Cheapening evil

For the record, this blog never equated Bush with Hitler. We may have said that when finance capital runs the government directly that is a textbook form of fascism, but we never accused him of death camps or indoctrination centers or plans for world domination.

But some Beagleterribles have become deeply uncomfortable with the way terms get thrown around. Does trying to extend coverage to 47 million uninsured equate to death camps and forced labor?

Dorm room philosophers can argue drunkly about whether Stalin was worse than Hitler or Mao was worse than both of them. But couldn't some grownup stand up and call bullschtuff to tossing names around like a hackey sack and remind people that the Nazi regime didn't start with universal health care, but it did start with misinformed, desperate vitriol spouted by radio personalities.

It's too much to hope there would be mandatory national viewing and discussion of Shoah or Night and Fog just so people would know, but -- short version -- those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.