, not to mention the people that died and were hurt because of said monsters.
Just the fact that psychopaths (my opinion only and a paraphrase)are still continuing to use comparisons with Hitler, I find alarming and chilling. The fact that people are still idolizing him I find even worse. Where does it end? When Limbaugh even discusses it and comments on it he is giving it power. The power of his voice and speech. People listen to himk as if he were a religous icon. We, as Jews and other peoples slaughtered by that madman, Hitler, MUST take that power out of his words. We have the power to be stronger and survive him and others. We must all be united peoples. Our feelings of peace, serenity, prayer, printed and spoken words and belief in our respective higher power(s) MUST be more powerful than his words of hate.
I agree wholeheartedly with DS, the first post on this article.
May I assume that that Professor Rosensaft was equally incensed when Democrats frequently portrayed the Bush Administration as the Fourth Reich and Bush, Cheney and Rove as the second coming of Hitler, von Papen and Goebbels? Could the Professor point to a publication where he voiced his opposition during the Bush years?
Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer and he is laughing at his critics, like Professor Rosensaft. It is Democrats who frequently suggest fascist imagery when referring to conservatives and it was Nancy Pelosi who claimed without substantiation that Nazi's were attending the health care townhall meetings. Where was the outrage when Democratic Congressman Brian Baird of Washington referred to these protestors as "brown shirts", Hitler's infamously loyal stormtrooper?.
Does this outrage you, Professor?
The author claims: "Rush Limbaugh, arguably the most influential ideologue of today’s American conservative movement" - Mr. Limbaugh is a RADIO SHOW - host. He makes money by being controvertial, using pompous inflamatory language and by having desperate nut-heads responding with equally pompous and inflamatory language...less the substance. The sad part is that he is not lying. His abbrasive vocabulary scares the hell out of those hoping that the other "millions", those who never heard of Mr. Limbaugh or his show and never cared much about politics or politicians, those who in the past were being busy earning a living, those who never cared about left or right as long as they had a job, those... might start listening left and right( God forbid), and might start thinking and understanding. And rightfully so will ask " It took the President 6 month to decide what dog to get, why is he ambushing everybody to approve of something that nobody is yet able to explain what it really is???
Neither him or Mr. Radio Rush.
A great deal of our political trouble is because the Democrats, although having the majority in both Houses, are unable to accomplish anything significant. Whatever they have done has, of necessity, addressed the consequences of past policy, but nothing new has been done and none of the hopes we had when we finally managed to get rid of Bush & Co. have been met. Democrats have a greater likelihood for infighting than conservatives who, from the very nature of their beliefs, are prone to lock-step behavior. Tell-tales such as the support for religion from public funds, "school prayer" (for all the good that it does,) and glorification of the military are all products of the conservative and authoritarian mind - the fascist mind. Indeed, the pervasive rule of the American fascists is evident in the number of women and men in the American gulag. America puts more people in prison than any other country on the planet, and that includes even hellholes like Burma and China. In addition, hundreds of thousands, mostly young people of color, are given criminal records that guarantees failure in the job market. Such has been the corporatist and fascist misrule in America.
No, I am not surprised that the Republicans would send operatives to disrupt the town hall meetings. Why, has everyone already forgotten Donald Segretti and Nixon's "Rat F*ckers?" Perhaps the idea is that the Republicans have become pure by associating with the religious so they just wouldn't consider such things anymore? The Republicans, and their fuehrer Rush Limbaugh, want to stir up trouble so that fights break out, just like the Nazi brown-shirts. Then they can scream about ACORN and George Soros, and the plot of Hussein Obama to deliver the precious American bodily fluids to the Islamic fanatics.
And, do they lie! They lie, lie, and lie trying to push the idea that "nobody" understands the proposed health policy changes. On the contrary, we understand all too well the big money that opposes change and that sends out the goons, just like in the old days. Now, of course, the goons aren't only men wearing fedoras and carrying baseball bats, but even women and elderly who are sent out to confabulate about "socialist death panels." If America were a person, he would be locked up in a mental hospital, I swear.
President Obama's mistake here is in behaving as if he were still a candidate. Setting up a hotline for citizens to report "disinformation" may be a shrewd tactic on the campaign trail, but in the White House it invites comparisons to Hitler and Stalin. Even so, we must resist making such analogies, for they denigrate the memory of those who perished in the Holocaust.
References to contemporary fascists and Nazis in no way "denigrates" the victims of the Holocaust. Their sacrifice stands as a beacon, a warning of what can happen if we don't crush the Nazi snakes while they're small. The Holocaust victims are on our side, they are the sentinels against totalitarian and authoritarian rule.
We know what the "progressives" are, but I am more and more convinced that the "Democratic" Jews will sell Israel down the river for the sake of their own petty parochial politics.
An excellent article: "Right of Reply: Barack Obama is no friend of Israel"
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1249418563126&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
It should be read by every non-"progressive" and non-JINO. We know that J Street is the evil enemy of Israel, but just how far will the "Democrat" operatives go in supporting Obama, in selling Israel down the river?
