The Hitler Stick

I'm a fairly calm person in the face of many things that infuriate others. For instance, if I receive the wrong order at a restaurant I'm likely to eat it without comment (if there are no onions involved). Likewise, I'm fairly zen about traffic jams. However, one thing that sets me off is blatantly bad logical arguments. I'm neither bothered by, nor immune to, occasional logical slips. However, when an argument is consistently bandied about publicly that is so jarringly illogical that anyone could see it, if they so chose, I get all tense through the chestal region. I'm fairly certain that I will one day die because of this, but until then I choose to sound off about it. Maybe this will act as a pressure release valve and extend my life slightly.

Lately, the flagrant misuse of thousands of years of human consciousness that has bothered me is the invocation of Hitler when discussing the health care debate. Opponents to universal health care (or, more accurately, any sliver of an iota of universal health care) have pointed out that this was one of the programs of Nazi Germany.

Now, in all fairness, I have no idea whatsoever if this is true. And, perhaps unfairly, I have no intention on finding out because I don't care. I'm going to concede the point. In fact, let's assume, just for kicks, that it was Hitler who came up with the whole idea of universal health care and outlined his plan for a public option somewhere in Mein Kampf's appendix. The logical leap into the abyss that conservative lawmakers, pundits, and banshee-voiced town hall protesters are making is in assuming that this was a defining characteristic of Hitler.

Hitler was, no argument, a monster who spent much of his time contemplating and implementing evil things. This is well established. What is less well established, but also true, is that after a big turkey dinner he took a nap, woke up, and went to the bathroom. By all accounts, so did Stalin. The point is, while Hitler did many evil things, he also did many other things that all humans do.

When some conservative break out the Hitler brush to paint Obama over health care reform, they are doing so with a non-defining attribute of Hitler. So many innocuous countries have universal health care coverage that it is ridiculous to label it a Nazi policy. It is akin to someone labeling me a Nazi because, like Hitler, I both inhale and exhale.

Now, this is not the first time in recent years that a president has been hit with the Hitler stick. And I think it was probably unfair (of me, occasionally, I admit) to use it on George W. Bush. However, when we think about the defining attributes of Hitler, what comes to mind is. . .wars of aggression with dubious premises. . . detaining people without charge and torturing them. . .

I'll stop there because, as I said, I don't think Bush was Hitler reincarnate. I'm just pointing out that sometimes illogical thinking and hypocrisy make very nice bedfellows.