From: Charlie Stross (charlie@antipope.org)
Date: Sat Sep 15 2001 - 13:22:14 MDT
On Sat, Sep 15, 2001 at 10:59:55AM -0700, J. R. Molloy wrote:
>
> BTW, you've activated the "Hitler rule" so this thread is dead.
> You might already know about the Hitler rule in debate, which seems to crop up
> most in online conversation. The rule is that bringing Hitler into any subject
> automatically kills the exchange, because comparing people or their practices
> to Hitler('s) means the bottom of the rhetoric barrel has been scraped:
> "Hitler was a vegetarian, therefore all decent people eat meat."
That would really screw up a discussion of the Third Reich, wouldn't
it?
I prefer to stick to the interpretation of Godwin's Law that runs along
the lines of "once someone compares their opponent in an exchange to
Hitler, that kills the exchange". And you will note that I didn't compare
you to Hitler; I was using Hitler -- a noted political fanatic -- as a
reference point when discussing another bunch of fanatics.
In any event, you're trying to weasel your way off the hook. I repeat:
this is the extropians list. Extropianism is about dynamic optimism.
Bombing people you despise back into the stone age isn't a very optimistic
viewpoint.
-- Charlie
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