Washington Post Accused Of Publishing Disturbing ‘Anti-Semitic Nazi Propaganda’ Over Cartoon Depicting GOP Lawmakers As Rats

On Sunday, The Washington Post published a very interesting cartoon drawn by the editorial cartoonist Ann Telnaes titled “All the Republican rats.” The cartoon depicted well over 100 Republican “state attorneys general and U.S. Congress members who collaborated with President Trump in his attempt to subvert the Constitution and stay in office.” The cartoon rats are labeled with more than a dozen Attorney Generals such as Ken Paxton of Texas, Ashley Moody of Florida, and Lynn Fitch of Mississippi, as well as Republican politicians such as Reps. Jim Jordan, Steve Scalise, Matt Gaetz, Dan Crenshaw, Elise Stafnik, Ted Yoho, Ralph Norman, and Kevin McCarthy, along with many more.

Now, why is this cartoon problematic? Well, this is what is called “dehumanizing language.” It is intended to literally dehumanize the subject, making it less horrifying when they are ultimately the victims of violent or unsavory atrocities.

Take Rwanda, for example. In April of 2019, The Atlantic published an article titled, “In Rwanda, We Know All About Dehumanizing Language.” The entire story was about how effective dehumanizing language is in perpetrating violence against political or ideological enemies.

“The radio station RTLM, allied with leaders of the government, had been inciting Hutus against the Tutsi minority, repeatedly describing the latter as inyenzi, or ‘cockroaches,’ and as inzoka, or ‘snakes.’”

The dehumanizing language was a precursor to the genocidal violence and made it easier for people to perpetrate the violence by considering their victims less than human. The article continues by saying,

“The promoters of genocide used other metaphors to turn people against their neighbors. Hutus, by reputation, are shorter than Tutsis; radio broadcasters also urged Hutus to ‘cut down the tall trees.'”

“Yet the dehumanization had started long before RTLM urged its listeners to “exterminate the cockroaches.”

“In 1959, Joseph Habyarimana Gitera, a leader of the radical Hutu political party Aprosoma, openly called for the elimination of the Tutsi ‘vermin.'”

Hmm. Cockroaches, snakes, vermin. All subhuman creatures that are often removed or exterminated. It made it less distasteful to slaughter an estimated 1 million people because they weren’t thought of as actual people, but vermin.

“Today, the leaders of powerful nations use dehumanizing language in describing certain groups of people. In Rwanda, our history shows where talk of cockroaches and snakes can lead.”

But Rwanda wasn’t the only place to utilize dehumanizing language in order to desensitize.

In fact, even the United States has used dehumanizing language and pictures as propaganda. In 1909, a satirical magazine, Puck, printed an image that “portrayed immigrants, quite explicitly, as vermin.” A rat was also used in World War 2 propaganda against the Japanese.

And President Andrew Jackson’s administration depicted President Jackson in a chair surrounded by rats with the faces of various cabinet members.

Nazi Germany propagandists also published cartoons depicting their political and ideological enemies, the Jews, as rats.

WaPo prints cartoon straight from anti-semitic Nazi propaganda.

Dehumanizes @realDonaldTrump supporters as rats. pic.twitter.com/qLRYb435UT

— Steve Milloy (@JunkScience) December 20, 2020

Representative Brian Babin, who is also depicted as a rat in The Washington Post cartoon, said,

“Portraying your “enemy” as rats is the same anti-Semitic propaganda used in Nazi Germany. Let that sink in.”

Portraying your “enemy” as rats is the same anti-Semitic propaganda used in Nazi Germany. Let that sink in.

Where is the censure & backlash?

The Left & their allies delight in grossly attacking the ideals of millions. @JeffBezos & @washingtonpost must be held accountable. https://t.co/HMbdlieCwD

— Brian Babin (@RepBrianBabin) December 21, 2020

 Rep. Babin asked where the censure is? Well, there hasn’t been any, and the cartoonist even boasted that her piece was the top read opinion piece on the newspaper’s website.

To all editors without an editorial cartoonist#ThePowerOfEditorialCartoons #SupportCartoonists pic.twitter.com/HKB1c0V4w8

— Ann Telnaes (@AnnTelnaes) December 19, 2020

And there were plenty of people who praised the cartoon and agreed with the depiction of Republicans as rats, despite historical evidence that this dehumanization is a dangerous extremist tradition.

