The Evils of Association

Recently I was reading an article for a labor economics class about different forms of radical economic theory.  One phrase within the article was silly, if not annoying. 

After World War II, men were returning home from war.  Women, who had occupied many employment positions while men were off to war, were “told to leave their war jobs and return to kitchens, children, and churches (just as Hitler had told German women).”1

Just as Hitler had told the German women…

Now I am in no way a feminist, and it wasn’t the feminist movement that I found silly or annoying.  It was the reference to Hitler.  I like to think that many people would agree that Hitler and Nazism are evil, and the world would be a much better place if both had never existed.  But to reference a practice of Hitler in order to show how evil that same practice is in another country can be too extreme.  If taken to an extreme you could argue against many things because evil Hitler supported them.

• Hitler took away guns and look what that created. 
• Hitler sent women home from work and look what that created.
• Hitler built a military and look what that created.
• Hitler taxed the German people and look what that created.
• Hitler built an efficient industry machine and look what that created.
• Hitler wanted a strong country and look what that created.

Hitler did all these things and many more, some of which were very evil, and I won’t lie that some of the things I’ve mentioned did lead to the destruction Hitler created.  But he is still an extreme case, with different ideologies and goals. 

Could others build a tyrannical government like Hitler by doing these same activities, of course.  Could others do these same activities and create a fair and open society, yes.  But, guilty by association is more of an effective emotional tool, it isn’t always the most logical one.