Clarence Thomas Just Gave a Speech Blaming Progressivism for Hitler. It Was Mostly Just Sad.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/04/supreme-court-analysis-clarence-thomas-speech-progressives-hitler.html

Right, its the Progressives at the "Unite the Right" ralley, that chant "Jews will not replace us" here, and who waive Nazi flags.

553 points · 54 comments · view on lemmy.world

54 Comments

ech@lemmy.ca · 137 pts · 123d (1 reply)

"We're hateful because you want us to not be." is such a dumb, lazy retort. It's not even an argument, just childish "Nu uh, you are" echoing of criticism. It somehow makes their bigotry worse than if they would actually put some effort into defending it.

TheTechnician27@lemmy.world · 36 pts · 123d

The GOP when an innocent person gets gunned down on some lunatic's driveway in claimed "self-defense": "But muh rights. The only way to stop bad guys with guns is good guys with guns. The homeowners are innocent victims."

The GOP when their hatred is met with self-defensive hatred: "Um, actually, self-proclaimed 'good guys' using hatred to tell 'bad guys' who target their hatred at 'innocent victims' to stop being hateful is woke moralism. But also we're obviously the good guys here anyway since we aren't woke moralists. And we're telling you to stop your hatred of innocent conservative victims and uhhhhhh... Fuck you, libcucks!"

WesternInfidels@feddit.online · 86 pts · 123d

"Look what you made me do" is an abuser's refrain.

Lasherz12@lemmy.world · 54 pts · 123d (4 replies)

The justice also bemoaned the “unfair criticism and attacks” that he and other tellers of truths must withstand as the price for courageously “not budging” on their principles.

I guess if you can't defend yourself for obvious corruption you misrepresent their argument and act like the victim. Judges sure love punishing folks in criminal court who act that way, I guess no criticism is left for the top corrupt judges who do it.

Carmakazi@piefed.social · 36 pts · 123d (2 replies)

It's like a core belief of conservatism. Being criticized for being evil is somehow a worse fate than being a victim of evil. Because:

  1. They lack empathy and can only understand the problems they themselves experience.
  2. They're soft as baby shit, so they whine about the most minor setbacks.
Rivermoonwolf@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 122d (1 reply)

They not only lack empathy, they fucking despise it. They seriously view it as a sin, which tells me all I need to know about their god.

MrRandom@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 122d

*church

youcantreadthis@quokk.au · 1 pts · 122d

Theres one.

athatet@lemmy.zip · 46 pts · 123d

someguy3@lemmy.world · 36 pts · 123d (7 replies)

Reminder that Clarence hates liberalism and thinks it ruined his life. Best I can think is that he's annoyed that people think he was hired under affirmative action.

BlueHarvest@lemmy.world · 28 pts · 123d (5 replies)

which is really weird because without liberals, he never would have been able to marry his wife. given his wifes looks, I'm not saying that's necessarily a good thing, but do we really think conservatives would have repealed the miscegenation laws?

Drusas@fedia.io · 25 pts · 123d (2 replies)

Or get his job. Or his education. Or vote. Or....

deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz · 12 pts · 123d (1 reply)

"The only acceptable affirmative actions are affirmative actions that benefit me."

borkborkbork@piefed.social · 7 pts · 122d

very typical conservative behavior - pull the ladder up behind you and castigate the people you harm for daring to want the same

someguy3@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 123d (1 reply)

Surely they won't come after my rights. - Conservatives and conservative voters.

M137@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 122d

A reoccurring thing is them experiencing just that, be it rights or whatever else, but so many don't change their views even then. Seen so many posts here for new articles where some persons wife, other family etc. got deported or beaten because they're anything other than chalk white and the partner just goes "it sucks that this happened but I won't change my views and don't regret my voting choices".

4am@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 123d

It’s funny that the people who say that are the people he’s so desperately floundering to defend here

melsaskca@lemmy.ca · 35 pts · 122d (2 replies)

That guy will say anything for more RV money.

PhoenixDog@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 122d

I really wish he took it.

kreskin@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 122d

Theres something extra sad about that. If you are going to stoop to corruption and payola at that level of government, at least have the self respect to get paid better for it.

Whitebrow@lemmy.world · 27 pts · 123d (1 reply)

This some Clayton Bigsby level bullshit.

nothingcorporate@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 122d

From a member of the Supreme Court. SMDH.

Corporal_Punishment@feddit.uk · 26 pts · 123d (5 replies)

Progressive thinking led to him becoming a judge and to this mess.

Maybe he's onto something.

Sunflier@lemmy.world · 24 pts · 123d (4 replies)

MrRandom@lemmy.zip · 14 pts · 123d (3 replies)

.....Hol'up

Sunflier@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 122d (2 replies)

Couldn't find it with a blue arrow on Google, so I stole the old one where Reddit's upvotes were orange

Mantzy81@aussie.zone · 6 pts · 122d (1 reply)

How about this?

Sunflier@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 122d

Fixed!

Thank you. I am on my phone, and making changes like that is difficult.

