In a recent interview, Hillary Clinton drew parallels between Trump and Adolph Hitler, triggering online debates about Trump’s capabilities, the nation’s current state, and the appropriateness of her commentary.
Note: Some quotes in this piece have been lightly edited for grammar.
What She Said
During an interview on ABC’s The View, Clinton suggested Trump had “dictatorial authoritarian tendencies” that could lead him to “do away with elections.” She also noted that Hitler was “duly elected,” making a second Trump term especially worrisome.
Agreed
Many agreed with Clinton’s comments. “The comparison with Hitler isn’t a far stretch considering that man’s early political career,” an online commenter said. “It wouldn’t be a giant leap for the US to fall under the same anti-government tactics.”
History Repeats
Others noted that the U.S. economy could become hyperinflationary in the wrong scenario. “That would be very shockingly similar to the state of Germany prior to the takeover [of Hitler],” one person observed.
The Democrats Fault
A few thought the comparison was apt but that Democrats bore most of the blame. As one commenter put it, “Look at who was in charge of Germany before the Nazis took over. Soft-left wing politics that prioritize the interests of business, capital, military, big pharmaceutical, etc. over the interests of the people.”
Stop Him Now
One person said that Trump’s likeness to Hitler was why “we need the DOJ to bring the hammer down hard on Trump. The Weimar Republic was lenient to Hitler…the results were catastrophic.”
Serving Time Might Serve Him
Others noted that Hitler was jailed during his rise to power, and it didn’t stop him. “Trump is just begging to be held in contempt and jailed,” one person said. “That will play right into his martyrdom narrative.”
Not Comparable
Still, many thought comparing Trump to Hitler was unjustified. “I disagree with this analogy,” said one person. “Trump is a donut, but I dare say Hitler was uhhh. . . . worse.”
A Different System
A few noted that Germany’s elections work differently than the U.S., and Hitler was not directly elected by the people. He was appointed as Chancellor.
Checks and Balances
Others pointed out that the U.S. government is full of checks and balances. “This Supreme Court has a lot to be desired, but they believe in the rule of law just like most judges in America and I still believe they won’t let Trump just walk over the constitution because he says he can,” said one person.
Crazy Cult Leader
“It’s a lazy comparison,” another person said of Hillary’s comments. “Trump is more akin to a crazy cult leader.” Several others thought the comparison to Hitler gave Trump too much intellectual credit.
Stop Talking
Many were annoyed that Clinton felt the need to comment at all. “My issue with this rhetoric from public figures is that the people who are on the fence and might be convinced to vote either way are more likely to scoff at the comparison and shift right,” one commenter said.
Such a Goblin
“Hillary is such a goblin,” said another person. “She never had any problem with Trump until he was a political adversary.”
Giving Him Power
Some said comparing Trump to Hitler would only empower his base. “You can’t use phrases like this,” one person said. “It just encourages his supporters. He’s not all-powerful.”
Not an Expert
Several people also blamed Clinton for Trump having any influence at all. They said that if Hillary had run a better campaign in 2016, Trump never would have been president. As one put it, “With all due respect, Hillary, you are not exactly the expert at keeping Trump out of office.”
Please Stop
Others wished public figures would stop using Hitler and the Nazis as points of comparison in general. “The amount of times ‘Hitler’ and ‘Nazi’ have been thrown around in the last 20 years to describe both parties kinda cheapens the words,” one person said.
Source: Reddit.
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