> Kind, good, happy, gentlemanly, secure people never go Nazi. They may be the gentle philosopher whose name is in the Blue Book, or Bill from City College to whom democracy gave a chance to design airplanes—you’ll never make Nazis out of them. But the frustrated and humiliated intellectual, the rich and scared speculator, the spoiled son, the labor tyrant, the fellow who has achieved success by smelling out the wind of success—they would all go Nazi in a crisis.
> Believe me, nice people don’t go Nazi. Their race, color, creed, or social condition is not the criterion. It is something in them.
> Those who haven’t anything in them to tell them what they like and what they don’t—whether it is breeding, or happiness, or wisdom, or a code, however old-fashioned or however modern, go Nazi. It’s an amusing game. Try it at the next big party you go to.
Back an animal against the wall and out come the fangs. The rate at which "once in a lifetime" events have unfolded in the past two decades is making it increasingly hard for society to mint kind, good, happy, gentlemanly, and most importantly, _secure_ people.
This would be me to my detriment. I totally can't read a room and I do what I think is right. I've also passed over job opportunities in defense/intelligence (and the porn industry) because I know they were wrong. I could have much more money and wealth than I have now. What's wrong with me? I sometimes do think this is a flaw in myself.
I have friends that work for Google and Facebook and I don't know how they do it.
> I have friends that work for Google and Facebook and I don't know how they do it.
That's easy. Grow up in Western Europe, start working ~2000. Learn how things work there, how government spying (sorry "lawful intercept") works, for example. Work for the "IT police", and quit on the spot after realizing you're about to refer a 14 year old to a police kolonel at the request of Sony Music, run crying out of the building. Run back in and after starting the reformat of some well-chosen harddrives, quit. Realize Google, with some very large flaws, is a massive force for good in the world. Leave the country, work for Google, and sleep soundly every fucking day knowing your skills are put to far better use at Google.
You are aware that Google collects massive amounts of data and provides it to government and law enforcement without warrants [1][2], as well as working with the US and foreign militaries for legally-questionable ends [3][4]?
Yes. What I don't understand is why you blame Google for being forced by justice departments to do this and still resisting (e.g. publishing the numbers). Trust me that's showing a LOT more backbone than BT ever has shown.
Are you aware all Telcos, from AT&T to BT do the same, except 1000x bigger scale?
Have you ever seen the interface that the police forces of many countries demanded be delivered along with cell phone towers? You can livetrack individual phones (location, proximity), listen in, get lists of websites they visit (not 100% accurate, but pretty good, this part is sort of like Palo Alto Networks. E.g. you see when the system thinks they're sending or receiving Facebook messages)
Are you aware that in the Police department, yes, you have "IT cops", but they don't work to protect institutions, they mostly work to catch "copyright thieves". Not even bank fraud (which is a huge problem, btw). They're actually terrified of doing something about that (because it involves international relations and they're pretty sure the result some organized scammer would be someone in the department gets fired)
Are you aware that an EU country kidnapped the CEO of a large instant messenger, actually tried to keep it secret, then charged him with "complicity to child sex trafficking" and is still holding him?
Are you aware that a US police officer used cell phone lawful intercept to stalk, then beat up, his ex-girlfriend 3 years ago? He got fired for it but no persecution, then he got a friend to do the same again.
And this is all JUST public information. Things are way, way worse than what's leaked.
No offense, but Google is not the problem in this space.
I sat next to the "law enforcement liaison" team at a Telco many years ago. They were all ex-cops and I could listen in on the conversations that had with cops. There was never even the slightest push back. Just sexism, racism, blokey humour and "yeah we'll get that info for you".
> What I don't understand is why you blame Google for being forced
They weren't forced. I linked to sources showing they voluntarily handed over the information. There is no resistance.
> Have you ever seen the interface that the police forces of many countries demanded be delivered
No, but I'd imagine it looks a lot like the comprehensive information that Google provided without warrants in the first two links I provided.
> Are you aware all Telcos, from AT&T to BT do the same, except 1000x bigger scale?
Also terrible. Doesn't excuse Google.
> Are you aware that an EU country
> Are you aware that a US police officer
These are states and agents of the state, which Google is not. Google also doesn't execute people in public hangings, but that doesn't excuse their actions as a company.
Google unethically assists state actors. It's why they removed "Don't be evil" as their motto. They are not a force for good in the world, they are a company that exists to maximize shareholder value. The benevolent ideals you ascribe to the company are not based on the reality of their actions.
i have yet to see a good-faith use of this type of argument ("we're just calling anybody a nazi these days!"). to what end is this made, beyond concern trolling/sealioning/misdirectional use of pedantic and toothless "terminology" appeals?
it's especially concerning to see this argument used on a historical article contemporary with the NSDAP's control of Germany (and neighbors). yes, this refers to the "actual" nazis.
> Kind, good, happy, gentlemanly, secure people never go Nazi. They may be the gentle philosopher whose name is in the Blue Book, or Bill from City College to whom democracy gave a chance to design airplanes—you’ll never make Nazis out of them. But the frustrated and humiliated intellectual, the rich and scared speculator, the spoiled son, the labor tyrant, the fellow who has achieved success by smelling out the wind of success—they would all go Nazi in a crisis.
