A thread about Bill Maher: The Good, The Bad, and The UGLY!

Spiritual_Chaos

Lerxst1992 said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

Lerxst1992 said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

Oh get over yourself. It’s a metaphor meant to highlight the obvious-normalizing evil is dangerous. We don’t know where it will lead. People were downplaying hitler at the time as well. The comparisons of trump to hitler are obvious to anyone with a brain. Will he attempt genocide of a group? No. But his obvious admiration for those who commit such atrocities is undeniable. And his indifference, and even glee when committing individual acts of evil is telling. 

The shock value/absurdity of it all is the point. 

“Scott Jennings, a conservative CNN pundit, slammed David’s essay. In on-air comments, Jennings said it was indicative of “the modern left”  and added: “It’s an attempt, always, to intimidate people into not ever doing it again. ... That’s the purpose of this op-ed, so that the next comedian, or the next person on the American left, chooses not to speak to Donald Trump.”

Jennings is talking about people like you.

you are big on this because you do what the times/david did here, you bully people you don’t agree with. You put words in my mouth about racism yesterday, and then laugh about it with others. That’s bullying. What’s Maher crime here? Saying the right and left need to talk? That the left needs to look in the mirror? That Maher deserves a hitler comparison for that?. To use the holocaust as ‘shock value’ in a false and misleading manner is disgusting.

you sure as shit know had it been a non Jew deciding to do it, the times wouldn’t touch it with a ten foot pole. Now go respond to the false attacks you made yesterday in the dem topic. Wait, expecting honest self reflection is a shock expectation.

Oh, a conservative pundit disagrees with a liberal comedian? HEAVEN FOR FEND I’M SHOCKED TO MY CORE. 

More victimhood. Sigh. 

“Just because you’re outraged, doesn’t make you right”

The right and left need to talk? If anything, you’re consistent: the true victims are always obligated to come to the table and compromise with their oppressors. 

And, um, no one was suggesting maher was hitler. Is that what you got from David’s article?

That’s about as much misinformation as trump says in a five minute speech.  The comparison is dinner with trump is like dinner with hitler and is trivializing a horrific event for political expediency.  I’m guessing you don’t  read comments, you are just programmed to attack to protect your world view.  you throw misinformation at the wall with almost every comment. No one said Maher was hitler and victimhood on this topic. No one called anyone a racist, but pointed out the amt claim only Jews support Israel is a horrifying position. Keep at your unique version of truth. Using the holocaust for political attack and laughing about it because believing the extremes need to talk to each other is deeply troubling. Where is the word victim in that?

Pretty sure you are just making up things to be on the side of Larry David being wrong. We all can agree that using e.g. Mussolini would dial up the satiric text a notch, with using Hitler being a bit "dull" and overdone. But clutching your pearls about using Hitler as an extreme to sell a point, that I am very sure is made up bullshit.


And,

supporting Israel in their genocide is a horrifying position.

Halifax2TheMax

Wheels? Where’s the bus?

Gern Blansten

Spiritual_Chaos said:

Lerxst1992 said:

Trump is a terrible president and deporting nondocumented potentially dangerous immigrants without due process is terrible but trump did not murder six million innocents. This comparison is disgusting.

Lol. My god.

Is this you before you with haste leave a Pearl jam concert:

"No one can fly into the sun? It's way to hot. No one can even be close to the sun. I can't stand for this extreme metaphor!"

lol

Lerxst1992

Spiritual_Chaos said:

Lerxst1992 said:

Trump is a terrible president and deporting nondocumented potentially dangerous immigrants without due process is terrible but trump did not murder six million innocents. This comparison is disgusting.

Lol. My god.

Is this you before you with haste leave a Pearl jam concert:

"No one can fly into the sun? It's way to hot. No one can even be close to the sun. I can't stand for this extreme metaphor!"

You know Ed got booed last year strongly and  loudly for preaching  his politics in blue state NY and needed to change the setlist with visible disagreements with the band over his override to preach more with the set when his words were failing even to his own fans? Saw it clearly with my own eyes.


