The analogy isn’t effective (outside the ingroup where it originates) unless it’s credible; throwing it around in situations where it isn’t in no way guards against the possibility of a recurrence of Nazism, or one of its less famous but often equally nasty companions in 20th-century totalitarianism. In fact, I’d say it’s probably actively detrimental, as it makes the accusation less punchy when and if we do start seeing a totalizing popular movement that openly preaches extreme prejudice against an unpopular group of scapegoats.
That’s not to say that these kinds of mass movements aren’t worth studying or analogies to modern movements can’t be made; they absolutely are and can. But crying Nazi without commensurately serious justification can only cheapen the term once everyone catches on. Who cares about having one more political slur?
The analogy isn’t effective (outside the ingroup where it originates) unless it’s credible; throwing it around in situations where it isn’t in no way guards against the possibility of a recurrence of Nazism, or one of its less famous but often equally nasty companions in 20th-century totalitarianism. In fact, I’d say it’s probably actively detrimental, as it makes the accusation less punchy when and if we do start seeing a totalizing popular movement that openly preaches extreme prejudice against an unpopular group of scapegoats.
That’s not to say that these kinds of mass movements aren’t worth studying or analogies to modern movements can’t be made; they absolutely are and can. But crying Nazi without commensurately serious justification can only cheapen the term once everyone catches on. Who cares about having one more political slur?