I find it hilarious that Democrats claim that they are now the victims of a conservative stonewall, both in Congress and the media. Allow me to remind those who are suffering from liberal long-term memory loss and paranoia: Congress has been in control of the Democrats since November of 2006. As the President now laments an a daily basis that he inherited this mess from Republicans, which Republicans, I ask him, did he inherit it from? Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid?
Democrats have been unable to coherently govern since November 2006...of course they haven't "accomplished anything significant", as one poster on this article asserts. The recession even begun under the watch of a Democratic Congress (December of 2007, it is now accepted among economists), and what did they accomplish of significance to address it?
Strip away the communists vs. fascists rhetoric for a moment and observe what you are left with: Democrats in formidable positions of power both in Congress and the Presidency from November 2006 to August 11, 2009 and look where we find ourselves today. The previous poster was right. Nothing has been accomplished of significance, nor will ever be under the current system of governance.
it does seem to me that americans are madder now that they were just some ten yrs ago. and what may be causes for it? One cause may be the fact that neither afgh'n nor iraq have been sufficiently subdued. And the thought that pashtuns in afpak and sunnis in iraq may never cry uncle- unless, of course nato forces use wmd- may also provoke frustration, anger, and hatred.
financial problems further ignite rage. And the rage may not hurt the underclasses as much as an overclass, such as 'jews'. anglosaxons will probably come up unscathed even tho they may be more responsible for the mess US is now in than any other ethnos.
they control cia, armed forces, spy agencies, fbi, city police, education, means of disinformation, etc., more than any other ethnos in US.
US had always been a fascist empire. It appears to be becoming more fascist. But then most countries have been fascist; each in a different degree. in short, nearly everywhere, and for last 7-10 millennia, we've had an untermensch-uebermensch relationship on interpersonal and internt'l levels.
and in spite of the fact that we all share one and the only genetic pool. Of the hundreds of wigglers swimming towards maternitza, it is seldom- judging by what we become- the best wiggler that comes first.
it cld be noted that best of the wigglers from an 'idiot' can produce a genius and the worst wiggler from a genius an 'idiot'. go figure! spasibo, grazie, danke
So, just to be sure I understand the gist of most of the comments posted here. That is if someone else does something it's OK if I do it. Right?
My word, how do you answer when your children try and use that argument? "Oh, Rachel can stay out all night on a school night? Well then, I guess it's OK if you do too." Is that what you say?
A healthy America is a strong America, “No patient left behind.”
Part 1. Problems : 1. No systematic, expansive Prevention & Wellness Program. According to the scoring of CBO on the prevention & wellness program, all fitness centers around the world should close down immediately and all media have to end reporting health tips about prevention. Rather, all of the excellent health systems seem to have one feature in common, an expansive, systematic preventative program requiring immense investments. I think a prevention system works as a 'levee' built against flood by the government, similarly, it also needs non-profit investments from the government 'on a large scale'. This might offer us one clue of why all of the free states have public insurance policy in place. Surprisingly enough, the system today is designed around treating patients once they become sick. As far as I'm concerned, the congress affected by the special interests has turned down the budget request for prevention program in Medicare & Medicaid, which are the most expensive parts of the health program. Let's imagine the astronomical costs and invaluable lives following the levee breach. 2. A pay for each service / volume compensation, & No E-Medical Record. As much as 30 percent of all health-care spending in the U.S. -some $700 billion a year- may be wasted on tests and treatments that do not improve the health of the recipients, and this 700 billion dollars a year can cover a lot of uninsured people, in return, it could lessen the tragic, prohibitive ER cares. Medical errors ( No e-Medical Record ) & lawsuits, more profits motive, and indirect payments from employers etc would account for it. Supposedly, 'a pay for each service / volume' compensation seems to leave the medical institutes unequipped with the essential IT system. To understand its importance, If we imagine the cost difference between the previous and current system in financial institutes, the magnitude of cost-savings and the mess in health care system can be easily explained. 3. Premium Inflation. This last spring, due to the demand decrease, the peak fuel price came down below $40 per barrel, though, the 'Similar' insurance premiums keep on rising, accordingly the inaction could bankrupt family, business, and government 'BEYOND this recession' , as all across the spectrum agree.
