Doug wrote:
>
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>
> > To those who remain mentally and emotionally involved, I will make a simple
> > plea: Attack the topics, but not the person speaking them. It may seem to
> > easy to call someone a 'Nazi' or something similar, but it's wrong to do so.
> > You don't call someone names because they disagree with your political
> > position.
> >
> > And if you don't like that reason, consider this one: name-calling only
> > weakens your position, not his (or hers, as the case may be).
> >
> > IAAMOAC
>
> Indeed. There is some sort of list mail dictum that states that the
> poster that resorts to the use of "nazi" or "hitler" to rebut an
> argument or characterize those who don't agree with them has, by
> definition, lost the argument. I know we've discussed it on list
> before, but its been years. Does anyone have anything more definitive?
Godwin's Law, is what it's called. I'm sure that if someone did a
search on that, they'd come up with the definitive text on the matter.
In the past, we've been able to discuss Hitler and Nazis without
discussion deteriorating, until someone relatively new pulls out
Godwin's Law and the discussion starts to derail. I realize this isn't
what's happened now.
Julia
