The notion of owning and suppressing a minority population is such a disturbing blight on history that it really shouldn't be used as an analogue for any modern political debate that doesn't directly involve human enslavement.
Those who do choose to use such ahistorical flourishes are said to automoatically lose the debate since the willingness to go there has proven an intent or motivation that transcends fair discord.īut Nazi imagery isn't the only non-starter that certain debaters sometimes use even though they really shouldn't. Debaters who insist on using it (or Hitler or Nazis) as a tactical line against their adversaries have inspired a principle now commonly known as Godwin's Law (' As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches.').
The Holocaust is the most prominent example. When attempting to score points against debate opponents, there are certain ideas that commentators should not call to mind.