Insurance premiums have nothing to do with the law of demand & supply and the free / fair market concept. Basically, as demand diminishes, the price tends to reflect it, nonetheless, the insurers that formed a cartel through consolidation have replenished the loss by exercising inhumane malpractices involving denying, capping, cherry-picking, rationing, rapid premium increase and the like. And this runaway premium ended up in the collapse of middle class ranging ' from finance to mental health' , alongside the peak fuel price and fast-growing mortgage rate, as all of us know. Thereby they could be cited as an objective for anti-trust or anti-corruption. If the public plan sets the same rate of the insurers, it will be another headache. Ironically, the Deficit-sensitive groups have a distinctive common ground, they all have a Deficit-driven background out of question. Therefore, I'd say they have nothing to say about deficit unless they are free from the sponsors. And the spoiled menu, 'Takeover and Rationing Cliche' is still marching for bankruptcy, as opposed to its motto. 4. 'Work or Break' health system with no brake or safety system. Just like marriage, economy also undergoes up and down, however, economic downturn is not reflected in the employment-based system. The rising mental stress or illness & 'keep eating habit' , which are the epicenter of a number of different diseases,might be traced to this insecure system and exorbitant premiums. Part 2. The Public Plan: 1. Thankfully, the health care reform bill currently before Congress makes several key investments including more primary care doctors in preventive care, and those pieces of the public plan must be maintained . 2. The pay for 'Outcome' pack is most likely to expedite the introduction of Health Care IT SYSTEM, and it will help doctors focus on their patients. 3. The 'innovative' idea of a 'pay for value / outcome' pack will allow for Quality and affordability . If you are a physician, and your pay is dependant upon your patient's outcome, you will most likely strive to prescribe the best medicine earlier in the process, let alone skipping the wasteful, unnecessary risk-carrying procedures. Young folks and advocates need to explain the notion of a pay for outcome agreement to the elderly misled by the disinformation.
4. The synergy effect of the combined Health Care IT & a pay for 'outcome' system may allow the clinicians to 'correctly' diagnose and effectively treat a patient earlier in the process so that it can measurably decrease the crushing lawsuits and deter the excuse for unnecessary cares to make fortunes.
5. The creative idea of 'a pay for outcome' will more likely prompt team approach and decision, as at Myo clinic. Under the 'pay for outcome' pack, for good reason, best practices as 'recommendations' would simply help them make a better decision, and the government won't still have to meddle in the final, actual decision-making process as a non-expert. 6. This New 'Payment Reform' could accelerate the progress in medical science, in return, it will save more cash. And this idea will be able to bring 'competition' to the private market, as a result, it can contribute to mitigating premium inflation. 7. Supporters of the agreement say it could save the Medicare System more than $100 billion a year and 'improve' care, that means more than $1trillian over next decade, and virtually needs no other resources including tax on the wealthiest. Supposedly even the 'conservative' number of such savings might be able to meet the objective of revenue-neutral. (Please visit http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=820455&catid=391 for detailed infos). 8. Through clinic's network, users of its health-care services can keep up with their health information and information for family members, and receive health guidance and recommendations from clinic that is optimized for each person. The system also allows patients to upload information from home-health devices such as blood glucose monitors and digital scales. Patients can authorize whether they want to share their health information with doctors or other caregivers, and those caregivers can provide health-care and general wellness recommendations based on the information patients provide.
9. In case the health care reform provides the general public with peace of mind, the rising mental stress, obesity caused by the insecure system and exorbitant premiums may bend the curve surprisingly. 10. Clearly, the positive impacts involving massive job creation, promising stem cell research, several times more economic effects of 'from bed to work' lie ahead, these will lead to economic recovery. Part 3. Conclusion ; 1. The last thing to expect is rallying for premium inflation, JUST SAYING NO. 2. Over time, supposedly, the public plan will concentrate more on basic, primary cares, and the private insurers will provide their clients with differentiated services. 3. With the Prevention & Wellness Program as a stable levee in place, the promising pay for value/ outcome reimbursement reform based on IT system could clear the way for revenue-neutral. Some say the installation of IT network will take time, but once this new outcome-based payment system is implemented, the hospitals reluctant to adopt it will most likely rush to introduce it. 4. The final hurdle looks like a scoring issue surrounding the savings on Prevention & Wellness Program, but I'd like to say health clubs and media reports on prevention tips must be maintained. 5. People would be entitled to various services whether you are employed, unemployed or self-employed, homeless or housed, young or old, chronically ill or mentally ill, moving from job to job or from town to town or from state to state. Thank You !
Let's Respect others and discussion, not shouting and disruption. 'What's in it' ? or 'shouting and disruption', which one is the reason of slow-down ? Part 1. The runaway premium similar to the peak fuel price last year and left so many folks in despair insists on staying the course with the attitude 'unchanged', clearly this trend could bankrupt individual, business, and government. Now the government subsequently is tasked with these two main assignments, first, to address premium inflation, second, to expand coverage to all in urgent need. In order to cover all and not to add to the deficit, the public option can not set the same rates of private market, rather, it needs to have the function to keep it in check in terms of inflation, too. Unfortunately, this 'unavoidable' direction is aggressively being accused by the runaway premium, citing government 'take-over' . Under the circumstances the energy bill to determine human future and the other major issues are presently piled up, who wants to waste time making enemies ?, which also does not benefit the forthcoming election. On the other hand, to make things worse, critics say the savings from the proposed public option is not enough to meet the revenue goal. Furthermore, on another hand, some say 'hands off' . Where do these No tax, No saving and the like intend to force this reform to go ? The conclusion by 'just-say-no' is no doubt. Ironically, the Deficit-sensitive groups have a distinctive common ground, they all have a Deficit-driven background out of question. Part 2. Of all choices, the best thing would be savings through efficiency. Considering the wasteful structure, the highest premium in the world (Costing over twice as much as every other county), and the most expensive part of medicare, with the prevention / wellness program in place, an American style innovation, an 'outcome'-based payment founded upon IT system may be enough to save more than 50 billions per year (500 / decade), both 'improving quality' and removing the unnecessary procedures (as pay is dependent on patient's outcome). Young folks and advocates need to explain the notion of a pay for outcome agreement to the elderly misled by the disinformation. Part 3.
