# Is there a specific rule about advocating Naziism? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 14, 2012, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-specific-rule-about-advocating-naziism/628217 "2012-07-14T16:41:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-specific-rule-about-advocating-naziism/628217/21 "2012-07-15T03:55:21Z")
I don’t like the banning simply because he held an unpopular view. I know it’s easy to jump in here and say great banning, and Nazis suck forever!, but that strikes me as ignorant to the idea of fighting ignorance. He didn’t sound completely illiterate in the OP I read when he was banned. It would be an interesting debate with someone who thought their reasoning to be spot on. Maybe they’d learn something from the folks on this board. Silencing them doesn’t make them go away. In general, it makes them angry, more isolated, and a banning just strengthens their point in their mind. If he’s a troll, by all means ban him. But if he hasn’t been here long enoigh to build up a trollish pattern, let him speak and eventually his own words will do him in if he is a troll. But it might give all of those unwilling to even read a post from someone like this to get a point of view they never considered. Mind changing? Doubtful. But perhaps in the debate/discussion someone shines on him will give him a different point of view. That cant be bad, can it? We don’t ban someone for discussing slavery, another sad historical period where one race was dominated by another for hundreds of years. How does that not fit the definition of White supremacy? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-specific-rule-about-advocating-naziism/628217/22 "2012-07-15T04:17:51Z")
I couldn’t give a fuck if Nazis become more angry and get their world view reinforced. There’s nothing that will bring a Nazi around. There just isn’t. Screw them. There is absolutely no profit in engaging one. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-specific-rule-about-advocating-naziism/628217/23 "2012-07-15T04:22:54Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I couldn’t give a fuck if Nazis become more angry and get their world view reinforced. There’s nothing that will bring a Nazi around. There just isn’t. Screw them. There is absolutely no profit in engaging one. More’s the pity. Is that what you consider a “win” in engaging another human being? Making a profit? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-specific-rule-about-advocating-naziism/628217/24 "2012-07-15T04:25:03Z")
Yes! We need to privatize public discourse because the government always screws things up. Er, sorry, wrong conversation. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-specific-rule-about-advocating-naziism/628217/25 "2012-07-15T04:30:57Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > More’s the pity. > > Is that what you consider a “win” in engaging another human being? Making a profit? I’m not going to engage a Nazi with anything other than a baseball bat. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-specific-rule-about-advocating-naziism/628217/26 "2012-07-15T06:15:02Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I’m not going to engage a Nazi with anything other than a baseball bat. Indeed. They aren’t simply people with a different philosophy. They’re murderers. They killed eight of my grandmother’s siblings, and they would have killed her too but for some very lucky circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-specific-rule-about-advocating-naziism/628217/27 "2012-07-15T06:36:06Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > Indeed. They aren’t simply people with a different philosophy. They’re murderers. They killed eight of my grandmother’s siblings, and they would have killed her too but for some very lucky circumstances. Those Nazis probably aren’t posting on this board, because almost all of them are dead. I lost a lot of family that way also. But I’m not going to adopt their tactics against those who simply want to talk about the concept. I want to, but I’m not. Avoiding hypocrisy sucks sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-specific-rule-about-advocating-naziism/628217/28 "2012-07-15T07:20:11Z")
I didn’t say anything about a specific rule against Nazism. I banned him for hate speech and being a jerk, and his specific malfunction was that he was a neonazi. We’ve had several threads in ATMB recently where we talked about people who make racist arguments. The mods explained that we give those posters some leeway to present their views, wrong as they are, as long as they do it in a civil manner. This guy was not doing that. I gave him a warning for an antigay slur and then saw he’d posted that white nationalist/Nazi “14/88” thing, so I banned him. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-specific-rule-about-advocating-naziism/628217/29 "2012-07-15T07:31:59Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > Indeed. They aren’t simply people with a different philosophy. They’re murderers. They killed eight of my grandmother’s siblings, and they would have killed her too but for some very lucky circumstances. Get in line. And quit acting like you are the only person who’s family suffered. I know you find this impossible to believe, but the germans killed a lot more people than just your relatives. > [@TriPolar](#): > > Those Nazis probably aren’t posting on this board, because almost all of them are dead. I lost a lot of family that way also. But I’m not going to adopt their tactics against those who simply want to talk about the concept. I want to, but I’m not. Avoiding hypocrisy sucks sometimes. Well said. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-specific-rule-about-advocating-naziism/628217/30 "2012-07-15T07:38:21Z")
