# Jeez, can't we just save ourselves some trouble and just Ban Hitler apologists/deniers? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 8, 2012, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeez-cant-we-just-save-ourselves-some-trouble-and-just-ban-hitler-apologists-deniers/621238 "2012-05-08T02:56:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [May 8, 2012, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeez-cant-we-just-save-ourselves-some-trouble-and-just-ban-hitler-apologists-deniers/621238/21 "2012-05-08T13:29:16Z")
Are you proposing that we create a new rule? If so, how would you word it? Saying nice things about Hitler is a bannable offense? As it is, these guys always break so many existing rules that they get banned quickly. I don’t really see a problem. Ideally, posters such as GermanicPride would generate no replies, and their threads would sink on their own. But that’ll never happen here. ---
**Author:** ![MJinks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@MJinks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MJinks)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeez-cant-we-just-save-ourselves-some-trouble-and-just-ban-hitler-apologists-deniers/621238/22 "2012-05-08T13:31:19Z")
Occasionally there is something to be learned from these threads though. His point about the number of murdered at Auschwitz and the rebuttals by other posters certainly taught me something. If I’d met a holocaust denier in person I wouldn’t have known how to refute that point, now I do. Other people might have heard that claim and not known the truth behind it. Deniers or conspiracy theorists occasionally quote ‘facts’ that sound reasonable or make sense and you can always rely on SDMB posters to strain out the truth while leaving the bullshit behind. It wont make the OP change their mind but it might educate those on the sidelines. Plus, and I hope you don’t judge me too harshly for this, I often find their viewpoints and the inevitable shitstorm and meltdown highly amusing. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeez-cant-we-just-save-ourselves-some-trouble-and-just-ban-hitler-apologists-deniers/621238/23 "2012-05-08T13:35:46Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > Actually, he’s banned for cause now. This more or less makes my point, though some last a bit longer. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeez-cant-we-just-save-ourselves-some-trouble-and-just-ban-hitler-apologists-deniers/621238/24 "2012-05-08T13:51:26Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Not sorry to see him go, but what specific rule did he breaK? Well, I daresay him calling people who disagreed with his views on Hitler “Zionist scumbags” may have been a tad excessive. ---
**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:** [May 8, 2012, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeez-cant-we-just-save-ourselves-some-trouble-and-just-ban-hitler-apologists-deniers/621238/25 "2012-05-08T13:56:42Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Well, I daresay him calling people who disagreed with his views on Hitler “Zionist scumbags” may have been a tad excessive. Yeah. Not everyone who disagreed with him were Zionists. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeez-cant-we-just-save-ourselves-some-trouble-and-just-ban-hitler-apologists-deniers/621238/26 "2012-05-08T13:58:17Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > our responses roll off their backs like water off a duck. White supremacists make up a significant portion of my patient population. Fortunately they roll off my back like a duck. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeez-cant-we-just-save-ourselves-some-trouble-and-just-ban-hitler-apologists-deniers/621238/27 "2012-05-08T14:11:52Z")
They pretty much always get banned. They way we do it now is that they first get a chance to get their message out to a wider audience and their pet website gets a few mentions, _then_ they get banned. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeez-cant-we-just-save-ourselves-some-trouble-and-just-ban-hitler-apologists-deniers/621238/28 "2012-05-08T14:16:25Z")
If we’re going to insta-ban anybody I vote it be pedos rather than Nazis. For whatever reason I find pedos much more distasteful. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeez-cant-we-just-save-ourselves-some-trouble-and-just-ban-hitler-apologists-deniers/621238/29 "2012-05-08T14:24:50Z")
I agree with Little Nemo and disagree with the OP. The best way to to banish the darkness is with the light. Bright, blinding light…plus a healthy measure of scorn, ridicule and a good old fashion 'doper pile on. Insta-banning someone for being a Nazi asshole is, IMHO, a slippery slope…once you do that, why not insta-ban Truthers, or other CT nutters (that’s what a Hitler apologist or Holocaust denier is after all)? It’s better to take these guys down by the normal 'doper posting community, and when they fuck up and break the actual rules THEN have the Mods step in with warnings and, if they keep fucking up, ban their ass. Sure, it’s more work, and different 'dopers burn out on a subject at different times, but there is ALWAYS someone in the community ready and willing to step up to lay some smack down on some clown pushing some ridiculous CT or silly theory. -XT ---
**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:** [May 8, 2012, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeez-cant-we-just-save-ourselves-some-trouble-and-just-ban-hitler-apologists-deniers/621238/30 "2012-05-08T14:25:19Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > They pretty much always get banned. They way we do it now is that they first get a chance to get their message out to a wider audience and their pet website gets a few mentions, _then_ they get banned. Write the rule that we’d use, then. Did **GermanicPride** post about Stormfront? AFAIK, it was other posters who did. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeez-cant-we-just-save-ourselves-some-trouble-and-just-ban-hitler-apologists-deniers/621238/31 "2012-05-08T14:44:45Z")
He’s now been banned for gems including: > [@Are Austrians still considered to be Germans?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-austrians-still-considered-to-be-germans/621062/109): > > Grow up. > [@Are Austrians still considered to be Germans?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-austrians-still-considered-to-be-germans/621062/120): > > Key word is “probably” - you moron. > > Yes you’re a Mischling, why do I have to have balls to say that… you mutt. > > No it means you’re a retard. We try not to ban people for having the wrong ideas, but yes, it was obvious this was going to happen as soon as somebody called **GermanicPride** signed up. We try to give people latitude to express some repugnant ideas civilly; not surprisingly, this one failed to do so. So he’s banned. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeez-cant-we-just-save-ourselves-some-trouble-and-just-ban-hitler-apologists-deniers/621238/32 "2012-05-08T14:45:29Z")