Unlike private market, this public option includes large-scale investments, these large investments still does not get the fair score, instead seem to become a source of acute conflict, even so, this common sense-based program needs to develop further as early detection goes beyond monetary value. In short, with the heartbreaking tears in mind (Nearly 11 Million Cancer Patients Without Health Insurance), private market also needs change and should join together to complete this reform , as promised, if not, the runaway premium only has itself to blame. Job-based coverage (indirect payment), mandate code, and ample capital might be favorable to the private market. And It can be said that fair competition starts with fair market value. Over time, supposedly, the public plan will concentrate more on basic, primary cares, and the private insurers will provide their clients with differentiated services.
Thank You !
Richard Kefalos
It denigrates them by making the accusations so callously and without thought. This is in no way a “warning” it is just bad name-calling. President Obama is nothing like Hitler (and for that matter neither was Bush) or Stalin.
And what do you mean by “The Holocaust victims are on our side…”?
Frank,
Once again you miss the point. Personally, I think it is about time an article was done on this. Though it goes beyond Limbaugh and Obama (it is used by liberals too).
I also don’t see what’s wrong with the “Jew-Boy to Self-Hater” article. For a long time Israeli Jews have made – let’s say – off colored remarks to U.S. Jewish officials. For a long time Israeli Jews have wanted U.S. Jews’ money and influence while at the same time wanting U.S. Jews to stay silent on Israeli atrocities. And I love how stories you disagree with are “concocted.”
One wonders, do you bash a blatant right-wing jingoistic pro-Israeli paper for giving only “one-sided articles”?
The Forward is biased as any paper, but to label them “anti-Israeli” or “anti-Semitic” is ludicrous.
Rush Limbaugh may not be Israel’s enemy, but does come off as an enemy to truth and decency.
Also, believing in equality for Arabs, being for a democratic society and just peace doesn’t make one anti-Israeli. In fact, I believe insinuating that, does make one anti-Israeli.
Peter,
Liberal Democrats are being “stonewalled” by moderate to conservative “blue-dog” Democrats.
When the previous administration took actions that were forbidden by the constitution but permitted by their lapdog lawyers, great umbrage was taken by the administration for being compared to the German administration ruling during the 1930s and 1940s.
Calling Obama a Nazi is what dim witted right wingers see as comparing a dictator to a national leader who is making vigorous efforts to attain bipartisanship. It takes a very dim witted person to see no difference. It takes a vicious racist like Rushbo to make comments about a non-existent logo that reminds him of a swastika. How can it remind him of anything when it exists solely in his drug addled imagination? I have no answer to that.
Any examination of Rishbo's past will clearly uncover his racist leanings. His major objection to Obama is the color of his skin and his scrupulousness which has never been exhibited by the majority of right wingers.
Hatred is taught. It does not come naturally. Rushbo is the high priest of hatred education in the USA.
Hey, the Bushies wrote it not me:
Bush Staffers Joked About Following Orders Like Nazis
[Tip o’ the hat to the Huffington Post]
Oops! The link dropped out. The URL is:
http://mediamattersaction.org/blog/200908110006
[Hat still tipping to the Huffington Post]
For the record, and I've been on record, I've always been appalled when anyone compared American politicians to Hitler. But there are a couple points to make here:
No one "respectable," or in the "establishment" ever referred to Bush as some kind of fascist or Hitler, at least not that I'm aware of. If they did, that is despicable. I've been to virtually every mainstream (that is, United for Peace and Justice-led) demonstration against the Iraq War since before the war started. The vast majority of people carried signs saying things like "No war on Iraq" or "Money for Schools, Not for War." A smaller group carried signs that were just silly, and a tiny little minority carried those monstrous signs that spelled Bush with a swastika replacing the "s". Unfortunately, those were the pictures shown on the news.
While I despise Bush and the policies for which he stood, I, like most anti-Iraq War people, would never sink to such a low level as to demean myself (by acting so stupidly), the office of the President (even when occupied by Bush), or the Holocaust victims. Bush was a horror show, anti-civil liberty, but he certainly didn't do anything that approached the horrors of the Holocaust.
But can anyone name a single commentator for NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, ABC, etc. that actually referred to Bush as a Nazi? Any prominent Democrat?
That's the difference: Now we have national leaders--prominent and influential talk show hosts who are supported by leaders of the Republican Party--referring to our President as a Nazi.
Well, first the Bush people were the new Nazis, and now we learn that Obama is the new Hitler. Bottom line everybody agrees on: America is the new Nazi Germany.
