# Adolf Hitler didn't use chemical weapons?! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 11, 2017, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-hitler-didnt-use-chemical-weapons/784254 "2017-04-11T18:16:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-hitler-didnt-use-chemical-weapons/784254/81 "2017-04-12T05:43:45Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > I’m frustrated that, of all the questionable things done and said by the Trump administration, this is what the media is focusing on. 1. Today. Tomorrow it will be something else. 2. And it’s not like there aren’t other things being reported about, too. 3. Hi Sean! ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-hitler-didnt-use-chemical-weapons/784254/82 "2017-04-12T06:21:12Z")
A note to the Spicer family: Daddy will be home soon, and a whole lot more. Grit your teeth. You know,he would be the perfect central character for one of those hopelessly ineffectual Dad domestic comedies. Rosie O’Donnell for wife… ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-hitler-didnt-use-chemical-weapons/784254/83 "2017-04-12T06:28:37Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > [PolitiFact | Did Adolf Hitler use chemical weapons? Sean Spicer wrongly says Hitler didn't sink to that level](http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/apr/11/sean-spicer/did-adolf-hitler-use-chemical-weapons/) Thanks for fuller Information. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-hitler-didnt-use-chemical-weapons/784254/84 "2017-04-12T06:41:09Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > (bolding mine) Serious question from a non-American: _Why_ is it terrible or a bad choice of words? As a non-American: There is an established term, concentration camps (Konzentrationslager KZ); which historians in context of discussion will differentiate into “work camps” (Arbeitslager) (e.g. Dachau) and “death camps” (Vernichtungslager) e.g. Auschwitz. The former was earlier and for all types of prisoners: real criminals, gays, political, commies, Jews; and while it was inhumane treatment, it was still meant as prison and People did get to go home after some years from Dachau. Ausschwitz was intended as Death camp from the start, hence the selection at the ramp, keeping only those strong enough to be worked to death with too-small Food rations, and why not all arrested People were sent to Ausschwitz. There is a tactical Advantage to taking the idea of prison (which People are used to), turning it up to 11, but still having real criminals (murderers) with the political inmates (or Jehovahs witnesses…), getting the civilian Population used to seeing striped uniforms as “bad, don’t help” while accepting “if you are against the state, you should be locked up, but you will get out again”, and then opening death camps far away from the German Population (all death camps were in Poland or the Eastern part) so that the Population doesn’t know how much things behind the barbed wire have changed; but will still be disinclined to help a Person in a striped suit. Using a new term instead of an established one esp. in regard to history is mostly associated with those People who are trying to rewrite history in their favour. [Historical revisionism - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_revisionism) It also reminds critical People of euphemisms that politicans and their Speakers/ spin doctors use to try to brush over unpleasant things (friendly fire for Shooting People, collateral damage for bombing cviilians) by snowing the public. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-hitler-didnt-use-chemical-weapons/784254/85 "2017-04-12T06:53:03Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Yeah, one shakes one’s head in bewilderment. Is there no other person Trump can hire for this job? Does he not care about putting some sort of sane face on his administration. Or is it that this is the best you can get for a thankless job? Why would he, when his other hiring choices so far have been Family members or People who gave him Money/ favours previously? If he was interested in running the Country, he would try to hire competent People. But if he were interested in running anything at least half-assed, he wouldn’t have run all of his previous businesses into the ground either. As has been pointed out by many, Trump’s Goal is simply to make himself rich and comfortable. Everything else is “Nach mir die Sintflut (after me, the Flood)” - I don’t care what state I leave everything in, as Long as I have what I want. That’s the only Explanation for the way he has operated in the past decades. And since he got away successfully with it (for him: the failed companies didn’t make him live in a 1 room apt. on 500 Dollars a month, after all), why should he Change his method? For his followers he can’t do wrong, as he clearly said many months before the election (The “I could shoot a man in public…” Statement); and the People against him can’t budge him as Long as enough of his Party will back him for their