Angel ,'Just Rewards (2)'
Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.
I don't think you can assume that he was a raging Nazi. *
[Eta, like Betsy I'm more concerned with his recent activities, which are bad enough.]
OTOH, the fact that membership was mandatory doesn't mean that he was in HY against his will, either.
I'd like to know more, and hopefully will be able to find it.
Doesn't make him a good guy.
Yeah, but it also doesn't make him a Nazi. There's the whole Godwin's law thing to watch out for, after all.
OTOH, the fact that membership was mandatory doesn't mean that he was in HY against his will, either.
But at his age, in that atmosphere, I don't think you can draw any conclusions from that.
Ratzinger was in the Hitler Youth. For real.
When you're surrounded by mad dogs, not smelling like a rabbit is not stupid.
Sure, but when you have a hundred some-odd "in no way EVER Nazis" candidates mebbe go with one of them?
Doesn't make him a good guy.
Yeah, but it does make him not a Nazi.
I rescind my Nazi labelling of him, and forthwith shall refer to him as a Scary-Ass Bigoted Zealot.
So, okay. He went along with the crowd with the whole Hitler Youth thing. That was a long time ago. But what he's done recently is even scarier. The dude was, until today, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which was formerly known as the Inquisition.
This is why there are 'better' things to call him than "Nazi." It's too kneejerk, true or not.
I rescind my Nazi labelling of him, and forthwith shall refer to him as a Scary-Ass Bigoted Zealot.
That's more fair.
But at his age, in that atmosphere, I don't think you can draw any conclusions from that.
Well, that's kind of what I'm saying. You can't pillory him for the mere fact of belonging. But at the same time, you can't hand-wave that it was only for cover, either. "It was mandatory," might be a defense, and a real one. Or it might be beside the fact. We don't (yet) know.
It's like if Cheney got elected president, huh?
I rescind my Nazi labelling of him, and forthwith shall refer to him as a Scary-Ass Bigoted Zealot.
That's more fair.
Apparently, some of his nicknames include: “the enforcer”, “the panzer cardinal” and “God’s rottweiler.”
Just....neat.