Godwin's Law In New London

It seems Godwin’s Law has been invoked in New London.

This particular principle dates back to the Internet’s early days in 1990, when online arguments could apparently get just as heated as they do today. A fellow by the name of Mike Godwin proclaimed, “As a Usenet discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one.” The further idea of the rule was that anyone who invoked the totalitarian German regime in whatever discussion was taking place automatically lost the debate and brought the discussion thread to a close.

Which brings me to the brought up last week. Over the course of several hours, councilors went through the arduous balancing act of trying to keep any tax increase as low as possible while also maintaining essential services. It’s been a long, difficult process and there are a couple of months yet before the budget is finalized.

It was clear that the City Council’s job was going to be even more stressful as several residents made various pleas about the budget. They asked for the preservation of some funds, argued that a significant tax hike would be unpleasant but necessary, and said a tax increase would be a major blow to their already strained personal finances.

A few comments brought about some surprised murmurs from the packed audience galleries. And there were plenty of chuckles of disbelief when one speaker declared the budget proposal a “Fi-Nazi-o tax.”

Clearly, Godwin’s principle of “You cite the Nazis, you lose” doesn’t apply in the City Council chambers. If it did, I imagine that the speaker would have been gaveled down right away and —20 percent tax increase and all—would be passed by default.

This was, I realized later, the first time I’d heard anyone invoke Hitler or Nazis in a political debate in New London. And in case you haven’t been following at home, we’ve had some big ones. Yet for all the angry words that have been exchanged over the past couple of years there hasn’t been any reference to Europe in the 1940s, and for good reason. Say what you will about Finizio or the past City Council or any other major figure in New London, but I don't think their missteps are quite on the par with a regime whose specialty was industrialized murder.

My hope is that this was a one-time thing and that it doesn’t kick the level of discourse in the city down to such a childish level. What if we compared everything we didn’t like to the Nazis? How would that work out? I’ve never been a big fan of country music. I guess people who do like it are Hitler-lovers. Damn you, Nazis! You and your corny ballads about porch swings and pickup trucks!

On Monday, the next step in the budget process will take place at 6 p.m. when a public hearing is held at the . No doubt some speakers will sound off on whether they think the blame for the current budget situation rests with Finizio or former City Councils, and they have every right to express their opinion at this hearing.

Yet perhaps the more constructive way to go is to stand up and support places you want to preserve funding for, or point out where you think the budget could use some trimming. Clearly, that’s what the councilors are more concerned with at this point. Council President Michael Passero commented during the budget discussions that a number of different factors, including several outside the city’s control such as revenue shortfalls from the state, have merged at an unfortunate time.

“I don’t think we’re going to find a villain here,” he said.

Well, we could always blame Hitler. But that just sounds silly, doesn't it?

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