> [@MJinks](#): > > Occasionally there is something to be learned from these threads though. His point about the number of murdered at Auschwitz and the rebuttals by other posters certainly taught me something. If I’d met a holocaust denier in person I wouldn’t have known how to refute that point, now I do. Other people might have heard that claim and not known the truth behind it. Deniers or conspiracy theorists occasionally quote ‘facts’ that sound reasonable or make sense and you can always rely on SDMB posters to strain out the truth while leaving the bullshit behind. It wont make the OP change their mind but it might educate those on the sidelines. I’ll second this as well, since I learned the same thing I hadn’t previously known. No, we’re not going to change the minds of the Hitler apologists. But we may help arm those who encounter them in other fora, which is part of the wider fight against ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeez-cant-we-just-save-ourselves-some-trouble-and-just-ban-hitler-apologists-deniers/621238/33 "2012-05-08T14:52:58Z")
The threads aren’t really for the apologist or CT nutter. In all the years I’ve been here I’ve never seen one of these true believers learn a gods damned thing in one of these threads. Generally, they post for a while, and are overwhelmed by the smackdown being put on the top of their bony little heads, and eventually slink off back to whatever rock they crawled out from. No, the purpose of these threads is for the lurkers…and, also, for the folks who will be doing a Google or Bing search in the future, will see the thread, will be on the fence or not really know much about it, will open the thread and read through it and see how ridiculous the denier or CT nutter or vaxer or whatever looks and is made to look, and will come out of it knowing a little more about the tactics to use when combating one of these idiots. I think the single biggest thing that has helped damp down the Truthers has been debunking articles and shows on popular cable channels, shown over and over again…and boards like ours, who have consistently allowed these fools in and given them their chance to present their pitiful evidence, and then smacking them down and clearly making them flee with their tails firmly tucked between their legs. -XT ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeez-cant-we-just-save-ourselves-some-trouble-and-just-ban-hitler-apologists-deniers/621238/34 "2012-05-08T15:19:58Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I’m not asking for a lot. I think two “instant bans” are adequate – deny gravity, or the Holocaust, and you’re out. Cite that the gravitron has been found. If not then gravity does not exist. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeez-cant-we-just-save-ourselves-some-trouble-and-just-ban-hitler-apologists-deniers/621238/35 "2012-05-08T15:23:09Z")
It concerns me that if we ban the Holocaust denier threads because - let’s face it – those people are racist assholes, that the next step will be to ban the birther threads for the same reason. Then it’s a short (and “justifiable”) step to ban the 9/11 threads, because those people are whackjobs, then all the other CT threads. After that, we can clear away the atheists/theists threads and so on. I vote for scorn and ridicule. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeez-cant-we-just-save-ourselves-some-trouble-and-just-ban-hitler-apologists-deniers/621238/36 "2012-05-08T15:37:34Z")
I was with you until the last step, **kunilou** , not that I expect any of those types of thread to be banned. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeez-cant-we-just-save-ourselves-some-trouble-and-just-ban-hitler-apologists-deniers/621238/37 "2012-05-08T15:47:20Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > It concerns me that if we ban the Holocaust denier threads because - let’s face it – those people are racist assholes, that the next step will be to ban the birther threads for the same reason. Then it’s a short (and “justifiable”) step to ban the 9/11 threads, because those people are whackjobs, then all the other CT threads. After that, we can clear away the atheists/theists threads and so on. > > I vote for scorn and ridicule. And, what if we had banned Jack Dean Tyler on his first day here? Huh? Huh? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeez-cant-we-just-save-ourselves-some-trouble-and-just-ban-hitler-apologists-deniers/621238/38 "2012-05-08T15:56:32Z")
Nuke them from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeez-cant-we-just-save-ourselves-some-trouble-and-just-ban-hitler-apologists-deniers/621238/39 "2012-05-08T16:04:54Z")
Naw…just prick their thumb and toss them into the Straight Dope waters. Just a little blood in the water and assuming the right folks pick up on the thread and you’ll have a good old fashion SD feeding frenzy. 😛 -XT ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeez-cant-we-just-save-ourselves-some-trouble-and-just-ban-hitler-apologists-deniers/621238/40 "2012-05-08T16:13:12Z")
I have had mixed feelings about this for years, but logic and reason seem to dictate that all points of view should be accepted and subjected to the same basic rigor regardless of the perceived inanity of the notion. If we can’t combat ignorance with logic and reason, then I suggest we may not be in the right place (or, alternatively, ignorance has won and we should all just pack it in and go home to barricade ourselves in our anti-ignorance shelters.) I do like the idea that our posts are useful in giving a sane and reasoned reply to all of the anti-science notions that seem to grow like mushrooms after a spring rain. Doing so in a classy manner is just the cherry on top. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeez-cant-we-just-save-ourselves-some-trouble-and-just-ban-hitler-apologists-deniers/621238.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeez-cant-we-just-save-ourselves-some-trouble-and-just-ban-hitler-apologists-deniers/621238.md?page=3)