 I’m glad the holocaust is funny to you, 

as you support a past genocide without realizing it.  It’d be even worse if you did.

Lerxst1992

Maybe take a moment to read what the right has to say about that disgusting move by The NY Times. We are one country. There is only one path to peaceful coexistence. Trump is not Hitler and the nyt wouldn’t pull this crap if written by a non Jew. Which is , of course, ______

..

“You get the point. It's just incredibly offensive to compare Trump to Hitler; you're diminishing the evil that Hitler was. He had millions of people killed, Trump wants to make America better. Practically the same thing in the mind of the left. And yeah, Kid Rock and Dana White aren't Heinrich Himmler or Herman Göring, either. 

Our sister site Townhall pointed out the reason the left freaks out like this. They cited CNN political analyst Scott Jennings, who said it's about trying to stop anyone from following Maher, to silence and shame such impulses to reach out and dare to talk. 

But the problem for the left here? They're the minority; they're supremely unpopular now. No one is buying what they are selling about Hitler except perhaps some of their base. Not even all the Democrats are buying this. When you had Joe Biden and Barack Obama smiling and/or laughing with Trump it sort of showed how empty this all was as well. 

https://redstate.com/nick-arama/2025/04/22/scott-jennings-on-larry-david-op-ed-against-bill-maher-meet-with-trump-n2188146

DE4173

Lerxst1992 said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

Lerxst1992 said:

Trump is a terrible president and deporting nondocumented potentially dangerous immigrants without due process is terrible but trump did not murder six million innocents. This comparison is disgusting.

Lol. My god.

Is this you before you with haste leave a Pearl jam concert:

"No one can fly into the sun? It's way to hot. No one can even be close to the sun. I can't stand for this extreme metaphor!"

You know Ed got booed last year strongly and  loudly for preaching  his politics in blue state NY and needed to change the setlist with visible disagreements with the band over his override to preach more with the set when his words were failing even to his own fans? Saw it clearly with my own eyes.


 I’m glad the holocaust is funny to you, 

as you support a past genocide without realizing it.  It’d be even worse if you did.

Poster art for tonight. 📸 by 100pacer



🕵️



maga hat, Tesla hubcap and golf club 🤭

DE4173

And I guess the orange, while FL related, is a no-brainer with the thumbs up

Lerxst1992

Nice art, love it. Willing to bet Hollywood has a more receptive crowd for that stuff than NY if he chooses to preach. FWIW I agreed with every word he said  but just didn’t want to hear it during a show.  It happened in 2024, and 2003. Both in lovely NY.

PJ_Soul

Oh FFS.

There are so many apt comparisons that can be made between Trump and Hitler, and the Trump administration and the Nazi regime. No, not the holocaust obviously. A ton of other things do totally align though, politically and tactically, whether you like it or not. If you really don't believe that, then you simply don't know enough about the history of the Nazi Party in Germany and how it got to where it did. Anyone who denies it is at best ill-informed, and at worst, completely happy to pretend it's not true when they know it is.

DarthMaeglin

PJ_Soul said:

Oh FFS.

There are so many apt comparisons that can be made between Trump and Hitler, and the Trump administration and the Nazi regime. No, not the holocaust obviously. A ton of other things do totally align though, politically and tactically, whether you like it or not. If you really don't believe that, then you simply don't know enough about the history of the Nazi Party in Germany and how it got to where it did. Anyone who denies it is at best ill-informed, and at worst, completely happy to pretend it's not true when they know it is.

Would you kindly make your case with specifics to enlighten those of us who don’t subscribe to your point of view that Trump is Hitler?

And please don’t tell me to “do my homework” as has been done in the past. The onus isn’t on me to prove your point.

Gern Blansten

DarthMaeglin said:

PJ_Soul said:

Oh FFS.