A_norny_mousse@piefed.zip · 24 pts · 122d (1 reply)

I'm honestly not super clear on what "progressivism" means for him, but even so it's pretty bad.

The speech is ostensibly bemoaning the progressive movement of the early 20th century, but the New Republic’s Matt Ford has a fantastic piece about how his history is completely wrong. Thomas claims that the American progressive movement was founded by Wilson and imported from Germany, neither of which is true. It was a reaction to corporate abuses and corrupt governance and horrific things like child labor and environmental destruction. It was an organic, grassroots movement, but Thomas says it was a top-down push to suppress individual liberties and put the government in charge of everything. That is a false, libertarian counterhistory that has no basis in reality. The justice also asserts that progressivism led to the worst atrocities of the 20th century, including Nazi Germany, Stalinism, and Mao, and draws a straight line from that to progressivism today.

I think I've been listening too much to a certain type of podcast recently. I distinctly remember hearing about Thomas' early years and how he was a bastard basically from the start, but no detail.

I think he was elated that he was allowed to join the club of rich white assholes and once that happened, there was no more discrimination in the US, systemic or otherwise 🪄

Draegur@lemmy.zip · 14 pts · 122d

His definition of progressivism is "anyone who disagrees with me and wants me to face consequences for my corruption."

pinheadednightmare@lemmy.world · 21 pts · 123d

This dude has been compromised for decades now.

mycodesucks@lemmy.world · 20 pts · 123d (1 reply)

"mostly just sad"? We are way past the point of "I'm not angry, I'm disappointed" with these people. Call it what it was - a disgusting, dangerous escalation on the road to jailing political opponents.

youcantreadthis@quokk.au · 3 pts · 122d

Nobodys gonna kick the scum out of office, though.

teslekova@sh.itjust.works · 19 pts · 122d (1 reply)

So Clarence, what exactly did you not like about Hitler? You seem to be on the same page on most things.

TransNeko@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 122d

He didn't like that Hitler looks better than him. which isn't saying much since they are both hideous inside and out.

resipsaloquitur@lemmy.cafe · 16 pts · 123d

I’m glad these lunatics have gone fully mask-off. We can see how fucking stupid they are.

Maeve@kbin.earth · 13 pts · 123d (2 replies)

This is why good education is paramount. Not that it prevents evil, but that is more easily identifiable.

Rivermoonwolf@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 122d (1 reply)

Why do you think they hate education so much...?

Maeve@kbin.earth · 2 pts · 122d

People who prefer to be told what to think of follow the popular narrative are easier to control guide.

tacoplease@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 123d

If Clarence Thomas was made a freeman in the 1800's, he would have become a slave owner.

Ioughttamow@fedia.io · 8 pts · 123d

Well you see the nazis were national socialists 🤓

devolution@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 123d

Can he choke on his spit in his sleep and go to hell already? Oh wait, I actually want him to live for at least two more years. He can die a miserable death in 2028.

Gates9@sh.itjust.works · 7 pts · 122d

Into the trash heap of history with ye

SuiXi3D@fedia.io · 7 pts · 123d

Well, go back to being a slave then, since you seem to hate progressivism so much. We’ll see how you like it then.

kreskin@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 122d

Funny thing is, in Weimar politics it was the centrists joining with the far right fascist conservatives against progressives who effed their way into electing an infirm, dementia ridden, incompetent Von Hindenberg, who then appointed Hitler chancellor. Elevating the fascists to power.

The centrists always allow the conservatives to eff the world, every time, and its always because they are afraid of progressives getting power and doing something good for the filthy damned peasants.

I suppose from a very twisted, "look what you made me do" perspective, you could blame progressives, but its abuser logic.

CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 122d

Remember that stupid book just about every conservative bonehead was telling everyone to read? Liberal Fascism?

I wonder if this dumbfuck read that stupid book, too.

kalkulat@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 123d

Good to see people are learning that when they finally elect the stupid, they finally learn what was -really- going through those stupid heads for all those years. What they get is marinated in stupid... proud stupid ... EPIC stupid. (Compated to today's crowd, Reagan was a genius.)

Velypso@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 122d (3 replies)

1

Chick0nPlayz@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 122d
CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 122d

I don't have any problem reading it?

PDFuego@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 122d

I have links set to open in a private firefox tab, then reader mode or whatever it's called generally avoids all of the popups, paywalls & spaces where ads would be without ad blockers while letting you read the whole thing.

webp@mander.xyz · 5 pts · 123d

I would so fucking hate to be stuck with this guy's psychology.

cheat700000007@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 123d

Wait what did he say? All I hear is fart noises

ArmchairAce1944@discuss.online · 2 pts · 121d

If I wrote a fictional black character with the exact characteristics of Thomas, I would be bashed for claiming I was taking racist stereotypes to an extreme. Basically having an asskissing Uncle Tom who's all about 'where dah white women at!' and being extremely easily mesmerized by nice things (bribery... my god the bribery!), and completely lacking in any sense of morality.