> Believe me, nice people don’t go Nazi. Their race, color, creed, or social condition is not the criterion. It is something in them.
> Those who haven’t anything in them to tell them what they like and what they don’t—whether it is breeding, or happiness, or wisdom, or a code, however old-fashioned or however modern, go Nazi. It’s an amusing game. Try it at the next big party you go to.
Back an animal against the wall and out come the fangs. The rate at which "once in a lifetime" events have unfolded in the past two decades is making it increasingly hard for society to mint kind, good, happy, gentlemanly, and most importantly, _secure_ people.
This is one of my favorite photos: https://www.theholocaustexplained.org/resistance-responses-c...
This would be me to my detriment. I totally can't read a room and I do what I think is right. I've also passed over job opportunities in defense/intelligence (and the porn industry) because I know they were wrong. I could have much more money and wealth than I have now. What's wrong with me? I sometimes do think this is a flaw in myself.
I have friends that work for Google and Facebook and I don't know how they do it.
> I have friends that work for Google and Facebook and I don't know how they do it.
That's easy. Grow up in Western Europe, start working ~2000. Learn how things work there, how government spying (sorry "lawful intercept") works, for example. Work for the "IT police", and quit on the spot after realizing you're about to refer a 14 year old to a police kolonel at the request of Sony Music, run crying out of the building. Run back in and after starting the reformat of some well-chosen harddrives, quit. Realize Google, with some very large flaws, is a massive force for good in the world. Leave the country, work for Google, and sleep soundly every fucking day knowing your skills are put to far better use at Google.
You are aware that Google collects massive amounts of data and provides it to government and law enforcement without warrants [1][2], as well as working with the US and foreign militaries for legally-questionable ends [3][4]?
[1] https://gizmodo.com/reddit-meta-and-google-voluntarily-gave-...
[2] https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/10/google-sent-personal-and-f...
[3] https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/technology/google-deepmin...
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Nimbus
Yes. What I don't understand is why you blame Google for being forced by justice departments to do this and still resisting (e.g. publishing the numbers). Trust me that's showing a LOT more backbone than BT ever has shown.
Are you aware all Telcos, from AT&T to BT do the same, except 1000x bigger scale?
Have you ever seen the interface that the police forces of many countries demanded be delivered along with cell phone towers? You can livetrack individual phones (location, proximity), listen in, get lists of websites they visit (not 100% accurate, but pretty good, this part is sort of like Palo Alto Networks. E.g. you see when the system thinks they're sending or receiving Facebook messages)
Are you aware that in the Police department, yes, you have "IT cops", but they don't work to protect institutions, they mostly work to catch "copyright thieves". Not even bank fraud (which is a huge problem, btw). They're actually terrified of doing something about that (because it involves international relations and they're pretty sure the result some organized scammer would be someone in the department gets fired)
Are you aware that an EU country kidnapped the CEO of a large instant messenger, actually tried to keep it secret, then charged him with "complicity to child sex trafficking" and is still holding him?
Are you aware that a US police officer used cell phone lawful intercept to stalk, then beat up, his ex-girlfriend 3 years ago? He got fired for it but no persecution, then he got a friend to do the same again.
And this is all JUST public information. Things are way, way worse than what's leaked.
No offense, but Google is not the problem in this space.
I sat next to the "law enforcement liaison" team at a Telco many years ago. They were all ex-cops and I could listen in on the conversations that had with cops. There was never even the slightest push back. Just sexism, racism, blokey humour and "yeah we'll get that info for you".
> What I don't understand is why you blame Google for being forced
They weren't forced. I linked to sources showing they voluntarily handed over the information. There is no resistance.
> Have you ever seen the interface that the police forces of many countries demanded be delivered
No, but I'd imagine it looks a lot like the comprehensive information that Google provided without warrants in the first two links I provided.
> Are you aware all Telcos, from AT&T to BT do the same, except 1000x bigger scale?
Also terrible. Doesn't excuse Google.
> Are you aware that an EU country
> Are you aware that a US police officer
These are states and agents of the state, which Google is not. Google also doesn't execute people in public hangings, but that doesn't excuse their actions as a company.
Google unethically assists state actors. It's why they removed "Don't be evil" as their motto. They are not a force for good in the world, they are a company that exists to maximize shareholder value. The benevolent ideals you ascribe to the company are not based on the reality of their actions.
This could have been written yesterday.
"That is his sole measure of value—success. Nazism as a minority movement would not attract him. As a movement likely to attain power, it would."
Apparently, whoever society calls a Nazi. Something of a self fulfilling prophecy, that.
I see the problem. You're supposed to read history in the other direction.
I get what you’re saying, but this is important enough that it doesn’t feel like nitpicking:
You’re not going to learn anything from history if you only read it in one direction.
i have yet to see a good-faith use of this type of argument ("we're just calling anybody a nazi these days!"). to what end is this made, beyond concern trolling/sealioning/misdirectional use of pedantic and toothless "terminology" appeals?
it's especially concerning to see this argument used on a historical article contemporary with the NSDAP's control of Germany (and neighbors). yes, this refers to the "actual" nazis.
and then jews went and committed a genocide
Nah. Usually the racist fascist bullshit happens first and the Nazi label is then applied appropriately.