All the Republicans Rats. Bravo @washingtonpost pic.twitter.com/zrsUlQnHLD

— Anthony Tilghman (@AnthonyTilghman) December 19, 2020

Published in the Washington Post today, all of the Republican state attorneys general and U.S. Congressman assisting Donald Trump in his attempt to overthrow an election. DEPICTED AS THE RATS THEY ARE!#MAGAIsCancelled #TrumpIsANationalDisgrace pic.twitter.com/a0emQgwyY9

— 🌊🇺🇸🌊𝓣𝓸𝓷𝔂(29 Days)𝓥𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓪🌊🇺🇸🌊 (@realTonyVentura) December 19, 2020

The @washingtonpost nails their analysis of @RepAnnWagner as a rat. pic.twitter.com/yxtc6GG2Zu

— Bethany (@BethanyThoughts) December 20, 2020

As for backlash, there has been plenty. Those who saw the vile cartoon for what it was took to twitter to express their disgust.

Here’s some of that unity
you’ve been hearing about. https://t.co/H2ojYuLz3y

— Matthew D. Dempster (@dempstermd) December 21, 2020

Everything the @DNC is mirroring 1930’s nazi Germany.
Bullying
Burning businesses
Attacking political opponents
Using the media for propaganda
Being fascists as they call others fascists
Creating racism
Pitting people against each other
Lying
Voter fraud https://t.co/eGejzT5g3g

— Interracials USA 🇺🇸 (@sandyleevincent) December 20, 2020

According to researchers, comparing people to rodents is the language used before a Genocide happens.

The top “story” on the Washington Post is a cartoon comparing Republicans to rats. pic.twitter.com/38IWCQZ0oR

— WilliePete (@WilliePete53) December 20, 2020

For 5 years we have been called Nazis. For 5 years they have been relentless and ruthless. But now there are only two peoples in our nation, Patriots or Traitors. https://t.co/Ey02YxSoEx

— Dr. Berezino Slasher 🇺🇸 (@BerezinoS) December 20, 2020

Quite ironic that the left had accused the right of being Nazis then the liberal toilet paper known as @washingtonpost ran a cartoon of republicans as rats which is the same tactic Nazis used on Jews to justify the Holocaust. https://t.co/GunqQIHz3U

— Cody Corle (@Codeman1215) December 21, 2020

Today’s Washington Post depiction of Republicans as “rats” was reprehensible. Democrats and their allies in the media can’t win the war of ideas, so they resort to dangerous and despicable personal attacks that purposefully endanger the freedom of their political opponents. https://t.co/9ORyHf9JoM

— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) December 20, 2020

wow. this is sick https://t.co/g6eWVpwkyt

— wendi strauch mahoney🌟NeverGiveUp(JohnGalt) (@wmahoney5) December 20, 2020

The mainstream media is the enemy of the people.

There, I said it.

Because it’s true https://t.co/BObdQFp5Zu

— Mike Gilbert 🇺🇸 (@mike_gilbert) December 20, 2020

This is a shame, you @washingtonpost lost what journalism left in your pages publishing this crap, you are the real #Democrats rats ! https://t.co/n57NZn6SIu

— pedritorico (@pedritorico3) December 21, 2020

The Left has always defined themselves through their accusations. https://t.co/DlvCR5DYdF

— Jeff Carlson (@themarketswork) December 20, 2020

The Left has lost their goddam minds. https://t.co/B0mcEEfsq1

— Every Woman (@SenecaTwoPointO) December 20, 2020

I’ve seen the Nazi propaganda at Auschwitz. This is what it looks like. https://t.co/PzuIDNVbxF

— A13KF (@A13KF) December 20, 2020

you don’t even have to be jewish to be a victim of antisemitism anymore https://t.co/Gur7M1ANkK

— tiny esther (@esthermirirose) December 21, 2020

Really, the saddest part of this whole story is that there are people who really don’t see a problem with this. And as Edmond Burke said, “Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.” Which is a little terrifying for those of us who they consider their political and ideological enemies, and who would prefer not to be slaughtered like the dehumanized Jews and Tutsis.