#1 Thing to Never do as a Politician

Okay, I wanted to write something about the City with Stagger trying to pass a by-law that makes businesses liable to clean graffiti from their own walls or face fines but Elizabeth May has decided to open her mouth and insert a jack-booted foot.

For the party that claims to have revolutionized politics with internet technology I’m amazed nobody ever mentioned Godwin’s Law to Ms. May. You never ever bring up the Nazis in comparison to anything without losing all credibility instantly - you've run out of anything relevant to say. I could say that she has just invalidated any claim the Green Party had to comment on the environment because of this, but who am I to make such claims? The moment someone feels required to, or simply chooses to, bring up the Nazis for comparison it ends the conversation/debate/validity of the speaker's opinion. It has lost all possible cache it once had. Rounding up specific groups of people and trying to eradicate them is not the same as melting the polar ice caps with car emissions – out of context or not, it was still foolishly used as a comparison. And this isn’t about being new to politics, it’s about not being a total jackass.

If you want people on your side on any issue - don't bring up unequivicle genocide. Don't compare your opposition to one of the most brutal regimes in history if you want people to deal with things in context. By bringing up something so horrific you've removed all context of any point you were trying to make.

I do have to say that my time spent working for the Greens was peppered with just a few too many people who constantly brought up the Nazis. I was at council meetings where people brought up the Nazis, I would be on the phone with potential candidates who would bring up the Nazis, I’d get anonymous e-mails comparing high-end donors to Nazis, it was a bit disturbing really.

But on a lighter note, I have to say that John Baird takes the best photos of a politician ever. Seriously, he’s always totally freaking out, and that, is awesome. If you follow the link he looks like he’s trying to impress his frat brothers by forcing out a fart or someone just ate his last can of ravioli.

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