For the record, and I've been on record, I've always been appalled when anyone compared American politicians to Hitler. But there are a couple points to make here:
No one "respectable," or in the "establishment" ever referred to Bush as some kind of fascist or Hitler, at least not that I'm aware of. If they did, that is despicable. I've been to virtually every mainstream (that is, United for Peace and Justice-led) demonstration against the Iraq War since before the war started. The vast majority of people carried signs saying things like "No war on Iraq" or "Money for Schools, Not for War." A smaller group carried signs that were just silly, and a tiny little minority carried those monstrous signs that spelled Bush with a swastika replacing the "s". Unfortunately, those were the pictures shown on the news.
While I despise Bush and the policies for which he stood, I, like most anti-Iraq War people, would never sink to such a low level as to demean myself (by acting so stupidly), the office of the President (even when occupied by Bush), or the Holocaust victims. Bush was a horror show, anti-civil liberty, but he certainly didn't do anything that approached the horrors of the Holocaust.
But can anyone name a single commentator for NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, ABC, etc. that actually referred to Bush as a Nazi? Any prominent Democrat?
That's the difference: Now we have national leaders--prominent and influential talk show hosts who are supported by leaders of the Republican Party--referring to our President as a Nazi.
What's trhat song? "Where were you when I needed you?" Some Jews are the epitome of inconsistency. The crocodile tears shed for Limbaugh's appellation of comparing Obama to Hitler were never shed while there was never a peep out of you, except for Ron Rosenbaum, author of Explaining Hitler decrying the invidious comparison. Most Jews found nothing wrong with Seinfeld's use of "soup nazi", debasing the very concept. In addition, are you prepared to say that there are no parallels between the two. Hitler had policies other than eliminating the Jews. Is it so wrong to parallel; the two. While I don't know that Obama would practice genocide against the Jews in toto ( neo-cons maybe), I don't know that he is prepared to allow untrammeled criticism of him, his Presidency and his government. Asking people to report opposition doesn't strike me as the epitome of civil libertarianism. Neither does preventing aspects of his health care law being being beyond the purview of the courts. I do know of one significant difference between Obama and Hitler. The latter quit smoking and considered it a pollutant to the body. The POTUS keeps chugging away. I guess it it is only other people's vices that are problematic. Oh yeah! I forgot. He doesn't have to belong to the same health care group as you do.
bozh- People on the Forward's comment page have told me that I am stupid. I guess I am. Could you please define what a fascist is, so that I can better comprehend your article ? Thank you. Shabbat Shalom and Gut Shabbos.
The difference in calling Bush (vs. Obama) Hitler is clear as day if you're willing to call a spade a spade:
Right-wing militants, who are traditionally anti-government, anti-immigrant, anti-tax xenophobes and racists, actually take the time and energy to form things like militias and domestic terror cells. The fringe of the Right wing fringe behaves this way because they disaccept the very nature of our federal government, are disillusioned politically and are apparently unhappy enough in their lives personally to break the law and take great risks against what they see as an oppressive enemy. Its very emotional. They feel like the culture and ideals that belonged to them in their America are slipping away. They'll create an epic battle for themselves - Save America - to give their lives heroic meaning. So yes, this is a very different and complicated group. The consequences of riling up this specific group are particularly grave. Even if less than .1% of Rush's dittoheads fall into this category, we're still in deep trouble.
When people called Bush Hitler for using propaganda to manufacture complicity for a war against Saddam instead of Osama, killing thousands of innocent people and enriching the oil services industry, it was still an unfair comparison, but one that was apparently of little consequence. The president wasn't malled by liberal college students.
Let's just call it like it is: White, middle aged, middle class reactionary activists are a special bunch. We all know that when Rush tells them that their black president is Hitler, it is indeed like yelling fire in a crowded theater. The result so far is people with loaded guns, death to the president and swastika signs show up to rallies. It's just a matter of time before someone gets hurt.
What A Joke. Nancy Peloski started when she Said "I saw swastkas on some of those at the townhall meeting". I heard what RUSH said when he responded to this by correcting pointing out what the NAZI part stood for, Which was the NATIONAL SOCICALIST PARTY.
"Could you please define what a fascist is, so that I can better comprehend your article?"
No problem:
"fascism - A system of government that exercises a dictatorship of the extreme right, typically through the merging of state and business leadership, together with belligerent nationalism." American Heritage Dictionary, 1983
Also, Franklin D. Roosevelt in an April 29, 1938 message to Congress warned that the growth of private power could lead to fascism:
"The first truth is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power."