There are so many apt comparisons that can be made between Trump and Hitler, and the Trump administration and the Nazi regime. No, not the holocaust obviously. A ton of other things do totally align though, politically and tactically, whether you like it or not. If you really don't believe that, then you simply don't know enough about the history of the Nazi Party in Germany and how it got to where it did. Anyone who denies it is at best ill-informed, and at worst, completely happy to pretend it's not true when they know it is.

Would you kindly make your case with specifics to enlighten those of us who don’t subscribe to your point of view that Trump is Hitler?

And please don’t tell me to “do my homework” as has been done in the past. The onus isn’t on me to prove your point.

Uh...you are in a cult. There is no homework that will convince you of anything other than trump is perfect and he doesn't poop.

HughFreakingDillon

The similarities are all around us. Have been mentioned over and over again. If you need further proof, you aren’t paying attention. 

DarthMaeglin

Denigrate the poster instead of providing clear facts (or even allegations). Why?

PJ_Soul

DarthMaeglin said:

PJ_Soul said:

Oh FFS.

There are so many apt comparisons that can be made between Trump and Hitler, and the Trump administration and the Nazi regime. No, not the holocaust obviously. A ton of other things do totally align though, politically and tactically, whether you like it or not. If you really don't believe that, then you simply don't know enough about the history of the Nazi Party in Germany and how it got to where it did. Anyone who denies it is at best ill-informed, and at worst, completely happy to pretend it's not true when they know it is.

Would you kindly make your case with specifics to enlighten those of us who don’t subscribe to your point of view that Trump is Hitler?

And please don’t tell me to “do my homework” as has been done in the past. The onus isn’t on me to prove your point.

I have already done that more than once over time - I'm not going to keep on doing it for every person who isn't paying any attention, happened to miss my previous posts about it, or doesn't like to read. And of course, I never said "Trump is Hitler."

DarthMaeglin

PJ_Soul said:

Oh FFS.

There are so many apt comparisons that can be made between Trump and Hitler, and the Trump administration and the Nazi regime. No, not the holocaust obviously. A ton of other things do totally align though, politically and tactically, whether you like it or not. If you really don't believe that, then you simply don't know enough about the history of the Nazi Party in Germany and how it got to where it did. Anyone who denies it is at best ill-informed, and at worst, completely happy to pretend it's not true when they know it is.

Ok, you didn’t literally say it “Trump is Hitler” but how else is someone supposed to read what you wrote?

benjs

Here's ChatGPT's take on similarities between Trump and Hitler to-date. I agree with all of what it came up with. Stating the obvious here - this does not mean I think Donald Trump and Adolf Hitler are the same. Also worth noting that some of these things are benign similarities. Plenty of politicians leverage populist rhetoric, plenty are charismatic and authoritative, same with rally-based politics and cult of personality. The more worrying similarities are their use of propaganda and disinformation, their attacks on media and freedom of speech, their scapegoating and demonization of groups, their undermining democratic institutions/norms, and their promotion of conspiracy theories. 

Populist Appeal:

-Both leaders leveraged populist rhetoric to attract and mobilize large segments of their populations who felt disenfranchised or marginalized.

-They appealed strongly to nationalism, presenting themselves as champions of the "common people" against perceived elites or external threats.

Charismatic and Authoritative Leadership Style:

-Trump and Hitler both cultivated strong personal brands and used media effectively to promote their image and message.

-They displayed authoritarian tendencies, emphasizing personal loyalty and centralizing power around themselves.

Use of Propaganda and Disinformation:

-Both extensively used propaganda and misinformation to rally supporters and undermine opposition.

-Trump frequently labeled negative press coverage as "fake news," whereas Hitler systematically used state-controlled propaganda to discredit critics and shape public perception.

Scapegoating and Demonization of Groups:

-Hitler infamously targeted Jews and other minorities as scapegoats for Germany’s economic and social problems.

-Trump has similarly been criticized for scapegoating immigrants, particularly Muslims and Mexican migrants, attributing crime, economic insecurity, and cultural threats to them.

Undermining Democratic Institutions:

-Both leaders displayed tendencies toward undermining democratic norms and institutions.