own power. A friend of mine said that the CIA might get fed up with his impulsiveness and lack of predictability: they don’t mind repulsive ideology like the other Republican presidents, they don’t mind Superstition (like astrologers or God talking to you), as Long as there is some sense of where the POTUS will go if X happens, or how he can be steered to do Y. With Trump, there seems to be no way to predict anything, so maybe a not unexpected (for his Age and Lifestyle) heart attack might be helped along (so many medication has been developed past decades…?) I’m not wishing death on any Person, and I’m not calling for death on any Person. I’m just speculating how this would go say in a clancy Thriller or Hollywood movie (or given past actual assassination attempts against Castro…) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-hitler-didnt-use-chemical-weapons/784254/86 "2017-04-12T10:25:54Z")
> [@constanze](#): > > Why would he, when his other hiring choices so far have been Family members or People who gave him Money/ favours previously? > > If he was interested in running the Country, he would try to hire competent People. When he ran for President, he had Kellyanne Conway out there shilling for him. You can say stuff against Conway, but you can say plenty more against Spicer. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-hitler-didnt-use-chemical-weapons/784254/87 "2017-04-12T10:46:25Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > 😃 > > It’s _Pervitin_ And it wasn’t an opioid. It was meth, so sort of the opposite of an opioid. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-hitler-didnt-use-chemical-weapons/784254/88 "2017-04-12T11:10:02Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > I think you’re in the second category, but I’m zoning out while reading your posts. You know that you can do what most others do, and just put my Posts on ignore? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-hitler-didnt-use-chemical-weapons/784254/89 "2017-04-12T11:47:12Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > Even the US used to use gas chambers for executions. Are you fucking serious??? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-hitler-didnt-use-chemical-weapons/784254/90 "2017-04-12T12:04:26Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > A note to the Spicer family: Daddy will be home soon, and a whole lot more. Grit your teeth. Ten bucks it’s the same cliché: “I’m voluntarily stepping down to spend less time embarrassing my family.” ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-hitler-didnt-use-chemical-weapons/784254/91 "2017-04-12T12:11:56Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I find that hard to believe. Fox News has a whole network of pretty people that are good at telling “alternative facts” with a straight face. None of them wanted a White House job? Eh, they’re already shills for whatever the GOP does and the pay is better at Fox. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-hitler-didnt-use-chemical-weapons/784254/92 "2017-04-12T12:14:35Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’m not outraged, just amused at the ineptitude. I actually gave him a pass at the chemical weapons statement (even though I was saying to myself, “erm, Zyklon B anyone?”), but “Holocaust center” just sounded so absurd to my ears, that he couldn’t fucking remember the phrase “concentration camp” and landed on that choice of words, which is something quite different to me. I’m sure Spicer remembered the phrase, “concentration camp”. But his whole point in bringing up Hitler was to demonstrate how much worse a person is Bashar Assad. So Spicer couldn’t say, “death camp” or even concentration camp, because Press Secretary School as taught him that those are the worst. So he reached for language that trivializes the horror of the death camps, in order to prop up his argument that Hitler’s actions weren’t as bad. Spicer’s entire word salad yesterday was devoted to the argument that Assad is worse than Hitler. Minimizing the death camps is inline with that strategy. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-hitler-didnt-use-chemical-weapons/784254/93 "2017-04-12T12:31:27Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Well, it might start at being smart enough to know that invoking the name of Hitler is generally a bad PR move, no matter what, and, I dunno, not brain-farting at the words “concentration camp.” Really, I’m not asking for a lot here. You’re talking about the same people who justified the idea of a ban on Muslims by invoking WW2 “internment” camps for Japanese Americans. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-hitler-didnt-use-chemical-weapons/784254/94 "2017-04-12T12:32:28Z")
