How much do you want to bet that the people who say "nazi" and "communist" the most on YA...?

Both Nazi and Communist (also Fascist and Socialist) have tended to become words which have very little meaning beyond 'somebody whose political opinions I dislike'. I would suspect that many who throw them around can't tell you much about what they mean, and hardly any could tell you the difference (which is actually pretty large) between Fascism and Nazism, or between Communism and Socialism. If you read Orwell (and it's a sure bet they haven't, beyond a surface reading of 1984 and perhaps Animal Farm, which are acceptable as anti-Stalinist propaganda), you'll recognize that stripping words of their meanings is part of what they do.

America's most dangerous enemies in the last 70 years were the nazis and the communists; by attaching those words to health care proponents, the Obama administration or social progressives, those groups become the enemies of America. But since neither term is truly applicable in any way at all, it's all just a bunch of immature name-calling

I wouldn't take that bet. The politicians deliberately use words like "Nazi," and throw them around like jellybeans, because they know that there will be a gut-reaction from people who are too intellectually lazy to consider the possibility that words like that provoke an emotional response, rather than appeal to one's reason.

Right now, the Republicans are using these buzzwords in an attempt to "dumb-down" the debate, and provoke hatred for Obama. Democrats did the same with Bush, but with nowhere near the viciousness that's been heard for the last year.

But you're right that words like that tend to lose their impact when they get thrown around too much. With all the nonsense thrown around over health reform, the Repubs are starting to look like schoolkids sticking their tongues out and thumbing their noses at the new kid. Calling Obama a Nazi is just another way to demean him, just like calling the Germans in WWII "Krauts," or using "****" to describe Vietnamese, or "wop" for Italians. Doing that simply implies that their less than human and makes it OK to hate them.

It's really rather childish, when you hear it, but it's positively Neanderthal when you hear commentators and politicians alike use those kind of epithets on the President of the United States.

How sad.

Much like the liberals claiming Bush and the republicans are Nazis/Fascists and then in the next breath attacking their laissez faire approach to governing?

Nazism/Fascism and laissez faire are the antithesis of each other, yet liberals can't seem to understand that either.

However, Nazism, Fascism, and Communism are all systems based on socialism, Marxism. All stress a command economy, and all put the needs of the state above the individual, thus they are all collectivist in nature. So, all three do share many core similarities.

ahaha i'm getting it!!! the 1st guy became hiding interior the freezer so the 2d guy wouldnt recognize he became there. simply by fact the 2d men spouse became cheating on him with the 1st guy! and then even with each thing that searching for the guy who became together with his spouse, he have been given over exerted and had a heartattack! yet while he could hav appeared interior the freezer, he could hav seen the guy. yet then he in all probability could hav beat him up, so it doesnt actually matter extensive type!! + it makes u think of goood one nevertheless! starr

Thats True Its Like The Red Scare All Over Again

You are correct. This is not really about one name or the definition of any one name. This is an organized movement by right wingers to get as many people as they can calling the POTUS names. They don't really care what name it is , as long as the sheeple are calling him a name. This is about hate more than it is about anything.

Despite what your liberal college professor taught you. Nazi is not the far right! It is halfway between liberal and socialist. Hitler was the leader of a liberal pro-union party. There was also a socialist party which was in competition with Hitler's party, but their disagreement was over power not policy. Think about it, they took over private businesses (especially from the Jews) and increased government regulation of all businesses. Who believes in more government control of private business, conservatives or liberals? Who is it that wanted a government takeover of the auto industry in order to protect the Auto Workers Union? Who is it that wants to control every major industry via "cap-n-trade" legislation? Look, you need to stop listening to those anti-capitalistic, moron professors at the college, and check out the facts for yourself! Also, listen to FOX news, and American Family Radio sometimes so that you can hear both sides of the issues.

Actually, the Nazis were socialist.

They believed in the Marxist philosophy of Obama.

And socialism leads to communism. Its a know fact.

They ARE interchangeable. Do you need me to post the quotes of Hitler?

There are a lot of "buzz words" on this site that are used incorrectly.

Nazi

Communist

Socialist

Racist

Just to name a few.

So I'll pass on that bet.