-Trump repeatedly attacked electoral legitimacy, judicial independence, and democratic processes, most notably in his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

-Hitler dismantled the Weimar Republic’s democratic institutions entirely, establishing a totalitarian regime.

Rally-based Politics and Cult of Personality:

-Both utilized large public rallies to energize supporters and strengthen their cults of personality, creating fervent and loyal bases of support.

Attacks on Media and Freedom of Speech:

-Trump regularly accused media outlets of bias and dishonesty, attempting to discredit critical journalism.

-Hitler systematically silenced dissent, controlling all media through censorship and intimidation.

Promotion of Conspiracy Theories:

-Trump frequently promoted unfounded conspiracy theories (such as the “birther” conspiracy regarding Barack Obama, QAnon-associated theories, and election fraud claims).

-Hitler similarly utilized conspiratorial narratives (like the "stab-in-the-back" myth) to justify his policies and consolidate power.

DE4173

👀

tbergs

It's probably more accurate to compare what Trump is doing right now to what Duterte did in the Phillipines, if you want a comparison that didn't end up involving mass genocide. But the question becomes, when does he cross the line to someone more on the level with Hitler for those that don't like that comparison? Does it have to involve genocide? What about mass disappearings of people deemed "illegal" and dehumanized by not identifying them individually? Who can argue against the removal of the faceless bogey men terrorizing citizens when the Admin marches out the grieving mom of someone actually killed by someone who was identified and isn't one of the faceless? How about purity tests at high levels of government to ensure fealty? Those people didn't just do what he wanted so they had to go, right? What about the demands for higher education to remove certain programs/practices or have funding cut and tax-exempt status revoked? Hey, they're just whiny elites, who cares if the government won't give them money, they have enough already. What about the termination of non-partisan oversight agencies and employees at the federal level? They weren't really doing anything for the people anyway besides wasting tax payers money, there are others that can handle that. What about installing sycophants as the heads of the FBI, DOJ, HHS, FCC and DOE so they can dismantle the agencies, throttle opposing views/beliefs and terminate those who don't bend the knee? Wait, isn't that what every president does anyway? Nah, they're deep state obstructing progress.

Do any of those things sound like what Hitler did before he came to be known as the mass genocide monster most equate him to today? I hope to god that in this day and age, mass genocide at that level will never be allowed to occur again due to the global reach of information instantaneously and hopefully the rapid response it would receive against it, but that doesn't mean it can't. It all has to start somewhere, and to me, the seeds are being sown by the daily pushing of norms and practices that this country didn't think we needed to have specific laws or guardrails for. We've never had a president test the boundaries of law like this and be emboldened by both being elected after criminal convictions and given broad immunity by the high court. This is all unprecedented, but hopefully many of you are right, Trump is held in check if it does continue to escalate, but I have not seen anyone yet try at a level who can make that difference and we the people may well be the only true guardrail in the end. Let's just hope it doesn't come to that. 

DarthMaeglin

Thank you benjs, I appreciate the fleshed out comparison.

As you touched on, so many (if not all) of those attributes could be applied to virtually all politicians. I could easily substitute almost every Trump example with an example from our recently retired PM Trudeau (and then be told I’m delusional, lol).

Unfortunately I remain unconvinced on this comparison and will look more to policy than theatrics, and despite the assumptions of many I am trying to be on the lookout for signs south of the border. At the moment however I’m more interested in the federal election that’s currently being run here.

DarthMaeglin

I actually agree with much of what you said tbergs but again I could easily substitute Trudeau examples for Trump’s.

 Thank you for your Duterte comparison as I think that’s more apt.

I think one thing that would sway me to the Trump-Hitler comparisons would be if Trump starts openly targeting legal citizens. As I understand it thus far it’s primarily been illegal immigrants and visitors that have been deemed troublemakers which is the purview of the federal government as far as I can tell.

Unfortunately for me I do believe that the American checks and balances will keep Trump reined in over time. Will there be unfortunate collateral damage as this all gets navigated? The unfortunate answer is yes, but that logic doesn’t make me unsympathetic, please believe me.