2771

No, not necessarily, but like the other examples it does mean that you tolerate and are willing to be friendly to that person regardless of disagreeing about their politics, opinions, or behavior.

I’ll leave it to you to figure out how it differs between Jews, Iranians, libertarians, and Nazis.

2772

“I don’t necessarily want to kill all the Jews, but if you do, that’s fine.”

2773

As a Jew, I find it fucking reprehensible and inexcusable for anyone to say “I’m friends with a Nazi”.

No, seriously, fuck that. Nazis stand for the systemic murder of 6 million of my people and millions more. You don’t get to claim you’re a Nazi or friends with a Nazi and get a pass because of your fucking “open mind” and your thoughts that you might be able to change a fucking NAZI’s mind

2774

There’s an element of power to the equation as well. For example, my libertarian friend is very staunch about it.

Government’s responsibility is only for national defense and a very limited definition of the law.

Well, gee, that means that if you were in power, you’d completely end Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid, etc, and a lot of those people would die.

It’s not the Government’s job.

And IMHO, more people would die from that than died in the Holocaust.

So is it ok to be friends with a Libertarian? Or anyone who wants to end Medicare, etc.?

2775

Libertarians are not even remotely equivalent, morally, to Nazis.

This is not the hill you want to die on.

2776

It’s where do you draw the line? Libertarians fully enacting their policies with no real transition would result in the deaths of Millions of Americans over a short span.

FWIW, I don’t think I have any Nazi friends, but the rest are all true, and I do have racist friends. Should they get the same treatment? What about racist family members? What do you do about those you can’t just cut off?

Did you not see American History X? How about The Philadelphia story? “The time to give up on someone is never.” At least in the case of friends.

Though if I were living in Nazi Germany when the Nazi’s were taking over and implementing their horrific plans, I’d certainly be extremely wary of topics I’d have broached prior to that takeover… and be getting the hell out of dodge… which I’ve actually considered (because we’re closer to actual Nazi’s in power than at any time since the 1930’s, IMHO), since I could have dual citizenship (ironically, in Germany, where my dad was in the US Army, and my mom was a Nurse at the Army hospital when I was born).

2777

Dude, you are making a mistake.

2778

Yeah, this is absolutely wrong. I would walk away from any of my friends or family if they were Nazis. In a heartbeat.

Probably if they were racist, too.

2779

Fair enough, I’m not really interested in pursuing it. I believe myself to be a classic liberal, in that I believe in a liberal interpretation of the Bill of Rights - freedom of speech and association (as well as religion), being the first right the founders set in writing. It’s actually where I find the common ground with my hard core Libertarian friend.

2780

A lot of people have family members in prison for murder and yet they still love them and go to visit them. Ditto friends I’d assume. I’d rather see Nazis in prison than walking around, FWIW (even if I’ll fight for their right to free speech and assembly, etc.).

2781

I will cut off any Nazi friends or family with little hesitation. I might be sad about it, but fuck 'em.

2782

Sounds like you’re confusing freedom of speech and freedom from the consequences of your speech.

Nazis are allowed to march in public places, lawfully. But nothing says they should be required to keep their private-sector jobs or friends once they announce to the world they’re nazis.

2783

Ostracism and ridicule yes, but again, go back to American History X - the Nazi is changed permanently by his friendship with the black inmate in prison and goes on to change his younger brother in a cascading effect which also impacts most of the Nazi groups he was a part of before that friendship changed him.

People can and do change, even outside of the movies. Their friends who don’t share their beliefs are a huge part of that. It’s a million times more complicated with Nazis, but disowning them has more to do with the individual relationship than the absolute. If you can get through, to a degree, you may actually have a duty to keep up the pressure as a friend.

2784

In other words, what would MLK Jr do? Would he try to change that person through love (friendship) or cut them off?

And if he failed, would he try again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, and the next year, etc.?

The answer is yes, and that’s why you don’t just cut off a friendship because you may vehemently disagree with them, even if it’s Nazis. Love is more powerful than hate.

It’s just a lot tougher.

2785

I think you’re confusing using love and talk to change someone from a shit path with being actual friends. MLK might be friendly and polite to a white supremacist, but I doubt he’d be friends with that person until they changed.

2786

He had to have been friends with racists at some point. Do you think he cut them off before Rosa Parks gave up her seat or after? Before Selma or after?

Or never, and kept working on them until he died?

2787

I’m sure he knew plenty of racists. He probably counted a lot of people with racist thoughts as friends because at that time that was almost every person in America. Was he friends with Nazis and KKK? There’s a difference.

2788

He was with Communists during the McCarthy era and later (it was one of the things which got him wiretapped by the FBI).

2789

What does any of that have to do with being friends with Nazis?

2790

Well, at the time in America, Communists were actually seen as a bigger threat than Nazis.

Interesting (to me) side note - I’m currently watching The Man in the High Castle on Amazon Prime this month.Almost done with S1.