On Comparison To The Nazis
…hatred of the idea of the Jews
was tied to hatred of the power of intellect,
as opposed to military power,
hatred of law courts,
of negotiations, of cleverness in argument,
of learning and of the domination of learning;
and in this way anti-Semitism
is tied to hatred of justice itself,
which must set a limit to the exercise of power
and to domination…….
The Nazi fury to destroy
had a definite target
the target encompassed reasonableness
and legality and the procedures of public discussion,
justice for minorities,
the protection of the weak,
and the protection of human diversity.
Excerpt, Innocence and Experience
By Stuart Hampshire p. 70,71 Cambridge: Harvard Univ. Press 1991
It is not unusual to encounter comparisons between the President and his administration and that of the National Socialist German Workers Party and it’s leader Adolph Hitler. A comparison is meant to highlight certain commonalities without claiming a close identity in every respect. Trump supporters and members of his party do not speak German for example. The comparison is made on account of the racism, the anti immigrant bias and practice of cruelty against non Caucasian immigrants. The words and actions of the President have caused White Nationalists to recognize the President as one of their own.
Stuart Hampshire is a philosopher who served in military intelligence in WWII. He participated in debriefing of Nazi officers.
