Which villains do you think are worse: the Nazis or ISIS? (Israel, radical)

[Kicks45]

Never thought the United States would see a day where a bad guy that rivals the Nazis would appear. But here we are in 2015, and here they are. Do you think they're a legitimate threat? Which is worse, in your opinion?

[Pennies4Penny]

You forgot Christian extremists. They are the largest direct threat to Americans today.

(I don't agree with the tone of this article, but the facts are in it.)

You’re 7 Times More Likely To Be Killed By A Conservative Terrorist Than A Muslim Extremist «

As far as your OP, there really isn't a way to tell in this moment. Only decades from now can we look back and make proper comparison.

[GregW]

I think that the NAZI's and ISIS are both threats to Western Civilization. The NAZI's tried to enslave all the lesser people while ISIS wants to erase the very idea of Modernity. Both did and will use any method they think will work.


The NAZI's were primarily a threat to Europe while ISIS primary goal is to destroy ISLAM before they destroy us.


Unfortunately although we have destroyed the political and military power of Nazism we have not eliminated the idea the some people, by skin color or religion, are inherently inferior to the people blessed by the Nazi's to be members of the Master Race.


We, the modern West, may be able to help destroy ISIS and similar reactionary segments of Islam, we will not be able to destroy their legitimacy. Only the rest of Islam can do that.

[redguard57]

The Nazis were in control of a much richer and more impactful part of the world.

On a practical level, the Nazis were much more dangerous. They had access to money, a strong economic foundation, advanced technology, lots of resources, strong production capacity and the ability to build a modern, powerful military run by a disciplined, efficient people that was frighteningly effective.

ISIS does not have anything remotely approaching the capabilities of Nazi Germany in the context of its time. It's been several hundred years since Islamic militaries were forces to be reckoned with. Arab-based militaries lose to Western-supported ones every time nowadays - see Israel vs. everyone who's tried to fight Israel.

What ISIS does have though that the Nazis did not is the potential for an movement that transcends borders. Nazi ideology was heavily based on Germanic/Teutonic nationalism. They had strict racial definitions of who they were and who could be one of them. As far as I can tell, the Islamic State can make an argument to radical Islamists of any nationality or ethnicity.

[WannabeCPA]

If we had the same forms of media today as back when the Nazis were rising to power this wouldn't even be a question. The question the OP posed is due entirely to the 24/7/365 media coverage we have in this day and age. There is no question, it's not even close, the Nazis were by FAR a bigger threat to the "civilized" world. ISIS members number in the tens of thousands, Nazis numbered in the millions. Not to mention Germany was a major world power operating on a state level while ISIS is a transnational group of jihadists loosely committed to a common cause. Think about it. From what I understand it wasn't widely know during the war what the Germans were doing to those they considered inferior. Only after the war was the full scale known. Take ISIS. A couple of hostages beheaded make world news. So does the alleged rape of an American woman by ISIS. Contrary to what some believe ISIS is mainly at war with other Muslims, not the West. They are encouraging and planning terrorist attacks in the West because of what the West has done in Muslim lands. Still, ISIS will never be able to be anything more than a thorn in the side of the West because they lack the capabilities. Since the 9/11 attacks there were 43 deaths from Muslim terrorists in the US, while the deaths from white supremist/right wing terrorism was 48. I'd bet every one of those Muslim terrorist victims made national news. Compare that to the over 200,000 non-terrorist homicides in the same period and you get an idea of the threat level. Granted they are a threat, but to compare them to the Nazis shows how ignorant the OP is.