(Note: Tomorrow is the Rude Pundit's birthday, so his gift to himself is to be a bit more self-indulgent than usual and Godwin the hell out of things.)
If Adolf Hitler had been American, perpetrating his crimes as a leader in the United States, even after he was defeated in war, we would still have memorials in public spaces and parks and buildings to him. We would have statues of his generals, busts of him in capitols, and more.
If Adolf Hitler had been American, we would have schools, federal and state office complexes, college buildings, and streets named after him and other Nazis.
If Adolf Hitler had been American, the Nazi flag would still be displayed proudly and publicly. It might be part of the flag of another state. It might even hang in government buildings because, some would say, we need to honor our heritage.
If Adolf Hitler had been American, many people would drive around with swastikas on their cars or trucks. They would wear t-shirts that say, "The Reich will rise again."
If Adolf Hitler had been American, his face would still be on a coin or bill, and any move to take it off would be met with resistance from politicians in his home state.
If Adolf Hitler had been American and Jews said that they were owed compensation or an apology for the way they were treated and the way they had their property taken from them and how their families were divided, we'd tell those Jews that the Holocaust was a long time ago and they should get over it. We'd say that they're just greedy and that people now aren't to blame for the mistakes of the past.
If Adolf Hitler had been American, some school boards would want to make sure that he was treated "fairly" in history classes. They would want textbooks to reflect a balanced view of Hitler and talk about how the Nazis were about more than just genocide.
If Adolf Hitler had been American and some people said that it's wrong to have Nazi flags displayed and to have large statues of Hitler in front of the state building and to have a Heinrich Himmler Elementary School and to keep Hitler's face on the $20 bill and that those things should be removed or changed, there would be an uproar among many Americans. They would say that their relatives fought bravely for the Nazis and should be honored for their sacrifice. They would imply that you're being bigoted by asking them to take the Nazi flags and memorials down. They would demand that they be respected, and they would deny that any of their behavior or beliefs are connected with Hitler or the Nazis.
If Adolf Hitler had been American, even after he was beaten and democracy triumphed, we would have treated him like we treat any terrible person who had wide support in the United States. We would honor him without irony and without worrying about how his awful actions are whitewashed by the honor.
Denial is our preferred state in America.
(If anyone wants to add to this list, send me your ideas and it'll be updated as needed.)
Update: From Melina M.: "If Hitler Had Been American, Fox News would be running segments about the 'War On Hitler.'"