> [@sleestak](#): > > This is why politifact sucks: > > What Spicer said: > This is factually correct according to Politifact. Yet they score the statement as "Pants on Fire’. Why? > > No shit. Spicer says that directly. The whole ‘But (not) in the way that Bashar al-Assad used them where he went into towns, dropped them down, into the middle of towns.’ part. > > Then the article goes on to say: > > So, Spicer is lying for stating the consensus view of Hitlers use of chemical weapons. > > Spicers comment was not phrased well at all, no doubt, it was a stupid thing to say. However, Politifact notes that what Spicer said is the correct and accepted version of history even though he stated it very, very badly. > > Slee This, not that it will do any good. ‘Spicer is lying, even though what he said is true.’ _:shrugs:_ Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-hitler-didnt-use-chemical-weapons/784254/95 "2017-04-12T12:33:43Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > This, not that it will do any good. > > ‘Spicer is lying, even though what he said is true.’ > > _:shrugs:_ > > Regards, > Shodan Spicer did say a lot of false things yesterday about Hitler and the Holocaust. I don’t think it was intentional – I just think he’s profoundly ignorant of history. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-hitler-didnt-use-chemical-weapons/784254/96 "2017-04-12T12:38:33Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > [That’s not quite correct.](https://books.google.com/books?id=5glDKQEV0CMC&pg=PA150&lpg=PA150&dq=Adzhimuskai&source=bl&ots=xvm-9Q7_4b&sig=duWm-H_FNlWwJHXF-TzuL__FQUU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjX_IDMkJ3TAhUHeCYKHSqpDPwQ6AEIMDAE#v=onepage&q=%22poison%20gas%22%20Adzhimuskai&f=false) This is a late Thank You for the info. I was raised on woeful tales of Irish History–but the Russians have us beat. Have a Revolution to replace the czars–end up with Stalin. Fight and defeat the 20th century’s other worst tyrant. Finally dump the Reds–end up with Putin. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-hitler-didnt-use-chemical-weapons/784254/97 "2017-04-12T12:52:01Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Spicer did say a lot of false things yesterday about Hitler and the Holocaust. I don’t think it was intentional – I just think he’s profoundly ignorant of history. So you are denying that the Holocaust happened? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-hitler-didnt-use-chemical-weapons/784254/98 "2017-04-12T12:57:36Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > So you are denying that the Holocaust happened? > > Regards, > Shodan ??? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-hitler-didnt-use-chemical-weapons/784254/99 "2017-04-12T13:12:35Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > I’m sure Spicer remembered the phrase, “concentration camp”. But his whole point in bringing up Hitler was to demonstrate how much worse a person is Bashar Assad. So Spicer couldn’t say, “death camp” or even concentration camp, because Press Secretary School as taught him that those are the worst. So he reached for language that trivializes the horror of the death camps, in order to prop up his argument that Hitler’s actions weren’t as bad. > > Spicer’s entire word salad yesterday was devoted to the argument that Assad is worse than Hitler. Minimizing the death camps is inline with that strategy. You could very well be right, but I guess I’m more of a benefit-of-a-doubt guy and don’t ascribe to malice what could more simply be explained by a brain fart or incompetence. Your explanation requires a level of thought on Spicey’s part I did not see on display at that press conference. That said, I do tend to think the best of people for the most part. ---
**Author:** ![The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_King_of_Soup)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-hitler-didnt-use-chemical-weapons/784254/100 "2017-04-12T13:23:16Z")
There’s room here for the observation that “even _Hitler_ didn’t commit _this_ atrocity, so of course we had to retaliate,” would be asinine even if true, but that really isn’t the worst of it. The worst was when Spicer implied that the _reason_ Assad was worse was because he used it on his own people, which buys into the very Nazi belief that Jews weren’t real Germans – that Jews are Jews only and can’t be assimilated into any nation; and when he tried again to distinguish Syrians from Holocaust victims by saying the Syrians were “innocent,” buying into the very Nazi view that Jews were somehow complicit in or deserving of the Nazis’ treatment of them. On top of that, refusing to use the well-accepted terms “concentration camp,” or “death camp,” implies that that isn’t what they were, a kind of low-grade, stupid and (I admit) maybe accidental Holocaust denial, although coming from the same administration that left the Jews out of its Holocaust remembrance day pronouncement, you’re left with little space to wonder. It’s the kind of half-assed, cowardly deniable trivialization and distraction that occurs a lot now, even ( dun-dun-DUNNN!) in this thread. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-hitler-didnt-use-chemical-weapons/784254.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-hitler-didnt-use-chemical-weapons/784254.md?page=6)