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Are comedic links between Harper and Hitler going too far?
December 4, 2008 - 7:12pm
At rabbletv, we just put a video up from http://harperdictatorship.ca using dialogue that Harper might say over a movie about Hitler.
I had some interesting discussions with people, some having no trouble with a parody like this, some finding it hilarious, while some others find it inappropriate and harmful to the cause of the left.
What does the great oracle of babblers believe?
http://www.rabble.ca/rabbletv/program-guide/best-net/welcome-harper-dictatorship
With right-wing thugs throwing around the word "traitor" and accusing the coalition of attempting a "coup," this is mild in comparison. Besides, this scene has been used countless times to poke fun at various things.
I guess one should point out that from the point of view of Germans living in the Wiemar republic, Hitler was a bit of a joke, both among his leftist enemies, and even within the established right. They spent more time fighting each other than seriously considering the course that the NSDAP was following. Despite his belicose talk, no one thought he would seriously be able to impugn the authority of the legal underpinnings of the democratic system itself, but he did.
Proroguing parliment, is just such a measure, and an affront to the legal and constitutional authority of parliment, in favour of the power of the executive.
Josh also correctly points out the whole tenor of campaign, including the appeal to nationalism and especially fear mongering about French Canadians are similar features, and I would add to that the appeal to direct demonstrations of force on the streets to sway and intimidate opponents, also comes right out of the Goebel's handbook.
Or the Nixon/Atwater/Rove handbook in the U.S. See Florida 2000.
What Cueball said. If conservatives don't appreciate being likened to Hitler, then they should steer well clear of following any of his first goose steps to dictatorial power.
Apparently not while the Harpers and Crazy Georges of this world are alive and well.
P.S. I'm still laughing! They did a couple of really good matches, including the "since Stalin" (since he actually says "Stalin") and the thing about Jack cycling (since it sounded like he said something similar to "cycling"). It's one of the better Hitler subtitle spoofs out there, although there are a few places where there's too great a disparity between the length of Hitler's phrase and the subtitle.
I was just thinking that to people who actually speak German, this whole meme wouldn't work at all, because they would actually understand the real words. :D I played one of the better ones on YouTube (I think it was a hockey one or something) for her a couple of weekends ago, and she thought it was funny, but I think she was probably too distracted by understanding what he was actually saying to find it as hysterical as I did.
While we may find these types of things amusing amongst ourselves, I think they are very counter-productive. To the average Canadian, every one of us (those who support the Coalition and those who support Harper) look like we're throwing temper-tantrums and are only interested in powerplays and petty name-calling. Plus, Harper is also using incendiary rhetoric as a means of setting a trap for the Coalition forces, hoping they will lose it.
Whichever side is more successful at framing this debate will win over public support. So the best course of action is to take the high road, leave the name-calling and caricatures to Harper, and make a solid case as to why the Coalition should go through. If you fight with a pig, you will both get muddy and the pig will love it.
LOL !
nicely done
Who's your audience?
If you're only interested in people who already detest Harper and you just want to entertain them then no problem.
If you're trying to reach people who are on the fence -- or even currently support him -- and convince them that he's dangerous and should be opposed, then direct comparisons to Hitler are liable to turn them off before you ever get through to them.
In terms of persuading people or making cogent arguments, it's not terribly productive.
In terms of over-the-top satire, that video is fucking hiliarious. Justin Trudeau...
For anyone interested, here's a sample of the vast library of remixed subtitles from that Der Untergang movie. Almost nothing is safe from getting Der Unterganged:
http://laughingsquid.com/hitler-video-remix-meme/
My family thinks its funny.
What a laugh riot! I had no idea he was such a party animal. No wonder he shut down parliament. Woohoo!
Godwin's law.
I didn't find it funny and neither would my grandfather who lost his parents and 6 of his siblings to Hitler's genocide.
When Harper kills 6 million people...hell, when he kills 6 people... I won't be so offended by comparisons to Hitler.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363163/
Author: Hermes Brandt from Amsterdam, NetherlandsDer Untergang makes you live the horrors and craziness of war. Bruno Ganz's interpretation of Adolf Hitler is worthy of an Oscar. He is completely believable. Also the rest of the cast performs admirably. You feel transported to Berlin as it was bombarded by the Russians. You get a very clear insight (or an impression?) in how the military decisions were taken during those final days of the war. The movie balances well between large-scale effects of bombs exploding in ruined streets and depictions of different persons going though the experience – from Hitler and his staff in the well-protected bunkers to the principal military commanders torn between reason and loyalty and German civilians trapped in an inferno. The movie is neither pro-Nazi nor does it depict all Nazis as mindless monsters. It gives an impression of utter realism. Go see it in a good cinema – your seat will tremble as the bombs explode. A nine out of ten.
I enjoyed it in spite of myself.
I struggle whether comparisons to Hitler are verboten because of the horrific nature of his crimes. I vacillate on my answer to this one. Having studies fascism and the Holocaust, I am aware of the doctrine of Hitlerian exceptionalism. I think on balance it is a dangerous one and comparisons can be made betwwen that historic epoch and others. That being said the similarities between Hitler and harper are minimal.