You need to be able to argue against genocide without saying “Hitler wanted to exterminate the Jews.” If Hitler hadn’t advocated genocide, would it thereby become okay?
I’m not saying genocide is bad because Hitler did it. I’m saying it’s bad for other reasons, regardless of who does it, and Hitler should not be a special case either way.
n your previous comment you seemed to be saying that a good argument should be able to work without invoking Hitler. I’m saying that a good argument should also be able to apply to Hitler just as well as to anyone else. Using Hitler as an example has downsides, but if someone claims the argument actually doesn’t work for Hitler as well as for other cases, then by all means we should discuss Hitler.
It’s a bad sign if you feel your ethics don’t work (or shouldn’t be talked about) in an important, and real, case like the Nazis vs. Jews.
Reversed Stupidity Is Not Intelligence
I’m not saying genocide is bad because Hitler did it. I’m saying it’s bad for other reasons, regardless of who does it, and Hitler should not be a special case either way.
n your previous comment you seemed to be saying that a good argument should be able to work without invoking Hitler. I’m saying that a good argument should also be able to apply to Hitler just as well as to anyone else. Using Hitler as an example has downsides, but if someone claims the argument actually doesn’t work for Hitler as well as for other cases, then by all means we should discuss Hitler.