Guest Editorial: Craig Cantoni
Dear Mr. Hoffman:
By Craig Cantoni | June 3, 2009
I'm responding to your comments, which were only tangentially related to what I wrote. [See Mr. First, I didn't say that Obama was a mass murderer and tyrant like Hitler. The only comparison I made between him and Hitler was this: "[Obama's hypocrisy] is reminiscent of a certain German leader who lectured about the virtues and characteristics of an ideal German citizen while being anything but the ideal himself." I stand by the fact that Obama is a hypocrite, that he lectures about the ideal citizen while not being one himself, and that Hitler did the same. If you have facts to dispute this, I'd like to see them. If you feel offended by the comparison, that's your opinion and you're entitled to it, just as I'm entitled to be offended by Obama (and Bush and most of our political leaders).
By the way, the latest hypocrisy is Obama flying to NYC to see a play with Michelle, although he preaches to us about global warming and lambasted auto CEOs for flying to Washington on corporate jets.
Second, the ASU students did indeed bring to mind the starry-eyed Germans in the thrall of Hitler. Judging by emails and other commentaries, many people were struck the same way, especially my numerous Jewish friends, all intellectuals and students of history, who are very frightened by the adoration of Obama. It's disturbing to them and to me that humans still long for someone to lead them, are so easily swayed by group-think, and are so willing to let their individualism be replaced by statism and collectivism. It's exactly these traits that led to Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Mao, and other tyrants throughout history. Do you deny this?
Third, I wrote that the world would be safer for liberty if no one showed up to hear a politician of any party speak. Over 100 million ghosts of the humans slaughtered in the 20th century would undoubtedly agree with me.
Fourth, I've guest lectured at ASU and am dismayed by the widespread ignorance among the student body of history and the philosophical and moral underpinnings of capitalism, individualism, and the Rights of Man.
Regards,
Craig Cantoni
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Dear Mr. Cantoni,
Re: your editorial in Sonoran News
You have likened some aspects of President Obama to Adolf Hitler. You have compared some of the aspects of the behavior of the President of the United States to some aspects of the behavior of one of history's worst mass murderer and tyrant.
As best as can be judged from what you wrote, you base this comparison on two points:
[1] Barack Obama gave a commencement address which was met with thunderous applause and cheers.
[2] Barack Obama was a community organizer, then got a high-paying job, his wife got a high-paying job, he wrote some books and got more money, he has a nice house in Chicago, he was elected President and, like all presidents before him, is living extremely comfortably while in the White House. Barack Obama has made lots of money, but he wants today's graduates to work in the non-profit sector.
Mr. Cantoni, please read Points [1] and [2] above. Do these two, taken together, point to a comparison with Adolf Hitler?
When you liken person "A" to person "B", you may think you are only making a statement about person "A." But depending on your audience, some will also hear you likening person "B" to "A.” Such is the case with me, a son and nephew to three veterans of World War II, and distant relative of Holocaust survivors. When you sat down to reread your editorial, did it cross your mind that your bizarre comparison of Obama and Hitler might also serve to trivialize the horrific acts of Adolf Hitler? Adolf Hitler was SO HORRIBLE, that he gave speeches which were greeted with thunderous applause, and took advantage of the system in 1930's Germany to make lots of money while imploring German youth to live altruistic lives. Horrible things that Adolf Hitler did, right, Mr. Cantoni?
Lastly, to your characterization of ASU graduates,"... standing nose to tail like castrated cattle in a chute at a meatpacking plant" and "not smart enough" to realize that we have a ludicrous leader. Need we comment on that one?
Sincerely,
G. Hoffman