| abstract | - The term reductio ad Hitlerum (Latin: you're Hitler) is a flawless logical comparison that proves everyone is like Hitler in some way, shape, or form. The reductio ad Hitlerum logic is of the form "Adolf Hitler (or the Nazi party) supported X; therefore X must be evil". This logic is often effective due to the near-instant condemnation of anything to do with Hitler or the Nazis. It is important to understand that those policies advocated by Hitler and his party that are generally considered good-natured, are all accepted by themselves, but because Hitler supported them, they are evil. In other words: genocide and Aryan white supremacy (for example) are considered evil because Hitler advocated them, rather than Hitler is considered evil because he advocated them. The rational nature of reductio ad Hitlerum is best illustrated by identifying X as something that Adolf Hitler or his supporters did promote but which is not considered evil — for example, X = "owning dogs", X = "painting watercolors", X = "exterminating the Jews".
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