Project Reason is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation devoted to spreading scientific knowledge and secular values in society. The foundation draws on the talents of prominent and creative thinkers in a wide range of disciplines to encourage critical thinking and erode the influence of dogmatism, superstition, and bigotry in our world.
I was reading an article about the number of anti-Semitic events going down in 2010 from its peak in 2009, and was surprised by this paragraph:
“In 2010, the largest number of violent incidents took place in the United Kingdom, France and Canada. The three nations saw 60% of all worldwide incidents, the report said.”
To be honest, this is news to me. I wasn’t aware that there was a problem in this regard in Canada.
I’m calling on all oppressed Canadian Jews to come to Texas. We love you down here. We love Israel. Please, come build synagogues here, far from the pogroms of the northern, godless devils. In Texas, we think Jews rock, and we don’t care if you can’t play hockey.
In case you haven’t heard Canada is where the new nazi movement is brewing. In our latest election we gave the fascists the most seats in our house of Parliament 167 and much to everyone’s surprise the socialists came in second with 102 seats (308 total seats). And the biggest shock was that the Socialists won 59 seats in Quebec (last election they had one seat from the French Canadians).
But I must admit that our fascists (also called Conservatives) are about 3/4 born-again christian evangelicals who absolutely love the Jews and Israel. So although they are nazis in every conceivable way, they show absolutely no dislike of Jews and embrace them openly. Of course this could be just a ploy because like everything else they hold dear, they keep their beliefs strictly under wraps because if they were honest about their convictions they would never be elected to office.
In case you haven’t heard Canada is where the new nazi movement is brewing. In our latest election we gave the fascists the most seats in our house of Parliament 167 and much to everyone’s surprise the socialists came in second with 102 seats (308 total seats). And the biggest shock was that the Socialists won 59 seats in Quebec (last election they had one seat from the French Canadians).
But I must admit that our fascists (also called Conservatives) are about 3/4 born-again christian evangelicals who absolutely love the Jews and Israel. So although they are nazis in every conceivable way, they show absolutely no dislike of Jews and embrace them openly. Of course this could be just a ploy because like everything else they hold dear, they keep their beliefs strictly under wraps because if they were honest about their convictions they would never be elected to office.
My conception of ‘Nazis’ are those who belonged to the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP) under Adolf Hitler in the first half of the 20th century. A statement such as “So although they are nazis in every conceivable way” in the context of contemporary Canadian politicians is simply nonsense, regardless of whatever ideological shortcomings may otherwise be justifiably attributed to them. Sorry.
My conception of ‘Nazis’ are those who belonged to the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP) under Adolf Hitler in the first half of the 20th century. A statement such as “So although they are nazis in every conceivable way” in the context of contemporary Canadian politicians is simply nonsense, regardless of whatever ideological shortcomings may otherwise be justifiably attributed to them. Sorry.
If you want to be a word nazi about it, go ahead, but the rest of us know what was meant by “nazi” by the context.
I know what was meant by the context as well, which is preceisely why I am criticizing it. In a forum which aims to “encourage critical thinking and erode the influence of dogmatism, superstition, and bigotry in our world”, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to develop an awareness for statements which, taken literally, are simply nonsense and do not stand up to scrutiny. To my mind, superficial statements which make inflationary usage of a term, conflate historical facts and merely attempt to appeal to the listener’s base emotions and prejudices are essentially no better than the propaganda of a religious fanatic. It reminds me of the kind of disingenuous intellectual laziness aptly characterized by SkepticX’s signature: “We say, ‘Love your brother…’ We don’t say it really, but… Well we don’t literally say it. We don’t really, literally mean it. No, we don’t believe it either, but… But that message should be clear.”—David St. Hubbins
For what it’s worth, I find the title of this thread equally vacuous.
I don’t have a problem with the name of the thread. And in the context I don’t think it goes against the aims and principles of PR. I mean, if I started a thread entitled Why do Muslims and Christians hate gays? everyone would know that it was not all christians or even all muslims as a group that were being accused of homophobia anymore than I thought this thread was asserting that all Canadians were antisemitic. I think people of ordinary intelligence can work this out for themselves.
Let’s not get too precious or we won’t be able to say anything.
