The sickening events of Charlottesville smell of Nazism

Back in 1990, author Mike Godwin noted that the longer an online conversation went on, the more likely it was that one of the participants would eventually bring up an argument about Hitler.

Godwin made the statement before the World Wide Web changed the lives of people, but his famous law is still as relevant today as it was 27 years ago.

Today it's known as Godwin's Law, which says: "As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Hitler approaches 1."

Godwin's Law, which can be applied from forums to comment threads, has once again been in the headlines following the violence in Charlottesville.

Heather Heyer was killed when a car ploughed into a group of people protesting against white supremacist groups marching in the Virginia city.

Following the shocking events, a Facebook user got into contact with Godwin to see if he thought it was okay to call white supremacists Nazis.

"Sir, I implore you to post a statement on FB, giving your views on the recent white nationalist rally in Charlottesville," it said.

"Your adage is invoked so very often to shut down discussions about politics and social issues as soon as any comparisons to Nazism and 1930s Germany are made, but now that videos have surfaced showing the Nazi flag being waved in the Charlottesville parade . Sir would you please make a public statement?"

Godwin's response was emphatic: "By all means, compare these s--theads to Nazis. Again and again. I'm with you."

He later told Gizmodo: "Like so many people, I have been appalled at what happened in Charlottesville that I haven't known what to say, or whether to say anything at all.

"But she [the Facebook user] asked for something that was easy for me to give."

-  The Daily Telegraph