Professor Rosensaft- with appreciation for your work in Holocaust Rememberance, a truly Sisyphian task which will be forgotten when the survivors perish ( Just like Chielmniki Massacres, because Jews don't really study their history) When Ron Rosenbaum went to an anti-war rally he noted the presence of signs comparing Mr. Bush to nazis, to Hitler. He didn't say that this was just a minority. He crafted a superb piece in the New York Observer entitled "Why I Left the Left". Of course he did not leave behind the beliefs that he had maintained for decades. Mr. Rosenbaum's point was the need to repudiate such behavior. Imitating such behavior is wrong, but failing to repudiate it is also wrong. Clearly, as a an academic who still uses his Hebrew name you are aware of the biblical injunction not to stand by while your brother's blood was shed. Your protestations lack the same moral authority if you failed to publically repudiate MoveOn.Org and many other media that equated Bush and American policy to Hitler, Israel to Nazis, Israel's treatment of its Arabs as apartheid. While I admit that I have abandoned my regular perusal of the Forward and left wing media in general, I must apologize having never heard of you before and I may have missed your statements decrying these positions. I would be thrilled if, as is the custom in Commentyary Magazine ( yeah, the right wing neo-con dreck, whose altar I sup at) you would respond and point out why I am wrong and direct me to those articles where you fulfilled Burke's dictum that "All that is needed for evil to triumph is for good men to to stand by and do nothing." Or something like that. Something you are surly sensitive to given the behavior of Roosevelt and the rest of the world during and after Evian. Also, while I agree that trying to discredit Obama by making fun of his name is childish and counter productive, I was really upset when Obama went to Cairo and after trying to practice self-effacement of his Arabic name during the campaign ( I guess that's why so many Jews identified with him. They also only trot out their Jewish identity when it's suitable-whatever identity means) stood up in front of an Arabic audience to "bray" ( your words) that his name was Hussein. I look forward to a Commentarian response- not in content just a response. Thank you. Shabbat Shalom
Rosensaft, you liberal crackpot, where were you when the following Democrats referred to our troops as Nazis, torturers and despicably evil? You're a hypocritical windbag who can't even perform a cursory analysis of this failed President and Congress.
The AP had an article yesterday about window repair companies waiting for Stimulus checks after seven months so they can begin caulking windows ("green jobs", remember?). The federal government can't even caulk a damn window, they've bankrupted social security and medicare, and you think socialized medicine will turn out well?
Read the Constitution, you "progressive" tool, and tell me where the federal government is granted the right to do any of this stuff.
* “If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans [Soldiers] had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime — Pol Pot or others — that had no concern for human beings.” -- Senator Dick Durbin
* “There was no firefight, there was no IED that killed these innocent people. Our troops [Haditha Marines] overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood. They actually went into the houses and killed women and children. ” -- Representative John Murtha
* “Shamefully we now learn that Saddam’s torture chambers reopened under new management, U.S. management.” -- Senator Ted Kennedy
* "And there is no reason… that young American Soldiers need to be going into the homes of Iraqis in the dead of night, terrorizing kids and children, you know, women, breaking sort of the customs of the – of – the historical customs, religious customs.” -- Senator John Kerry
* “The War on Terror is a slogan designed only for politics, not a strategy to make America safe. It’s a bumper sticker, not a plan.” – Former Senator, Former Vice Presidential candidate, Presidential Candidate John Edwards
###
Pelosi & the Democrats brought up the Nazi issue.
Besides, why does Obama associate with so many Jew-haters?
Pelosi & the Democrats brought up the Nazi issue.
Besides, why does Obama associate with so many Jew-haters?
The analogy began with Pelosi. Rush was just showing the fallacy of this analogy, since it can be applied to the left as well. The left isand you are jumping on anything.
As of now Obama equated Israel to thew Nazis and no one yells. That is alot more dangerous thne some actor called Rush Limbaugh saying anything even if you did understand it, which you didn't.
Re: “Obama’s got a health care logo that’s right out of Adolf Hitler’s playbook” and “Obama is asking citizens to rat each other out like Hitler did,” Limbaugh told the millions who faithfully tune in to his radio show. The president “is sending out his brownshirts to head up opposition to genuine American citizens who want no part of what Barack Obama stands for and is trying to stuff down our throats,” Limbaugh continued, and “Adolf Hitler, like Barack Obama, also ruled by dictate.”
This is a comparison to specific policies which Obama has in fact instituted - having a website to "snitch" on people, just as the Nazi's did; attempting to increase the control that the government had over individuals lives, as well as their intrusiveness, which were hallmarks of the National Socialists (Nazis) and seems to be a hallmark of the Democratic Congressional programs, whether in terms of the existing House health care bill or the "cap-and-trade" bill.
Mr. Rifkin's rant, immediately following my previous comment does, I believe make my point rather better than I did.
The Obama Administration's proposed health reforms, as put forward by his advisors, Ezekiel Emanuel, Peter Orzag, Nancy Ann DeParle, and others, mirror the "reforms" Hitler instituted in 1939. Specifically, Hitler's T-4 program (which took its name from its Berlin office at Tiergarten 4), began killing German citizens who cost too much to maintain--the mentally ill, retarded, severely ill, and disabled. Hitler's memo was called "The Destruction of Lives Unworthy of Life." A commission of experts was established to determine who should die. Hundreds of thousands of German children and adults were killed under T-4.
Now, look at the writings and pronouncements of Emanuel, Orzag, et al. They would withdraw treatment for the terminally ill because it costs too much. They would exclude dementia patients from any treatment. They would mandate counseling of the old and sick to so that these people could "choose" to die sooner, thus saving money. These are the very same things for which the Nazi doctors were tried and convicted at Nuremberg.
All this in the name of "cost-cutting," when the Administration has just given $23 trillion to the banks and hedge funds to pay their gambling debts? Do you wonder why Americans are angry?
