THE PLANK SEPTEMBER 29, 2009
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In his fine smackdown of Mike Gerson's weird exchange with Ezra Klein over the alleged 1933-vintage threat of marginal internet comment thread ranters, Jon Chait suggests that Gerson "look up Godwin's Law," alluding to the famous internet adage about the inevitability and absurdity of reductio ad Hitlerum arguments.
Jon's right, but given Gerson's aggressive lack of interest in the hate speech preached to vast audiences in his own more conventional media, and on his own side of the ideological spectrum, I'd suggest another reading to my fellow Christian: Matthew 7:3. "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?"
4 comments
I seem to remember W invoking the same Biblical passage. Gerson probably told him to, or would probably take credit if given the opportunity.
- csmiller
September 29, 2009 at 2:48pm
Reductio ad Hitlerum. Is everything already taken? No. There are still a few things out there that have not been reduced down to Hitler. You still have time to place your bids on E-bay for the following: * reruns of Married With Children * The Dog Whisperer * Old Yeller * True Blood * medical marijuana * the future of derivatives * Jay Leno's car collection * The Spine * The Fifties * Mathew 7:3 * Bo * Woody Allen's penis * fast food * Michael Moore * Rich Lowry's lust for Sarah Palin * Iambiguous gw
- iambiguous
September 29, 2009 at 3:04pm
I believe this is the Biblical equivalent of "Thou who smelt it, dealt it."
- adaglas
September 29, 2009 at 3:35pm
I think it's more like "if thou liv'st in a glass house, thou shan't throweth rocks, guv'nah"
- Simon Greenwood
September 29, 2009 at 4:15pm