July 13 - People Say the Darndest Things (or Why I Thank Hitler)

During one of our many off-topic work discussions (the actual subject of which matters not), someone actually said that it was alright if something was, "equally unfair to everyone." What?!? Really?!?

I responded that if this were so, it would mean that Slavery (oh, yeah - I went there), as long as it treated all slaves equally horribly, was alright then. I proceeded to go on to the topic of Complacency, actually stating that tolerating unfairness, whether 'equally unfair to everyone' or not was wrong. Complacency in the extreme, allows the situation in Darfur and Hitler to exist.

Well, that shut this person up - I found out later that Godwin's Law had come into play. This humorous Internet adage says that as an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches.

Regardless, this got me thinking about the lack of common sense that a lot of people possess. Before you bash me, I know, you might want to give points for well-intentioned folk or maybe the misinformed or the not-well-versed-in-a-topic contingent. If that's you, then don't open your mouth. Stop, think for a minute. Don't say something that is out of your realm of knowledge.

"It is alright as long as it is equally unfair to everyone." Ponder that. This person is (unfortunately for all of us) probably of average intelligence and in the majority (of some group). I find that those of us in the minority (of any group) tend to have an insight beyond the masses. The sheep. The lemmings. The followers. The complacent.

Who knew that invoking the name of der Führer would totally blow a circuit in this well-meaning mortal. How often to you hear anyone say, "thank you, Hitler".