The documentation for the Nazi roots of the Obama Administration's health program is available. The British have begun to institute a similar program, named in Orwellian fashion NICE for National Institute for Clinical Excellence, which issues life or death decisions on medical care, and has already killed many British citizens. That documentation is also fully available.
Making the comparison of Obama to Hitler, in respect to Obama's health "reforms" is accurate. Obama has the opportunity to change this policy. For references, see http://www.larouchepub.com/eiw/public/2009/2009_20-29/ 2009-22/pdf/10-13_3622.pdf
Yes, the LaRouche organization put the Hitler moustache on Obama, based on the fully documented historical record.
What self-righteous, posturing, obnoxious twaddle the liberal censor Rosensaft utters. However stupid, insensitive and trivializing the analogy to Hitler, the only plausible outcome is that pundits and ideologues like Rosensaft that already hate Limbaugh for disagreeing with them politically will make equally stupid criticisms of the king of conservative talk radio. What Rosensaft seems to forget -- as does the likes of Foxman -- is that what Limbaugh has said is protected speech according to the First Amendment. Indeed, had he said the President should be killed for advocating this or that program -- that is still protected speech, as any First Amendment expert would affirm. Nor is Limbaugh the only one around indulging in ugly characterizations. Mr. Rosensaft describes Americans that disagree with him and express their opinions in town hall meetings as "brownshirts." I see NO DISTINCTION between Rosensaft -- the blowhard of the left -- from Limbaugh, the blowhard of the right. Is Rosensaft, like the canny Limbaugh, also sending a subliminal message that it's okay to murder conservatives with whom you disagree: afterall, they're "brownshirts." This is nothing more than the pot calling the kettle black. Having seen Rosensaft in action in his own shul, I can report this guy can be easily as repulsive as he accuses Limbaugh of being.
Okay, let's pretend a complicated world has imploded into a moronic simplicity -- exactly the way our complicated world *is* indeed imploding into a moronic simplicity this season -- and we are all commanded to choose one:
[ ] Obama is Hitler
[ ] Limbaugh is Hitler
That's it, no other choices, no None Of The Above.
I know which box I'm checking. Can't wait to see the final tally.
Menachem Z. Rosensaft should unambiguously repudiate the democrates brandished images of President Bush with a Hitler-like mustache.
I can't believe how much of the nonsense uttered on here is being taken at face value.
Nancy Pelosi started by comparing people to Nazis? Give me a break. She stated the horrifyingly obvious: People were and are showing up at town hall meetings carrying swastikas and SS symbols. She thought that was troubling. That's entirely different than Mr. Limbaugh saying that Obama is sending brownshirts, etc.
As for the fact that the name of the Nazi party was officially the National Socialist Workers Party: First, Obama doesn't call himself a socialist. Secondly, does anyone really believe that the Nazis were in line with mainstream socialists? Britain's Labour Party is part of the Socialist International: Does that mean that the Labour Party and the Nazi Party are the same? Or what about the socialist section of the Zionist movement that helped found Israel? Are they Nazis?
And then there's the ridiculous point about Obama keeping some sort of enemies list: Come on. There are all sorts of nonsensical e-mails floating around the internet, suggesting that Obama's setting up death panels, going to kill all the white people, etc. The White House simply said, "If you got an e-mail that scares you, forward it to us, and we'll send you an answer." Does anyone who is sane really believe that this means Obama is creating a list of enemies to destroy?
And finally, no, it is not legal to threaten the President of the United States, or to advocate violence against him. This is a crime.
And on cost cutting: It really does show a lack of basic sense to think that this translates to "killing off inferiors." Howard Dean, in his newest book, details at great length possibilities for saving money in Medicare and elsewhere. Getting rid of the private insurers that Medicare subsidizes would save hundreds of billions. Giving doctors more information (comparative effectiveness) would allow many more billions to be saved.
You don't have to kill people to save money. I wonder how many people who put this nonsense forward are scared when they see sales at Wal-Mart?
I promised myself that I would never keep silent when I saw danger against the Jewish people again. So I don't. Rush doesn't care if he isn't politically correct. He is another watchman on the wall, just as I try to be.
Lamentations 3.....I called on Your name, O LORD, from the depths of the pit.
It boggles my mind to see our world, and the state we have fallen in. We are so lost, we are all blind, one leader is no better than another. None are lead by the hand of G-D our Counselor. Do you not see that the G-D of peace will soon crush satan under our feet.
For it is written.....Psalm 140....O G-D, the LORD, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.
Why do we look to mankind to lead us? why? sin fills there hearts and minds, there is no good found in them, how can they lead us out of the dark pit, that sin has pulled us down in?
Words about Mohammid, Hitler, Seiu , Zionist movement, Nazis and Obama, why......just men.....and their thinking.. we think not better when we point the blame on them.
What is needed by all of you is written ......Psalm 66....All the earth bows down to You; they sing praise to You, they sing praise to Your name.
The name of our G-D of All that is is Israel. It is written....Jeremiah 17 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame.