We might allow people to make some pseudoscientific arguments about race in the interest of allowing open discussion, but we’re not providing a forum for people to post slurs and drop their cutesy “Heil Hitler” codes. That’s not promoting discussion, it’s just tolerating people who are being disgusting. Preventing people from posting actual hate speech doesn’t restrict discussion, it allows other people to engage in it without having to deal with people who will insult them and advocate race wars and genocide instead of making an argument. > [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > And quit acting like you are the only person who’s family suffered. This kind of comment doesn’t do your argument any favors. When we banned **New Deal Democrat** , I said he posted a lot of stupid crap but never went as far as advocating racist social policies or making hateful comments about other people. This guy said there’s a race war going on, called gay people “faggots,” and typed out the code for “Heil Hitler.” There aren’t a whole hell of a lot of ways to interpret that. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-specific-rule-about-advocating-naziism/628217/31 "2012-07-15T11:07:30Z")
Given the way that this is quickly becoming the Summer of the Racists, I have no problem with being a little more proactive than usual in this case. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-specific-rule-about-advocating-naziism/628217/32 "2012-07-15T14:50:21Z")
Not all instances of the number 14 have to do with Nazism. Just sayin’… (I’m an asshole, but not a Nazi) ---
**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:** [July 15, 2012, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-specific-rule-about-advocating-naziism/628217/33 "2012-07-15T15:35:18Z")
> [@Astroboy14](#): > > Not all instances of the number 14 have to do with Nazism. Just sayin’… > > (I’m an asshole, but not a Nazi) Not sure what your point is. Do you think there are instances when a poster espouses Nazi beliefs, and uses the combo “14/88” that that “14” has nothing to do with Nazism? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-specific-rule-about-advocating-naziism/628217/34 "2012-07-15T15:37:55Z")
> [@Astroboy14](#): > > Not all instances of the number 14 have to do with Nazism. Just sayin’… The guy actually said “14/88” See [wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14/88) _White nationalists sometimes combine the number 14 with 88, as in “14/88” or “1488”. The 8s stand for the eighth letter of the alphabet (H), with ‘HH’ standing for “Heil Hitler”.[3] ‘88’ can also refer to the book 88 Precepts by David Lane,[4] and for the 88-word statement in Mein Kampf mentioned above._ !4 can mean anything, but if you know an innocent interpretation of 14/88 please share it. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-specific-rule-about-advocating-naziism/628217/35 "2012-07-15T15:47:08Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Given the way that this is quickly becoming the Summer of the Racists, I have no problem with being a little more proactive than usual in this case. We’re developing our own calendar. “It was the Ides of Rape Month, in the Year of the Racists, during the reign of **Tubadiva**.” ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-specific-rule-about-advocating-naziism/628217/36 "2012-07-15T15:51:17Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > We’re developing our own calendar. “It was the Ides of Rape Month, in the Year of the Racists, during the reign of **Tubadiva**.” Do things really come in threes? If so, we’ve had the Winter of the **R** apist, the Summer of the **R** acist, and, autumn of the **R** … (Please tell me it’s not the **R** epublicans) ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-specific-rule-about-advocating-naziism/628217/37 "2012-07-15T16:37:09Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > The guy actually said “14/88” > > See [wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14/88)… > > 14 can mean anything, but if you know an innocent interpretation of 14/88 please share it. Well, I learned something. I never knew that was code for Heil Hitler. I thought 14 was a generous baker’s dozen, and 88 referred to the keys on a piano. Silly me. So which numbers can we use now without accidentally meaning something? Is there a safe list? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-specific-rule-about-advocating-naziism/628217/38 "2012-07-15T16:38:56Z")
Stick to [primes](http://www.math.dartmouth.edu/~carlp/PDF/extraterrestrial.pdf). Unless you’re in a culture offended by mathematics. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-specific-rule-about-advocating-naziism/628217/39 "2012-07-15T17:10:48Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Not sure what your point is. Read his screen name again. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-specific-rule-about-advocating-naziism/628217/40 "2012-07-15T17:12:15Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Not sure what your point is. Do you think there are instances when a poster espouses Nazi beliefs, and uses the combo “14/88” that that “14” has nothing to do with Nazism? No, my point is that 14 doesn’t _always_ denote a relationship to Nazism. IE: don’t look at my username and assume that the 14 has anything to do with that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-specific-rule-about-advocating-naziism/628217.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-specific-rule-about-advocating-naziism/628217.md?page=3)