Chelsea Handler Compares Nikki Haley to Hitler, Unknowingly Commits Logical Fallacy of ‘Reductio ad Hitlerum’

Last updated on: May 16, 2018 at 8:04 am by Mark Meckler

Chelsea Handler Compares Nikki Haley to Hitler, Unknowingly Commits Logical Fallacy of ‘Reductio ad Hitlerum’ 2018-05-16T08:04:37-06:00 Mark Meckler

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As a Jew, I’m always amused by the way Hitler is thrown around in conversations to score rhetorical points. It’s as if people have never heard Godwin’s Law, or Godwin’s Rule of Hitler Analogies. This fallacy, also known as reductio ad Hitlerum, was created by American attorney and author Mike Godwin. He said that the longer an argument goes on, the more likely someone is to bring up Hitler. The corollary to the law is that the first person to bring up Hitler loses the argument.

Apparently, famed liberal activist Chelsea Handler is not familiar with this fallacy.

This week, Nikki Haley spoke at the United Nations Security Council about the embassy move in Israel and the violence in Gaza. She earned praise for her even handed, unemotional responses:

“Those who suggest the Gaza violence has anything do with the location of the American embassy are sorely mistaken” – US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley on violent confrontations between Israeli forces and Palestinians https://t.co/o3r7bCY3lQ pic.twitter.com/ClDPlUgcuw

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) May 15, 2018

When asked about Israel’s ability to protect itself, she responded, “I ask my colleagues here in the Security Council, who among us would accept this type of activity on your border? No one would. No country in this chamber would act with more restraint than Israel has. In fact, the records of several countries here today suggest they would be much less restrained.”

Chelsea Handler was not impressed. She tweeted, “Nikki Haley is on tv talking about Hamas being responsible for the Palestinians protesting yesterday. These people had no weapons. They had tires to burn. There was a dead baby. While Netanyahu celebrates.” When that didn’t get much attention, she turned the vitriol up to 11. “It would be like Hitler saying Auschwitz is all about HELPING the Jews stay warm,” she tweeted, tagging Haley.

It would be like Hitler saying Auschwitz is all about HELPING the Jews stay warm. @nikkihaley

— Chelsea Handler (@chelseahandler) May 15, 2018

Wow. PJ Media says it best:

Comparing Haley to Hitler for defending Jews. Yep, that’s mainstream leftism alright.

Handler needs to get a handle (see what I did there?) on her hyperbole. But for now, using Godwin’s law alone, we can chalk this one up for Haley.

Image Credit: U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Nikki Haley meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his office in Jerusalem, June 7, 2017. U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Nikki Haley meets Israeli President Reuven Rivlin at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, June 7, 2017. Wikipedia

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