O Meekvay Yisrael, my sorrow may endure for the evening is dark but joy comes in the morning with the light you bring in. You are our hope when all else fails, there is You. Help us never to give up on Your Wounderful name In G-D We Trust. For it is written....Kehren Yeeshee...the Horn of Salvation....Psalm 18 The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my G-D is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation. Ps.140...surely the rightous will praise Your name and the upright will live before You.
Leave off the name calling and put the finger out of everyones eye. We all had a lot to do with were the world stands now. We one by one need to take control....control of our selves.....putting the words in Ps. 101 in action of our lives.
It is written Psalm 101.....I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing.
I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
I will set not wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
A froward heart shall depart form me: I will not know a wicked person. Who so privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer. Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.
He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.
I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD.
Make note ......the end verse. I will destroy all the wicked of the land. How is this done? All the verse above tells us how, to go into battle. Not what we are doing, it does us no good to blame Hiltar , Zionist movement, Obama, Israel. , when it is all of us to blame. ONE sin is not greater than another, sin brings death .
For it is written...Isaiah 10....The Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame..... Light of Israel our G-D, or Yisrahel, shine forth. Shine Your light into our darkness, O Light of All Mankind. For it is written...Jeremiah 32... "Iam the LORD, the G-D of All Mankind. Is anything too hard for Me?
The prayer for our generation to come is ......written in Psalm 102
Like Haaretz, Forward does a cosiderable service in allowing a quite extraordinary range of opinions to be expressed----I'd appreciate hearing from those better informed than I am as to the extent that these reflect the divisions of opinion in the American Jewish community.
Why the hatred? Why the name calling of President Obama? Excellent article. Could it be that some of my Jewish brethren are just as racist as they say President Obama is? Red or yellow, black or white, we are all precisous in His sight! Keep up the good work Forward. Shalom to you and yours!
Spelled the word precious wrong! typo! sorry!
We should distrust any comparison of a modern person or entity to Hitler or Nazis, no matter who it comes from, because it is an obvious appeal to limbic-level revulsion that is intended to short-circuit any careful reflection and thinking.
Andrea Anderson- Ms. Anderson, you come across as a nice person. Unfortunately, the political discourse is increasingly uncivil. I can't pinpoint the origin and I don't know who started it. Nevertheless if you peruse the comments pages on online publications of the left and the right, the crudity and coarseness of correspondents on both sides of the aisle is tragic. Nothing good can come of it. Bipartisanship, which is not really possible because there are too many issues where compromise is not possible. involves more than inviting some Senators for supper. From the start Obama and Pelosi made it clear that they "won".That's not a good start.
I seriously hope that you protested similarly when the supporters of Pelosi, Reed, Obama, Clinton et al were hurling the epithet Hitler and Nazi at former President Bush and his supporters. As someone pointed out, two wrongs don't make a right ( Actually two wrongs do make a left)but your moral authority to denounce those who call President Obama names is surely undermined. I am confident that you spoke up for President Bush. Also,you stated "Red or yellow, black or white, we are all precious in His sight! " First, I was not aware that referring to Obama required a capitalized pronoun-"His". I thought that this was a form of reference only applied to some form of monotheistic deity. I really don't know if it was a typo, a subconscious slip or an application of Evan Thomas' statement that "Obama is like God." Actually, it is not true. Obama cares more for Zelaya than he does for the people of Honduras. He cares for Chavez more then he cares for the people of Venezuala. He cares for those Chinese that hold US debt far more than he does for the people of China. He cares for Hosni Mubarak and Assad far more than he cares about than he cares for the people of Syria and Egypt. He cared far more for Sadaam Hussein then he cared about the people of Iraq, opposing as he did any efforts by Mr. Bush to rescue them from despotism. He cares far more about J Street than he cares for Aipac ( He lied to Aipac's face last summer while pandering for their support.) He cares far more for left wing people of Jewish ethnicity than he does for right wing Jews. He cares far more about the Palestinians than he does about the Israelis. He cares far more about union members than he does for small investors who placed their life savings into GM and Chrysler. He cares far more about GM and Chrysler than he does about Ford. And unlike the follower of Jesus Christ that he claims to be he(forgive me if I don't capitalize the pronoun)he cares much more about power than truth.
When Israel were in Egypt, they were acquainted with the Chieftains who are appointed over the various nations of the world, and each of them feared one or other of them. When they were linked with the bond of faith and G-D brought them near to His service, they abandoned those powers for the higher faith. Therefore they were commanded, "Whoever curseth his god", etc., as much as to say : Although the service of these is strange worship, ---yet--- whoever curses or insults them must bear his iniquity. But "he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD shall be put to death".
G-D makes all things His agents and we must not revile anything that He has made.'
This is for the service of the world, and it is forbidden to revile a ministrant of the Holy One, especially those loyal servants of His. They are appointed by Providence. It is written that "G-D saw all that He had made, and behold it was very good". Gen 1. even serpents and scorpions and fleas and all things that appear to be pests---all these are for the service of the world, though mankind have no understanding of it and the One True G-D of All That Is.